Making scale mail

Kit and Making Things Costume and Crafting
1

I’m looking at making scale mail, both to have cool heavy armour and to give me something to do with my hands at events. However, I’ve not really done much armour craft before.

I’m currently looking at these scales off etsy, connected with riveted rings - the guy who runs the shop says he does round riveted ones, since the square ones apparently don’t sit well with scales.

However, I’m not sure how many I’m going to need - I’m getting the distinct impression that it’s going to be more expensive than just buying a set from India or something, which is okay, because it’d be cool to make it myself. But I’d like to have an idea of what I’m getting myself in for.

So, a few questions for you lovely helpful people:

How many of their big (3.58 cm) scales would I likely need for a sleeved shirt?

How many hours would that be likely to take?

How incredibly impractical would it be to do at an event? Say, sitting on a bench in a tent?

Does anyone have any good guides for making it? The basic layering seems fairly straightforward, but I’m not sure how you do all the going-round-corners and sleeves and stuff like that.

2

There’s some information and instructions for making that sort of maille on the manufacturer’s web site:
theringlord.com
theringlord.com/cart/shopdisplay … structions
theringlord.com/cart/shopDisplay … l+Supplies

If you’re buying a lot of scales, it might work out cheaper to buy from there. Shipping and import-duty can be costly though.

3

Yeah, I was looking at the Dutch guy because he seems pretty legit, and the shipping distance is smaller - I’m aware he may well work out pretty expensive, although he’s the only person I’ve seen so far who sells round riveted rings.

4

Hello there!

Welcome dear traveler to the world of possibly painful fingers (depending on your strength)

Firstly, i wouldnt buy from that etsy shop. Mostly as it would seem they are buying supplies from The Ring Lord and re-selling them over here. How do i know this? Because they are even using the images from The Ring Lords pages on clear plastic scales.
For a project this size, you want to be buying in bulk.

Now im going to state the obvious, the amount of rings and scales you need will depend on your size.
Ive had a few people ask me about making them a shirt/shoulder piece ect, so i have a few workings out ready for you.

TL;DR:
Small scales, 1000 per square foot.
Larger scales, 300 per square foot.

Now, if your working on average male larper size (i.e XL-XXL) your looking about about
15500 small scales, or
4700 large scales
for a simple shirt.

There are calculators online you can use exact measurements in to get a much finer idea of the amount of scales youll need.
And dont forget each scale needs 2 rings to attach them together! 31000 or 9400 rings to open and close!

In short, your looking at anything from £200-£500 in supplies. Its going to take a long time, and if your using steel scales with steel rings (i wouldn’t risk using alli, the weight needs solid support behind it!) its going to hurt your hands while you get used to it.

Personally? i absolutely love working with chain and scale. I fritter hours of my life on knitting and weaving. Nothing gives me the satisfaction of seeing a project come to life. Go round the league camp and listen if anyone’s crotches are jingling.
Thats my doing, scale mail codpieces, love em to bits. There’s a civil servant and the senator of Tassato wearing massive byzantine chains that took me nearly a week a piece to finish. But DAMN do they look good.

Working in the field, be aware you are likely to loose some rings and scales here and there. they are like the opposite of sand, they get everywhere other than where you want them.

I tend to have large glass jars or pots with a sizable amount of rings or scales in them and a bowl or suitable dish like thing to pour amounts of each to work with into. Minimizes loss and makes it easy to pack up if you need to be elsewhere, such as stabbing an orc or wooing an eternal.

Edit: What i wanted to say before accidentally posting this was, if you want some advice or to see what youll be working with, give me a poke on here and i can bring some of my various supplies with me for you to play with!

5

Oooh, a brain to pick!

I am also contemplating scalemail - because I’m insane, a full hauberk in small bronze scale. Having read through the Ring Lord’s various pages, I’m inclined to go for split rings, because if I’m going to spend that long and that much making something gorgeous I’m prepared to spend longer to make something more durable.

As a fairly curvy female larper, I’m aware it’s going to need quite a lot of tailoring. My idea is to treat it a bit like a knitted garment - make a block pattern off my measurements, work on front and back simultaneously comparing against the pattern, and periodically lace the two pieces together to try on for rough fit so I can adjust as I go.

