Sir Armand's Mail Diagrams
Sir Armand's Mail Diagram - A letter to Walter of St. Jacobs September 29th, 1977
Dear Ken,
Enclosed are two drawings, one of the main body of a mail hauberk (of limited usefulness to you since you have already knitted mail for the torso), and one page of various diagrams for knee and elbow fittings. These are drawings of the tailoring on the hauberk I presently wear. They worked OK for me, but I caution anyone who makes mail to do what seems to work best for them. There is no “one way” that is correct to the exclusion of all others.
One other way of connecting arms to the torso of the hauberk is to make the arm opening about 80 rows (or 27 inches) in circumference. The mail on the upper arm forms a cylinder about eighter rows in circumference by whatever number of rings it takes to get to the tip of the elbow. The “triangle” of mail (to provide elbow flexibility) is then added. After that is attached (if desired) the forearm which funnels down to a snug fit at the wrist. Mos mail-makers in the SCA make the primary mistake of fitting their mail too tightly under the armpit, maybe using only a circumference of 20 inches or less as an arm-hole opening. That is the source of most of their troubles when it comes time to add on arms of mail. The smaller opening crimps and binds under the arm and prohibits movement and circulation. The larger the opening, the easier it is to move, and the tailoring or the mail at the armpit area can be made extremely simple.
Naturally the broader the upper-arm funnel of mail requires more mail rings, takes longer to knit, and is slightly heavier. Overall, however, it is a much better way to go. Experiment on your own and have fun. Mail is a labor of patience, but as you have probably already found out, the end result can be quite rewarding from an armorer’s standpoint. Good luck, have fun, and we’ll see you soon.
Sincerely yours,
