Gyrogami Blog - Precious Metals, Jewelry, Artwork

Chainmail Buyer's Guide, Part 3

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Categories: Instruction and information; Messages and statements; Jewelry

FACT: The biggest causes of poorly closed rings are laziness and junk rings (anything that's not saw-cut). Only a fool with cognitive defects would say or think otherwise since the math and science of a properly closed ring are indisputable.

The prices given for each level are for a 7" bracelet. Low-quality workmanship is available at all price points, however. Higher prices mean quality should follow in a linear ratio but that's not what happens. While you'd expect gold and silver to be made to jewelry standards, it doesn't work that way.

At a certain level it will be mandatory to get rid of pinch- and shear-cut rings. Nothing made with them is safe, aesthetically pleasing, or fashionable. Every pinch- or shear-cut ring is a ring incident by default but it's ignored in the lowest categories.

Within each rating group are some bullet points. Here is an explanation of those terms:

Category - The group being explained.
Example - When available, a brief description of the pictured item.
Skill Level (1-10) - 1 is low, 10 is high.
Price Point - What to expect to pay for a 7" bracelet.
Ring Incidents - The percent of rings suffering from a ring incident.
Percent of Chainmaille - The percentage of maille at the described level.
Percent of Maillers - The percentage of maillers who consistently work at the described level.
Material - Expected metal(s) (see column A)
Ring Type - Method of making jump rings (see column B)
Construction Method - Open or closed (see column C). Butted rings are open, all others are closed.
Weave - They are listed in order of easy to challenging (see column D).
Notable Characteristics - A few observations

UNMENTIONABLE - These are useful as a study for what NOT to do. A better term is vampire wire - it will drain your blood from all the cuts it leaves, lol. Hansel and Gretel could've worn one of these pieces and left a trail of rings to the witch's house and back a dozen times. While there, make sure to grab the first aid kit and sewing supplies, too, to repair torn clothes and cut skin.

The public has come to expect this. It's not about material, weave, or price. A piece belongs here with 10% or higher ring incidents but 60%-75% is fairly typical.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO BUYERS: Most people think low-quality chainmaille like this looks awesome because it's everywhere. As a reminder, the example is a $9,000 solid 14k gold bracelet from a professional, full-time mailler of nearly 20 years. It is everywhere but it's not awesome.

Category: UNMENTIONABLE
Example: $9,000 Roman 6-in-1 bracelet, 14k solid gold
Skill Level: n/a
Price Point: $2
Ring Incidents: 10%+
Percent of Chainmaille: 75%
Percent of Maillers: 55%
Material: 1 to 3
Ring Type: 1
Construction Method: 1
Weave: 1
Notable Characteristics: Sad example of over-priced maille

SUB-CRAFT - These are made with little regard for function or fashion. Though not as insulting as the UNMENTIONABLES, it still seems like mockery.

It's a step above barbed wire but not yet chainmaille. It will be an over-priced, sadistic adornment. A piece will have a maximum 10% ring incidents. It's anywhere and everywhere chainmaille is sold. If there is no alternative then make it a gag gift; no one would want to wear this metallic flesh-and-fabric-shredder.

Category: SUB-CRAFT
Example: Full Persian (6-in-1?) bracelet, sterling silver, saw-cut
Skill Level: 1
Price Point: $4
Ring Incidents: 10%
Percent of Chainmaille: 22%
Percent of Maillers: 31%
Material: 1 to 3
Ring Type: 1
Construction Method: 1
Weave: 1, 2
Notable Characteristics: A flogging implement not suitable for human or animal use

CRAFT - This is when chainmaille nearly ceases being a punishment device. Everything with shear-cut rings defaults to this class or lower because inferior starting ingredients don't make jewelry.

Overall, CRAFT or lower is home most maille. A maximum of 3% ring incidents is allowed. The marketplace is defined by pricey CRAFT and lower quality pieces.

DON'T FEED THE ANIMALS! Keep looking for something better. If you like the design then take a picture and have someone else make it. Creativity may be there but not quality.

Category: CRAFT
Example: Shenanigans necklace, silverplated, saw-cut
Skill Level: 1.5
Price Point: $10
Ring Incidents: 3%
Percent of Chainmaille: 2%
Percent of Maillers: 13%
Material: 1 to 5
Ring Type: 1
Construction Method: 1
Weave: 2, 3
Notable Characteristics: Not jewelry and not chainmaille, it is in chain purgatory.

LOW - You've got maille! From here forward, all designs will have saw-cut rings provided they earn the ranking. Precious metals or other expensive ones deserve better and will be found soon enough. But not at this level.

There will be less than 1% ring incidents, but otherwise quite appealing. It will be clean, have smooth edges/joins courtesy of the good closures. It shouldn't cut skin or tear clothes but still be wary of that sneaky hanging chad.