My inspiration is the armour from the Last Legion ( profounddecisions.co.uk/empi … rmour3.jpg ) so I’d be planning some sort of hero belt/underbust corset to complete the look and of course help spread the weight.

Does this sound feasible, risible, impossible? All advice gratefully received…

6

Well, personally i dont like split rings. It requires a special tool to open them and take longer to knit with.
So far, using butted rings ive had no problems. Using stainless steel rings for heavier materials and alli rings for alli scales.
So far, ive not had any of my codpieces fall to bits despite very vigorous thrustings and battle blows.

Only thing i can add is that, if your using real bronze scales, be aware they will go dull after contact with the acids on your skin. If you want something that stays shiny and your not after a heavy armor phy-rep, go for bronze colored alli scales.

7

Definitely coloured aluminium - I am happy to sacrifice counting as heavy! Interesting to hear that about butted rings - I suppose the Ring Lord’s advice applies more to live steel combat. I have heard elsewhere that it might be wise to use steel rings for extra strength at neckline and armpits if using aluminium for the bulk. Shall ponder it further - thanks for your help :smiley:

8

Thanks for the advice! I’m actually more of an M - how much would that bring down the price? Also, if anyone else is looking at a ringlord order, would you like to share postage and such?

9

Recently, I too succumbed to the lunacy of wanting some shiny scale maille armour, so decided to try making some. Has gone well so far (front of a vest finished, with a start made on the rear). If you’re looking for a more local supplier than The Ring Lord, I’ve found beadsisters.co.uk to be more than up to the task- reasonable prices, good selection of colours, rapid delivery etc. I’ve found that, so far,you’re going to need to get double the amount of rings to scales. I can recommend making your own rings though, helps keeps costs down and is easy to do. Hope that helps.

10

I can only find aluminium scales on beadsisters… Do you know if they do steel?

11

I got a small batch (of aluminium) from Bead Sisters to play with and yes, very professional. Note that I’m pretty sure they’re another company reselling Ring Lord scales, so if you’re getting a whole shirt’s worth it can’t hurt to ask if they’ll do a bulk quote and compare the two.

12

Only aluminium from Beadsisters I’m afraid.
If anyone does happen to stumble on somewhere selling industrial quantities of scales (ie: straight from the manufacturer), let me know. I’d be happy to go in on a huge job lot, steel or aluminium.

13

I don’t know how well the economics of this work out but Steel Mastery do a different style of plates (65*55 mm), £60 for 100

steel-mastery.com/en/scale-and-m … les-plates

You can see what kind of armour this makes here - steel-mastery.com/en/scale-and-m … ale-armour

14

Also I’ve just found this page which is quite detailed on viking style lamellar

star-port.org/sca/building.html

You can buy these style of plates from here - getdressedforbattle.co.uk/ac … tml#SID=44

15

Sixty euros not pounds: a bit cheaper.

I think these people make scales themselves too: armchair-armoury.co.uk

16

I have made most of a vest out of the ring lord stainless steel-clad aluminium scales and I can attest that it takes a good long while to do!

In terms of technique with the lighter scales you can attach them directly to one another, saving rings. The steel rings make up the bulk of the weight. With pure steel scales you will want a full 4-in-1 weave mail supporting them to avoid breakages.

You can add darts and gores to tailor your armour - there are some handy guides linked to on the ring lord site itself. The basic pattern is super easy once you get the hang of counting to four (as each scale has four rings attached to it).

I have not had a ruling as to whether this armour counts as heavy in Empire. The mix of aluminium and steel suggests it may only be medium…

17

I’m pretty sure aluminium scale is medium, which is why I want to go for steel - however, I’d welcome a ruling to the contrary! So many more colours and designs available in aluminium.

Do you really need 4-in-1 weave, even with split rings? I can see it being an issue with butted, but I’d gotten the impression that with split rings they hold together fine…

18

I imagine it all comes down to how heavy the scales are.

19

khelgar.deviantart.com/art/Scale … l-78153701
sites.google.com/site/thehappyb … e-tutorial

20

Aluminium scale would only be heavy if you are basing off a full suit of 4 in 1 steel mail. At that point the scale is basically just decoration, as far as we’re concerned.

If your mail weave is more open (which I seem to recall it normally is) or the mail rings are aluminium, then medium armour.