Like most grandmothers, I sit and knit. Unlike other grandmothers, however, I use metal wire instead of yarn. This metal "kniting" is called Chain Maile.

Chain maile Coif

Chain maile is a type of metal armor made of interlocking rings of steel. Although chain maile armor is very heavy (a typical shirt can weigh as much as 20lbs or more) and is somewhat time-consuming to make, it is every flexible and provides great protection. There are several types of chain maile; the type used here is a typical European Medieval pattern.

No one is really sure where, when, or who invented chain maile. It could have been the Scythians in the Middle East during the 5th century B.C. or, maybe, the Celts in Europe. But, the first army to widely use chain maile was the Roman Army in the first century B.C. European knights and crusaders of the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries are the most popular warriors associated with the use of this type of armor. It remained the main type of body armor until it was replaced by steel plate armor around the1300's. In many cases, the chain maile and plate armor were combined. Today, marine divers, wear chain maile suits to defend themselves against shark bites.

This chain maile is very realistic with similar weight and handling characteristics of original chain maile except that these links are not riveted together and they will not rust. The links used in this project are made of 14-gauge galvanized wire that were cut and then the ends just pressed together.

My "Wire Winder"

Using information gathered from websites and a chain maile class, I decided to make my own wire winder. Admitting my limits, I opted not to use an electric drill to wind the wire but chose, instead, a hand crank method.

To build the frame, holes were drilled in one end of each of two scrap pieces of 2" x 6" pine. Then the two pieces were attached to the inside of an old drawer with decking screws - with the drilled holes at the top.

A rod, 48" long and 3/8" diameter was purchased from the local hardware store. The clerk at the store was kind enough to bend it for me. Using a vice and a "cheater pipe," the rod was bent (two 90-degree angles) to form a handle.

The rod was inserted into the two holes in the frame. A pencil mark was placed on the rod just inside and outside one of the 2" x 6" blocks. After removing the rod from the frame, I used a file to make a groove on the pencil marks, then used a small drill bit and electric drill to make two holes just slightly larger than 14-gauge wire. A piece of the wire was inserted into the hole closest to the first bend of the handle then bent to ensure it stayed in place - this provided a "stop" for the rod, along with a large washer that was slid onto it.

The "Links"

Many rolls of 14-gauge galvanized steel wire were purchased from a local hardware store. The end of the wire was inserted into the hole of the wire-winder rod then the handle of the winder was turned to carefully wind the wire onto the rod. When wire covered nearly the full length of the rod inside the frame, the wire was cut to separate the roll from the rod. Then the first loop (at the hole in the rod where the wire was first inserted) was cut. The rod was slid out of the frame - and out of the wound wire. The finished products looks like a screen door spring.

The "spring" was slightly stretched to separate the loops in the wire. Then, the individual loops were cut with a sturdy pair of wire cutters. Stretching the "spring" to separate the loops provides links that are open just enough to use without having to open them to link them. Cut loops were stored in a plastic container with a lid.