Chain mail

Chain mail is a specialized type of armor made from small metal rings. These rings are linked together in a specific pattern to create a flexible mesh.

This mesh allows a wearer to move freely while providing a layer of protection. While it was once a primary tool for soldiers on battlefields, it is still used today. Modern applications include cut-resistant gloves for butchers and woodworkers. It is also used in shark-resistant wetsuits to defend against bites.

Some versions even serve as components in stab-resistant body armor.

Armorers create many different types of garments using this ring technology. A full-length shirt is often called a hauberk, while a shorter version reaching the mid-thigh is a haubergeon. In early medieval Europe, a waist-length coat was known as a byrnie.

The mesh can be shaped into many specific parts. For example, a mail hood is called a coif, and leggings are known as chausses.

A collar hanging from a helmet is called a camail or an aventail. Some soldiers even wore a jazerant, which consists of mail sandwiched between layers of fabric.

History suggests that the Celts may have invented mail. However, examples of Etruscan pattern mail date back to at least the 4th century BC.

The earliest surviving physical examples were found in the Carpathian Basin. These were located in burials in Horný Jatov, Slovakia, and Ciumești, Romania. The Roman Republic likely encountered mail while fighting Gauls in Northern Italy. The Roman army eventually adopted the technology as the lorica hamata. This became a primary form of armor throughout the Imperial period.

Mail spread across much of the known world through trade and conquest. It reached North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, India, and Japan. In the Middle East, the Sassanid Persians adopted mail starting in the 3rd century AD. They used it alongside scale and lamellar armor. In Asia, mail was even used as armor for heavy cavalry horses.

In China, the armor was first recorded in the 3rd century as "chained ring armor." It was later officially introduced to the Tang Emperor in 718 AD.

Because it was difficult and time-consuming to produce, mail was a very expensive commodity. It was often considered the most highly valued piece of a soldier's equipment.

The cost was so high that mail from fallen combatants was frequently looted.

Both men and women worked as professional armorers. Alice la Haubergere worked in Cheapside during the 1300s. Agnes Hecche continued the trade after inheriting her father's tools. The oldest intact hauberk in existence belonged to Leopold III, the Duke of Austria, who died in 1386.

As technology changed, the role of mail on the battlefield shifted. During the 14th century, soldiers began using articulated plate armor to supplement mail. Plate armor eventually became more common because it protected better against crossbows and heavy lance charges.

However, mail remained in use in many regions, such as Eastern Europe, into the 16th century. In the late 19th century, companies like Wilkinson Sword tried to use mail for bulletproof vests. These early attempts were often unsuccessful because the split rings could fragment when struck by bullets.

In the 20th century, mail found new uses in modern warfare. During World War I, it was used for specialized facial protection. One design was a mail fringe attached to helmets to protect the upper face.

Another invention was the "splatter mask" used by early tank crews. This consisted of a rigid upper mask and a mail veil. The veil protected the crew from flying metal fragments, also known as spalling, inside the vehicle. This shows how the ancient concept of a metal mesh continues to adapt to new challenges.