186
Rings [OC] (lemmy.world)
submitted 4 days ago by to c/photography@lemmy.world
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Apparently I have taken it upon myself to knit another set of chainmail. This evening, I absolutely could not resist dropping this chunk (which at the moment is just about six inches across; this is just a subset of it) into my photo box. I find the proportion of rings at this wire gauge and diameter particularly pleasing for whatever reason.

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[–] -2 points 3 days ago (6 children)

Technically it's just called mail or mail-armor. Mail comes from Old French maille ("mesh, net") therefore "mail" already denotes the interlinked-ring construction so adding "chain" is redundant.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 days ago

    The post title is on English, not French, so the French etymology isn't particularly relevant.

    Also, part of why it's chain mail in English is to specify that the individual links are made of something rigid. If the definition of maille mattered, it would still fit for something entirely different like a string vest.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 days ago (3 children)

    Except it isn't armor. Those links are butted, so the protective value is limited. This is decorative, possibly a cosplay piece.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 3 days ago (2 children)

    It's also made of aluminum, so the protective aspect is even more diminished. I can tell you from experience that even butted steel links can protect you from a surprising amount of stuff, though, unless people are swinging morning stars at you or something.

    When I made my first set of steel mail, even with its butted links, obviously the first thing my friends and I did was drape it over a watermelon and later each other and have at it with knives, swords, axes, bats, etc. It was able to stop everything we had to hand. Fortunately we weren't dumb enough to try firing any arrows at it...

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 3 days ago

    That may be so, but in these modern times I often find it helpful to specify so people don't get it mixed up with e.g. the envelopes you stick in the post. That's English for you and all of its damned silly homonym-o-nym-o-nymns.

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