How to Make a Chain Mail Glove
Chain mail is composed of metal rings. It was used in the past as armor for for those who did not or could not use plate armor or to cover gaps in plate armor. In modern times, chain mail gloves, which protect the hands, are sought after by weaponry and history enthusiasts. Chain mail gloves can also be practical in that they protect the hands during dangerous tasks; for instance, butcher's gloves are chain mail gloves. You can make your own with wire. Basic chain mail is not very difficult to make, but it is time-consuming.
Instructions
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1
Trace your hand onto a sheet of paper. The glove must be slightly larger than this, but this will provide a pattern for you to follow as you work to determine how long or wide your chain mail pieces should be.
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2
Wrap wire in a tight coil around a metal rod, then pull out the rod. Use a pliers to press the wire against the rod, ensuring that the coil is tight. The coil should resemble a spring once finished. Thin wire and a thin rod will make a closer-fitting glove, but you require fewer rings when using a thicker wire and rod.
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3
Cut the loops of the spiral with a sharp wire cutter to make rings. You will most likely need to repeat the process several times. Your glove will need hundreds of rings depending upon the size. Some of the rings must be closed with a pliers, and some must remain open. You will need both types of rings.
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Close four of your rings with the pliers. Hang them together on a fifth ring, then close the fifth ring. When you lay the piece flat, it forms a sort of clover shape, with each of the four rings connected to the middle. This is a standard chain mail pattern called a four-in-one pattern.
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5
Loop a new open ring through two of the loose rings in your set of five. Add two new closed rings into the new open ring, then close the open ring. You now have a set of eight interlocking rings. Use this method to add more rings to the chain mail. You can also add one ring at a time by linking an open ring through two closed ones, then closing it.
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6
Create ten chain mail strips using the four-in-one method, two short ones for your thumbs and eight long ones. Each strip must reach from your wrist to the tips of your fingers.
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Link the chain mail strips together by closing rings around the edges. Link four long strips and one short strip together so that they form a hand shape and leave the ends of the strips loose for your fingers. Repeat for the other five strips.
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Attach the two hand-shaped pieces of mail together with more rings along the edges to form a glove.
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Tips & Warnings
Chain mail is often uncomfortable, so you may want to wear fabric or leather gloves beneath the chain mail gloves.
Part of making chain mail correctly is ensuring that the rings lie flat. Rings that are in the same row horizontally or vertically should all look the same and face the same way.
References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
