12-11-2013, 10:25 PM
Depends on what you mean by "better". I can distinguish the Indian riveted mail even on TV. A lot of it looks like soda can ring tabs and looks nothing like any kind of historical riveted mail.
If you want mail that looks like Roman armour at a reasonable cost then you are better off with butted mail since you need to get pretty close to tell that there aren't any rivets. A properly-tailored hamata made from alternating rows of butted and solid links of the correct size looks very, very nice.
Protection-wise, the Indian links are way too thin and the riveting is substandard. It is better than butted mail but that isn't saying much. It is fine for SCA and blunt steel combat, but useless against points
If you want mail that gives the same protection as Roman armour then there are a few options such as welded links. But welded mail costs more than butted mail and isn't any more historically accurate.
The best option is to contact one of the few mail-makers who specialise in restoring pieces for museums and private collectors and convince them to make a shirt for you. Be prepared to spend many thousands of dollars. You would also need someone like this to make any test pieces if you want a decent "weapons vs armour" test.
If you want mail that looks like Roman armour at a reasonable cost then you are better off with butted mail since you need to get pretty close to tell that there aren't any rivets. A properly-tailored hamata made from alternating rows of butted and solid links of the correct size looks very, very nice.
Protection-wise, the Indian links are way too thin and the riveting is substandard. It is better than butted mail but that isn't saying much. It is fine for SCA and blunt steel combat, but useless against points
If you want mail that gives the same protection as Roman armour then there are a few options such as welded links. But welded mail costs more than butted mail and isn't any more historically accurate.
The best option is to contact one of the few mail-makers who specialise in restoring pieces for museums and private collectors and convince them to make a shirt for you. Be prepared to spend many thousands of dollars. You would also need someone like this to make any test pieces if you want a decent "weapons vs armour" test.
Author: Bronze Age Military Equipment, Pen & Sword Books
