Filters
Recently viewed products
Chainmail and Padded Armor
Two pieces of kit have kept fighters protected for over a thousand years. A quilted padded layer worn close to the body. Chainmail on top. That combination outlasted every alternative Europe came up with, and the reason is simple: it works.
At Epic Armoury, we make both. Chainmail in riveted and butted steel, padded armor in quilted cotton, and everything you need to layer them correctly and keep them in good shape.
At a glance:
- Two categories: Chainmail and padded armor, designed to work together or independently
- Layering: Padded armor typically goes under chainmail, though some padded garments work just as well over it
- Weight: A standard steel hauberk weighs between 10 and 15 kg, worth keeping in mind for full day events
- Use: LARP, reenactment, cosplay, display, and collection
What Is Chainmail and Padded Armor?
Chainmail or historically, maille, is a mesh of interlocking metal rings. It has been in use since at least the 4th century BCE, and for most of the medieval period it was the armor that ordinary soldiers actually wore. Not plate. Not leather. Maille. Because it moved with the body, stopped blades, and could be repaired with a pair of pliers and spare rings.
Padded armor is what makes chainmail liveable. The gambeson, arming coat, aketon, padded jack: different names, same idea. A quilted layer worn underneath that does two things chainmail on its own simply cannot. It stops the rings from pinching and grinding against skin during movement. And it absorbs blunt force, the kind of impact that rings deflect but do not stop.
Chainmail handles the edge. Padded armor handles the force behind it. The two have been worn together for as long as both have existed, and for good reason.
What You Will Find in This Category
Chainmail covers the full range: hauberks, haubergeons, chain shirts, skirts, coifs, mantles, and sleeves. Two construction types across the range.
Riveted chainmail has each ring overlapped and pinned shut. It holds under stress and is the right choice for full-contact LARP and reenactment. Butted chainmail has the ring ends simply meeting without a pin. It is lighter on cost, easy to repair at home, and works well for costume, theatrical, and light-contact use. Both use the European 4-in-1 weave: each ring connects to four others, which is why this pattern has been the standard for functional maille for centuries.
Padded Armor runs from simple padded jacks and gambesons through to structured arming coats and pourpoints designed for wear under heavy maille or plate. Padded accessories for individual body areas are also available: bracers, greaves, shoulders, and legs, for anyone who wants targeted padding without a full underlayer. Sleeved and sleeveless options throughout.
How the Two Work Together
Padded armor against the skin, chainmail on top. That is the standard order, and the reasons are practical as much as historical. Chainmail over a thin shirt causes ring-pinch: the rings catch on skin during movement and it gets uncomfortable fast. The padded layer stops that. It also spreads the weight of the maille across your body rather than letting it hang from your shoulders.
A standard hauberk weighs between 10 and 15 kg. By hour four of an event, how that weight is distributed matters a great deal. A heavy leather belt worn over the maille helps too, pulling the load down from the shoulders to the hips where it is much easier to carry.
That said, not every build follows the same order. Some padded garments sit just as naturally over chainmail as under it, with the maille as the protective layer and the coat giving the outer look. It depends on the garment and what you are going for.
How Chainmail Fits
Measure your chest while wearing your padded underlayer. That is the measurement that matters, because that is how you will actually wear it. If you are between sizes, go up. Maille that is too tight restricts breathing, and that is not something you can adjust away.
Pull-over and jacket-style variants with front-fastening leather straps are both available. The strapped versions are worth considering if you go to events alone: getting into a 12 kg hauberk without help is a different experience when it opens at the front.
How to Look After Chainmail and Padded Armor
Chainmail has one real enemy: moisture. Sweat, rain, and humidity cause rust in mild steel, so wipe the rings down with a dry cloth after every event. For ongoing protection, use a lanolin-based oil. It holds up across the surface of maille rings far better than a standard spray. If rust does appear, the old method still works: put the maille in a bucket with sand, tumble it until the rings come clean, then oil it straight away. Store somewhere dry and ventilated, with a moisture absorber if you can.
Padded armor is easy. Machine wash on a gentle cycle, air dry flat or hanging. Let it breathe after events before it goes into storage. Do not tumble dry: heat damages the quilting over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need padded armor under chainmail? For any serious use, yes. Chainmail on bare skin causes ring-pinch and offers no blunt-force protection. The padded layer is not a comfort upgrade. It is how the system is supposed to work.
Riveted or butted chainmail? If you are doing full-contact LARP or reenactment, riveted. Each ring is pinned shut, which means it holds under real stress. Butted is more affordable and easy to repair at home, and it works well for costume and theatrical use. For combat, go riveted.
How heavy is a hauberk? Between 10 and 15 kg for a standard steel hauberk, depending on size and ring gauge. A padded underlayer and a leather belt over the maille make that weight manageable. Without them, it is just heavy.
Does chainmail stop arrows? It handles cutting and slashing well. Against narrow, high-velocity points like bodkin arrows or stiletto daggers, less so: they push through the rings rather than being deflected. For LARP, chainmail over padded armor gives solid protection against foam weapons, which is the practical question.
Can I repair chainmail myself? Butted chainmail, yes: open and close rings with pliers. Riveted needs more skill and the right tools, but you will need to repair it far less often.