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Butted was the norm just over four or five years ago. Then a plethora of information on riveted chain maille came out, and that seemed to spawn a new trend for everyone to be using 6mm riveted/solid ringed maille.
However, in the "Deva 2012" thread, Nerva posted some interesting information about a hamata, butted in the fort at Saalburg, and 3 other butted hamata examples, up to 8mm from Trier.
This isn't the first time I've heard of butted maille from a Roman context.
Are we back to butted being OK? I personally still allow my guys to use it, since riveted can be very costly, and many guys had butted hamata for years prior to the riveted trend.
However, if there is evidence for the existence of both for hamata...then...
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Magnus/Matt
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I use butted mail as to be frank i can't afford rivetted .
Richard Craig AKA Aulus Maximus
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Lots of people do. It was however, made to appear for several years that all the evidence pointed to rivited. I have to admit I have only seen rivited remains.
I am still awaiting the HD pics of this butted mail. 8-)
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We also used butted mail. Riveted is very costly, plus a lot of modern riveted shirts don't look very good.
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Quote:We also used butted mail. Riveted is very costly, plus a lot of modern riveted shirts don't look very good.
I quite like mine.... :mrgreen:
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There have been cases where mail was initially thought to have been butted until x-ray analysis proved that it was riveted. I wouldn't believe any report of butted mail unless it was supported by radiographic evidence. I've seen photos that looked like butted links to me but then I was shown the x-ray clearly showing the rivets concealed by oxidation. It wasn't Roman mail but it still proves a point. I don't have a problem with butted mail in re-enacting but I'd be very wary of trying to build a case for butted mail being used historically.
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No kidding...thanks Dan. Didn't know the x-rays showed that. Does anyone know about the hamatas at Saalburg or Trier?
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Magnus/Matt
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Thats what I'm trying to acertain!
I'm waiting on photos, but as Dan says, X-rays would reveal a lot more.
Nerva!! :-P
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I agree, you need an x-ray to be (relatively) sure. I'd be very interested to see a real butted mail fragment from the Roman period.
Jef Pinceel
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If butted maille was commonly used by the Roman Legions wouldn't lost rings be a common find in and around Forts camps and battle sites?
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Possibly...but one would think loose rings of the solid or rivetted type could also have been found. I don't know if anyone has actually asked or presented any information on it.
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I can only reitterate I have only seen evidence of the rivite kind, some times just a few links, other times whole shirts or sections of mail.
I am guessing small individual links of either would possibly be lost except in really rare circumstances.
I'm still waiting for Martin to forward me a photo of the ones he handled in Germany.
Visne partem mei capere? Comminus agamus! * Me semper rogo, Quid faceret Iulius Caesar? * Confidence is a good thing! Overconfidence is too much of a good thing.
[b]Legio XIIII GMV. (Q. Magivs)RMRS Remember Atuatuca! Vengence will be ours!
Titus Flavius Germanus
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Byron Angel