I'm Not a Real Chainmailer?

Most of the time I love vending at shows and talking to people about my chainmail. But putting my work on display also means I'm occasionally subject to an unkind word or criticism. The early days were the hardest. It was before I'd learned not to let the harsh words bother me so much. I can understand that my work doesn't interest everyone, but insulting an artist with a rude comment before walking away doesn't help anybody, well, except for one time when it did...

When I first began making chainmail I was working exclusively in aluminum. I made my shirt in aluminum and it worked great, so I continued right on with the same metal for everything else. Until one day while vending at a show an attendee looked down at my bright, beautiful, and colorful aluminum rings with a sneer. "You're not a real chainmailer unless you're working in steel," he told me before walking away. I was shocked. I was insulted. Not a real chainmailer? I'd made hundreds of items, learned dozens of weaves, and even completed a full shirt. Of course I was a real chainmailer! But rather than be discouraged by the passing comment, I decided to act on it. I could work in steel. I just hadn't yet. So I used that insult to drive my expansion beyond aluminum.

Working in steel is harder than aluminum. It's a much stronger metal and harder to bend. But I was happy to take on the new challenge. And a few days after getting my hands on the new rings, I was creating steel versions of the same beautiful chainmail weaves that I had first learned in aluminum.

But I didn't just stop with steel. At the same time I also added brass, bronze, and copper to my collection. Each new metal had slightly different properties. All of the new metals had one thing in common though: they were all significantly heavier than aluminum. Therefore I tend to refer to the group as my heavy metals. This is not to be confused with toxic heavy metals though. Not all weighty metals are dangerous. Steel, brass, bronze, and copper only bother people with specific metal allergies.

Copper is the reddest of the new metals. It's also the heaviest of my heavy metals. But weight does not equal strength. I find copper very easy to bend, even easier than aluminum. It's still strong enough for bracelets. But while working with it, I can understand why our ancient ancestors sought to mix it with other metals to strengthen it. The copper I use is C110 copper, meaning it's solid copper and as pure as it comes. That also means that it will oxidize and darken over time.

Bronze is the resulting alloy of copper and tin mixed together. It's a very strong metal that served ancient civilizations well for thousands of years during the Bronze Age. Bronze was used for tools and weapons during that era as well as for decoration and building purposes that we still use it for today. I, of course, use it for chainmail. It's a strong metal like steel, but close in color to copper. Bronze also changes color as it oxidizes due to the presence of copper in its alloy. The specific alloy I use is C510 Bronze which is also used for springs, bolts, and guitar strings.

Brass is created from mixing copper with zinc. I find it easy to work with like copper and aluminum, and the golden color is significantly different from red copper and orange-red bronze. The golden color is also why this specific brass alloy (C226) is also known as "Jewelers Brass." It's used with polish and a lacquer coating for hinges and doorknobs, and it's also used as the base for gold plating. The brass in it's pure form will oxidize and darken over time as all copper alloys do.

Oxidization is an interesting chemical reaction that all copper-based metals experience. It occurs when the metal comes into contact with the oxygen in our atmosphere and electrons are lost. The result is a green or brown film on the surface of the metal called a "patina." The most famous example of this in modern times is the green color of the Statue of Liberty. The alloys that I work with become more brown than green. But a simple ten second bath in a bowl of vinegar gets the shine back. This is followed by a rinse in water and a thorough drying.

To avoid oxidization completely however, it's best to stick with steel. I use 304 stainless steel. It's the most common stainless steel made from primarily iron and carbon with a bit of chromium to make it shine. In addition to my usage of it in chainmail, this stainless steel has a large variety of other uses including food handling, screws, machinery parts, and architecture. The same type of stainless steel was used in St. Louis's Gateway Arch.

I'm taking a few weeks off from shows for the month of May. It's time to complete custom orders and restock everything for my tables. I'll be back on the road in June headed to Ohio and Indiana! I hope to see all my Midwest friends soon. Check out my Shows page to see my full convention schedule.

• Jun 18-22, Columbus, OH: Origins Game Fair

• Jun 27-29, Indianapolis, IN: PopCon Indy

• Aug 23, Leominster, MA: Plastic City Comic Con

• Oct 5, Boston, MA: Wicked Comic Con

• Nov 7-9, Providence, RI: Rhode Island Comic Con