Artisans who value quality workmanship will never make something below this level. Most should also have the skills to go higher. It seems to be a mindset so it's attainable by anyone.

This is the best you would expect to find from any sampling of vendors. It does take time and effort so $25 is reasonable. Support those who show some talent while encouraging them to produce higher quality pieces.

Category: LOW
Example: European 4-in-1 sample
Skill Level: 2
Price Point: $25
Ring Incidents: 1%
Percent of Chainmaille: 0.6%
Percent of Maillers: 0.5%
Material: 2 to 10
Ring Type: 3
Construction Method: 1
Weave: 2 to 4
Notable Characteristics: Not quite jewelry but very good in its own right.

MEDIUM - Upon closer inspection there will not be a single gap or misaligned end, not a burr or mar, nothing distracting whatsoever. There will be no mistaking one of these pieces for something lesser.

This is as high as butted maille can go (saw-cut rings without soldering, welding, brazing, riveting, etc.). It is a restriction based on construction, not skill. This is also the cutoff for any item that contains machine-made components, including jump rings, clasps, or findings. It must be fully and completely handmade as defined by law to go higher. There's no shame but there's no misplaced credit, either.

The expression, "You have to see it to believe it!" begins to have meaning. Expect to pay $50 at this level for unbutted specimens. Many people haven't seen something this exceptional. It would be uncommon to find a single piece anywhere chainmaille is sold. If it's there, it wouldn't be alone.

Category: MEDIUM
Example: Jens Pind Linkage 3
Skill Level: 3
Price Point: $50
Ring Incidents: 0%
Percent of Chainmaille: 0.05%
Percent of Maillers: 0.1%
Material: 5 to 15
Ring Type: 3
Construction Method: 1 to 5
Weave: 2 to 5
Notable Characteristics: Exceptional piece of chain link jewelry

HIGH - This has fully crossed into the realm of jewelry, chainmaille being the lucky medium. All pieces from now on will be welded, soldered, brazed, or precision riveted. Soldering/welding alone doesn't grant entry unless it's worthy. While it is possible to weld/solder just about any metal, for all practical purposes this is about the precious metals.

Expect to spend $200 minimum. Any gallery or store would be proud to display such an exceptional piece. Most people have never seen something like this. No matter the material, size, or purpose, at this price point it means near-flawless. You will "never" find this where chainmaille is sold.

Category: HIGH
Example: JPL7 Jens Pind Linkage 7 micromaille bracelet welded 0.999 silver
Skill Level: 8
Price Point: $200
Ring Incidents: 0%
Percent of Chainmaille: 0.001%
Percent of Maillers: 0.01%
Material: 12 to 15
Ring Type: 3
Construction Method: 2 to 5
Weave: 3 to 6
Notable Characteristics: Ready for any gallery and most museums

BEYOND - It might be regarded as fine jewelry without any overt chainmaille association but maillers will smell it a mile away.

There are three levels (with room to grow) within this category; tier one is entry level and tier three is the current top dawg. Once an artist makes a tier one piece, only imagination and creativity prevent them from going higher. The skill is readily evident and unmistakably unique. It will be seamless, jointless, flawless, and extraordinary.

It is difficult to determine anything better than HIGH from pictures alone. Just a few hundred artists are practicing at any given time at the BEYOND level. Few have known or seen something that would fit into this class.

Consider $500 a reasonable starting price point. Add several thousand dollars to move up another notch. You will "never" find this where chainmaille is sold. Ever.

Category: BEYOND
Example: 18k Gold Welded Jens Pind Linkage 5 JPL5
Skill Level: 9
Price Point: $500
Ring Incidents: 0%
Percent of Chainmaille: 0.0001%
Percent of Maillers: 0.001%
Material: 12 to 15
Ring Type: 3
Construction Method: 2 to 5
Weave: 4 to 6
Notable Characteristics: Absolute perfection

A. MATERIAL	B. RING TYPE	C. CONSTRUCTION	D. WEAVE
1. Basic steel	1. Pinch-cut	1. Butted (open)	1. 2-in-1 type chain
2. Aluminum, bright	2. Shear- or machine-cut	2. Welded (closed)	2. European 4-in-1, three rows
3. Aluminum, anod	3. Saw-cut	3. Soldered (closed)	3. Dragonscale, five rows
4. Nickelsilver		4. Brazed (closed)	4. Full Persian 8-in-1
5. Stainless Steel		5. Riveted (closed)	5. Micromaille Jens Pind 5
6. Silver plated or filled			6. Three-sided triple loop-in-loop
7. Copper
8. Bronze
9. Brass
10. Titanium
11. Niobium
12. Sterling silver
13. Gold-filled
14. Other precious metals
15. Exotic metals

There you have it. The next entry has to do with the pink elephants.

Posted by M: August 12, 2016

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