Chandler's Chainmail - Custom Hand Made Chainmail Jewellery, Armour and Accessories

Galvanised steel is a base metal ring (usually mild steel) with a zinc coating. This zinc coating gives the chainmail a very shiny finish.

Galvanising is also known a s sacrificial protection. It prevents the base metal underneath from corroding but at the cost of a loss of some of the zinc. A galvanised steel item will eventually lose its zinc coating by a combination of this chemical weathering and the zinc layer being physically rubbed off.

However, I have yet to see anyone who has had a galvanised mail shirt where the zinc layer has been worn away. If the item is looked after properly it should last for many years.

Again, a full mail shirt is very heavy (anywhere up to 20kg/3 stone) so some form of shoulder padding is advised (such as a padded arming Jack or Gambeson) if it is to be worn for long periods of time.

I only use Galvanised Steel for armour, it is fairly low cost and provides very good looking armour, but unfortunately it is not authentic. It is ideal for Live Action Role-Play (LARP), fantasy/fashion wear or battle re-enactment where authenticity is not so much of an issue.

Galvanised steel shirts are my cheapest armour starting from £110 for a short-sleeved Birnie. They are custom only orders so please contact me for details and stock information.