Gallery The Gallery
Chainmail
15 photos · Dec 2022 – May 2026
I got inspired to make a chainmail shirt from the youtuber Cody's Lab and one day I ordered some galvanized steel wire coils and started making some rings and putting them together. Little did I know that this would become one of my main hobbies and a new staple of my fashion style. I ended up founding the UMass Chainmail Coop where I taught hundreds of people to make chainmail jewelry and have sold it at over a dozen markets. I have three pieces of armor now, my original galvy chainmail (augmented with a scale archer's pauldron), a scale vest and a scale crop-top with chain straps (plus Yasha's breastplate).
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This is probably my favorite of the three pieces I wear. It fits beautifully and the pattern turned out amazing. It weighs in at 12 pounds of aluminum scales and steel backing rings. The mobility is pretty good, albeit a little rough when pulling my arms all the way forward. Stardate 17224.7
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I love the contour on the shoulders specifically since I used two pairs of contractions in the back to taper it down at my waist. I also saw the technique of using a darker color under the arms on reddit to make it look even slimmer on you, which was a technique I later passed on to one of my apprentices as well. Stardate 17224.7
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My original shirt will always have a place in my heart and I still wear it when I want something a bit more cozy. Despite being 17 pounds of full steel, it feels less restrictive than my scale armor due to being a looser weave. Stardate 17224.7
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My third chainmail shirt, a crop top design similar to the breastplate I made for my High Praetor Yasha costume but with proper straps and a fully connected backplate. Also pictured is my scale flower clip and choker. Stardate 17775.9
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This one was made from scales and used the prototype of what would become my Scalemail Planner. This time I had the Makerspace's mannequins to use. Stardate 17119.2
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The mannequins I had access to definitely made it easier to assemble and tailor, but it still took a month or so to get perfect. The mannequins were also a fair bit bustier than me, which presented its own challenges. Stardate 17119.2
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My second shirt was nearing completion, I think I redesigned the shoulders once more after this, and it remains the same to this day. Stardate 17145.2
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Eventually I found Jeff, who was able to wear my original shirt for display since the weave was loose enough to stretch around him since he is a bit beefier than me. My scale shirt wouldn't fit him since the scale weave is tighter and more tailored to me. Stardate 17197.9
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One of the workshops I taught at UMass, also featuring the final iteration of my original shirt on display with its archer's pauldron and the carabiners I clip my bag and water bottle to every day. Stardate 17304.1
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Humble beginnings. Stardate 16698.5
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I worked on my first shirt everywhere, including in lectures and at archery. Stardate 16803.0
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I hadn't unlocked Mannequin Technology yet so I made one out of cardboard. Stardate 16855.7
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It was getting a little bit oxidized, so I had to give it a vinegar bath and then reapply the galvanized coating. It was here I learned how bad galvanized steel is for chainmail due to it being mildly toxic on skin, and the fumes being very not good for you if it gets removed. Stainless steel for all my projects going forward. Stardate 16987.9
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I once tried to tie-dye it with some spray paint to mild success. Stardate 16987.9
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In December of 2023, one year after starting my first shirt, I began a second... Stardate 17013.8
