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Author Topic:   chain mail
deborahknowles
Senior Member
posted 07-15-2005 02:07 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for deborahknowles   Click Here to Email deborahknowles     Edit/Delete Message
how much protection would chain mail have given at fairly close range (a few metres)? Would an arrow have gone right through? I'm sure I read that a knight could be bristling with arrows like some sort of hedgehog after a battle. Is this right? I thanke you.

------------------

Peter
Member
posted 07-15-2005 02:32 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Peter   Click Here to Email Peter     Edit/Delete Message
I'm not too sure, as there were about six main types of arrowhead. Some designed for the purpose of penetrating mail, or, full armour.
One thing is certain, from a few metres it might not be a good outcome. Also the type of bow would come into question. As the longbow was a distance weapon, and the arrow would gain speed with its fall, so giving greater penetration at impact.
Having said that, if you did not make your shot tell at that range. You would not be getting a second chance!
Peter

Paul
unregistered
posted 07-16-2005 07:42 AM           Edit/Delete Message
Chainmail (also chain mail, chain maille, or just mail or maille) is a type of armour that consists of small metal rings put together in a pattern to form a mesh. Mail can generally be punctured by a spear or shorn by the blow from a heavy axe or sword (although riveted chainmail is much stronger), and its flexibility means that its wearer is still vulnerable to blunt weapons. Nevertheless, it was an effective and popular defense for its ability to stop cutting weapons from piercing the skin. Medieval physicians could usually set broken bones, but when it came to preventing infection they were woefully inadequate. Thus the mail was weak in defending against wounds which could be more easily mended but strong against those to which the soldier was most vulnerable.

Maria
Moderator
posted 07-16-2005 10:22 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Maria   Click Here to Email Maria     Edit/Delete Message
Check this out: http://www.thearma.org/essays.htm
They have plenty of information on combat, and if I remember right, they did some tests with chainmail. You can find pictures.

bent one
Senior Member
posted 07-20-2005 12:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for bent one     Edit/Delete Message
I didn't know that riveted was stronger. I guess it held together better than the welded stuff. making the actual maille is pretty easy but making all those rivets must have been a painstaking task.

blunt weapons are great for taking out maille but what do you guys think about stuff like scale or lammellar. they are plates that are rivited or laced together to. might stop an arrow better than maile would but I'd still say that it's kinda flexible. a blunt instrument could still cause some damage.
I also remember that you would usually wear quilting underneath your armor for padding. you wonder how thick the original material was and how effective it would be against a weapon like a mace or war hammer.

flails rule! : -)

Tiptoft
Member
posted 08-14-2005 07:57 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Tiptoft     Edit/Delete Message
There's no sort of mail that is really proof against arrow-strike... forcing a ring apart doesn't take that much energy, no matter how well rivetted mail is... With regard to quilted protection, I'm convinced this was a way better protection against arrows; i think "springyness" is the key! at 20m with a 70lb bow i can put an arrow up to the fletching through 8 layers of thick cardboard; straight through home made chain-mail and easily through a featherboard fence (sorry neighbours!) but they either bounce off, or stick less than an inch into, an old mattress i use as a 'wicketkeeper'...X

bent one
Senior Member
posted 08-15-2005 10:47 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for bent one     Edit/Delete Message
It's awesome that you're doing weapons testing!

I wish that I could that, but my neighbors would definitly be upset. have you done any other tests?
with various weapons or armor types? have you thought about a vest kind of armor that would be quilting on both sides with mail in the middle?
the idea is kind of like the "coat of plates" armor
but without plates. how do you think that it would stand against the arrow?

Paul
unregistered
posted 08-17-2005 10:55 AM           Edit/Delete Message
Does anyone know anything about Chinese paper armour?

bent one
Senior Member
posted 08-17-2005 04:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for bent one     Edit/Delete Message
Paper?

I'll have to look into it. where did you hear about this? sounds interesting.

I've heard that prison inmates make weapons and things out of paper but armor sounds difficult.

bent one
Senior Member
posted 08-18-2005 12:09 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for bent one     Edit/Delete Message
I found some stuff on paper armor at the nonmetallic armor section in the Arador Armour Library it says: Paper armor was pleated mulberry paper layered so as to obstruct the path of the arrow. it became obsolete in th 12th century when iron crossbow bolts came into use.

I also found that, chinese generals favored the paper armor because it did not rust when the soldiers were rained on- askasia.com

The guy at the library said that there was a book that he got the info out of I would love to see some pictures of this stuff.

Paul
unregistered
posted 08-18-2005 12:34 PM           Edit/Delete Message
Thanks, I saw about paper armour on TV, they dressed a dummy up in it and shot an arrow at it and it worked!
But, wouldn't the paper go soggy in rain?
Regards, Paul.

Maria
Moderator
posted 08-18-2005 02:13 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Maria   Click Here to Email Maria     Edit/Delete Message
Um... it shouldn't soak if you put some kind of glue or varnish on it...

bent one
Senior Member
posted 08-18-2005 05:22 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for bent one     Edit/Delete Message
what TV show did you see it on? What did it look like? I think that the stuff was pretty thick so that it didn't deteriorate when it got wet.

I saw another kind of armor at the Library used by the aztecs made from cotton. it says that they strengthened it by soaking it in brine.

Paul
unregistered
posted 08-18-2005 07:40 PM           Edit/Delete Message
It was on a show called "What the ancients did for us".
I guess you don't get it in the States.
But, it worked!

bent one
Senior Member
posted 08-18-2005 11:25 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for bent one     Edit/Delete Message
I wish I could've seen it.

you guys must get all the best TV. Nothin good comes on anymore here its all reality shows and soap operas. I love the history channel though!

do you have shows like that all the time?

Paul
unregistered
posted 08-19-2005 05:50 AM           Edit/Delete Message
TV is not too bad over here, I like the history channel too.

bent one
Senior Member
posted 08-19-2005 11:58 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for bent one     Edit/Delete Message
do you watch modern marvels they had a cool thing the other day about bricks and they showed how these guys made bricks the same way they did to rebuild London after that big fire for restoration on old buildings.

that show called weapons that made britain is awesome too! have you seen that show when they talked about the battle of bannockburn and the shiltrons. that was an innovative tactic.

Paul
unregistered
posted 08-24-2005 10:22 AM           Edit/Delete Message
I haven't seen any of those shows yet.
Maybe I can see them when I get to the States.


Paul.

All times are PT (US)

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