Building a Lorica Hamata;

[Dan Howard]

The Romans never used butted mail. Their mail consisted of alternating rows of solid links (punched from plate, not welded) and round-sectioned riveted links. But none of the commercial links available on the market look anything like Roman mail. Using alternating rows of solid and butted links gives a much closer approximation of the appearance, if not the protective capacity of Roman mail. If you want riveted mail that looks like the Roman style, you have to make your own links. If you use the right size links then even butted mail gives reasonable protection. I have a shirt made from 4mm butted/solid links and it stops the hardest knife thrust I can deliver.