Historic Replicas

When many people hear the term “chain mail” it conjures up images of inbox spam and annoying chain letters. In actuality, chain metal is an ancient form of armor that is constructed of small metal rings that are linked together. These rings formed a mesh pattern that protected soldiers from a variety of medieval weaponry.

While today we refer to this armor as chain mail, the people who actually wore it as early as in the 4th century BC referred to it simply as mail. With the significant advancements in weaponry, there are few—if any—areas in the world where chain mail is still a viable option for protection. Most of the medieval chain mail on display today is found at Halloween parties and Renaissance fairs.