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Chain mail

Type Object Region Western Europe Time c. 800–1400

Chain mail is flexible armor woven from interlocking iron rings, a core element of Western European military equipment from classical times through t…

Timeline

  1. c. 800–1100Frankish and Byzantine sphere of influence · FranksTwo weaving methods—riveted and butted rings—took shape in Frankish military tradition, with chain mail becoming the core equipment marker distinguishing cavalry from infantry.
  2. c. 1141–1150French and German knightly orders · GermanyIn the 1140s, Western European knights and squires commonly wore knee-length or ankle-length chain mail, combined with nasal helmets and kite shields, becoming standard armament during the mobilization for the Second Crusade.
  3. c. 1250–1400Italian and German armor workshops · GermanyFrom the thirteenth to fourteenth centuries, chain mail was used in combination with plates and arm guards; blacksmith guilds standardized ring diameters and riveting techniques, yet it remained the flexible inner layer foundation of full-body armor.

Sources