Chainmaille Sporran Strap

[Panache]

a k

I like the pattern and think it would look very cool. I'm also impresssed that you have the skill and speed to just make one up on the spot. But based on my experience with chainmail (I have a friend who made himself a mail shirt, and coifs for both of us) I wouldn't want to wear it next to my kilt. We often discuss how the single VERY smooth chromed dress chains that often come with sporrans promotes undue wear on our kilts. The steel rings will not be nearly as smooth and there will be a lot more of them. I think that your belt is going to abraid the fabric of your kilt. I would also be very concerned about the oxidation leaving marks on the fabric. For those you not familiar with chainmail the rings eventually look like this:



My thanks to Mick, the wooden head for modelling my coif while I took the picture

From what my friend told me one can brighten the links again by puting the piece in a can with sand and shaking it to remove the oxidation.

It's a neat idea, and I have seen some fancy variations on the metal chain strap out there, but they have always been chromed (for smoothness as well as looks).

Just my opinion

Cheers

[Bob C]

My thanks to Mick, the wooden head for modelling my coif while I took the picture

HAHAHAHHA! I can see how he got his name. The resemblence is remarkable.

[Caradoc]

I think that your belt is going to abraid the fabric of your kilt.

No joke. I've seen what butted-link mail can do to Sunforger and heavier canvas. I don't even want to imagine what it would do to worsted wool.

From what my friend told me one can brighten the links again by puting the piece in a can with sand and shaking it to remove the oxidation.

It's much easier to put the mail in a five-gallon paint bucket with a few handfuls of fine sand and a cup or two of vineger, then carefully roll it down a good hill. A "period" alternative is to put the mail into a heavy canvas bag with some sand and some straw, and hand it to your squires to use as a "medicine ball" for some exercise for an hour or two.

I've made quite a lot of mail over the years, and I have to say this - galvanized steel wire is absolutely the worst stuff you can make it out of. The zinc oxide that forms is abrasive by itself, you can't simply heat the stuff up and let it off-gas without risking metal vapor poisoning, and the gray is nearly impossible to get out of cloth.

Add that to the varying methods of cutting the links (I prefer to square-cut the ends with a Dremel slitting wheel) and you've got a recipe to absolutely destroy a nice wool kilt.

[Panache]

... A "period" alternative is to put the mail into a heavy canvas bag with some sand and some straw, and hand it to your squires to use as a "medicine ball" for some exercise for an hour or two...

Hey I've got a squire!

"Sinbad! Come over here! Dad has a new ball for you to play with!"

Cheers

[alabama kiltie]

Yeh I was afraid that it mgiht rub on the kilt resulting in stains or worse tears. I plan on wearign thi around for about a week with ym cheap sportkilt just to see what happens. One thing i am considerign is using precut stainless steel rings that i can buy. Not only would they have smooth closures but they won't oxidze like galvanized will. If anyone si interested in a strap with these changes made let me know. I can make these and ship them out within threedays from the order.

[cavscout]

Can you post a picture of the other style of rings? I'm toying with an idea for my leather straps where I might could incorporate this.

[switchblade5984]

Hey I've got a squire!

"Sinbad! Come over here! Dad has a new ball for you to play with!"

Cheers

hahahaha i dindnt knowit was in ya!

[Hamish]

I admire your talent, but there is absolutely no way I would ever allow such a chain anywhere near any of my kilts! My fellow X Markers know well of my aversion to and dislike of sporran chains for day wear. Over the years I have seen horrendous damage done to kilt aprons (in particular) caused by the inappropriate wearing of even single chain straps - which were originally designed for dress wear with silver cantled sporrans. That chain straps are nowadays supplied, almost by default, with day-wear sporrans, is verging on the criminal to my mind.

Beautiful craftsmanship but, please, not with a sporran!

[mddock58]

You could always mount the maille onto a leather strap!

[Rygar]

Wow! I logged on to talk about just such a thing. I'm a Chainmaille crafter myself, and just made a sporran chain to go with my nightstalker.

I'd like to add a few things though. There are a huge number of weaves that can be done to make a sporran chain. Most of them being considered a jewelry weave, but with a heaver ring size, works well for this purpose. There are also different metals to use as well that won't oxidize as much as the Galvanized steel mentioned and pictured. I use a 5356 alloy of aluminum, and it's bright and shiny like polished silver. Another advantage to aluminum besides the weight is that it can be anodized to just about any color you would like. (Plan on making a Bengals themed chain for game days. :rolleyes: ) Titanium is also popular but a little on the expensive side.

As for excessive wear on the kilt, yeah, chains will do that no matter what, but for the hand weaved maille chains, the closures and cuts of your rings make a big difference. I prefer using saw cut rings, which when closed correctly, there is almost no discernable end to the ring. It looks darn near, and is darn near, a solid ring where snagging and rubbing are an issue.

I'll try to get a good camera shot or scan image of my chain if anyone is interested. It's a really nice weave called GSG, and it looks like X's along the side profile.

Hey Alabama Kiltie, do you make maille as a hobby alot? Have you visited any of the maille forums? If you haven't and your interested, PM or email me, and I'll point ya over to them.