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My Top Internet Resources for Chain Mail

By on July 8, 2016
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by Judy Ellis, Wirejewelry.com

Wire Jewelry Article for July 8th, 2016

My Top Internet Resources for Chain Mail

by Marilyn Gardiner

Today we feature a short article by Marilyn Gardiner. She shares with us some of her Top Internet Resources for Chain Mail.

Marilyn Says:

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Search engines such as Google are extremely useful for finding the answer to our burning questions. And YouTube videos can often provide live-action help as well. But here are some dedicated places to go wandering:

1. Maille Artisans International League (M.A.I.L.):

This website is dedicated to recording and advancing the knowledge of chainmail by and for artisans around the world, at all knowledge levels. The searchable website has an online discussion board and a library of information about chainmail weaves—including tutorials.

This is often the first place I’ll go looking for something new to learn, or to search to see if I can find out who created a new weave I’ve seen.

2. Free Tutorials:

We all like something free—maillers included. Here are links to five valuable sites—ones that have the most free tutorials When I’m learning a new weave, I find it useful to compare instructions written by different people.

3. Facebook:

Join a Facebook group devoted to chain mail. I recommend two that I belong to:

  • Chain Maille
  • Chainmaille Jewelry & More

Both are closed groups and have rules—submit your name for approval. These are large, international, well-behaved, kind, and sharing groups for beginners and advanced alike.

Be sure to check their files tab for tutorials and other good information. You can feel comfortable asking “dumb” questions and posting photos of your work.

4. Joshua Dilberto: Weave Names & Photos:

Here is a 2-column chart of chain mail weaves in alphabetical order. Each row has a LARGE photo of the weave, its name, and some comments about whether it is recognized as an official weave by M.A.I.L., and the ring sizes used. There are 259 weaves here—and I know that only because it tells me at the top of the page! I use this to choose weaves I think I’d like to learn to make, and to identify the correct name for a weave that I’ve seen. The ring sizes are in SWG, but I can use charts to find the Aspect Ratio and convert the sizes to AWG.

5. YouTube Videos:

A number of people learn best by watching someone demonstrate how to do it. As with anything “free”, the quality of the videos varies, depending on the skills and knowledge of the creator. I don’t know of any list of “good” chain mail videos—you will have to search for and then watch a bit to see if you think it’s worth your time to view it all.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this article from Marilyn. To explore more posts by Marilyn on our blog – CLICK HERE!

Happy Wrapping!

 

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