[Jim McDougall]

Roger I am really glad you posted this! While I cannot claim any other than cursory familiarity with mail, it is a subject in an area notably seldom traveled here and it will be great to learn more from someone with your specialized expertise.

Obviously mail was ubiquitous in Europe and pretty much everywhere for the centuries, so there must be many inherent peculiarities which might help identify surviving examples. From my perspective as a historian, naturally mail has come up often in the study of nearly every area I have researched, and in so many ways it is hard to focus on where to begin.

For example, mail originally from European regions traveled into virtually every colonial destination, where it often became used by the native populations.
It has always been well known, and often romantically exploited by wistful writers in adventure themes that the 'crusaders' were in effect still very much still alive and well in North Africa with native warriors still carrying broadswords and wearing mail.
This was so consistent that they began making their own, which was the topic in the work by Arkell, (I believe the title was "The Making of Mail armor in the Sudan") who observed them actually producing it.

Regarding markings on mail, it seems I have read of cases where crosses or such perhaps talismanic devices were sometimes even placed on the flattened part of rings, much as with such marking of sword blades.

In one reference noting curious markings, often letters paired etc. were found in various locations on harness (plate armor and components), apparently keyed to align pieces for assembly (rather like numbered parts).

Was this ever done with mail as far as assembly?

With the Spaniards in the New World, from the time of the Conquistadors, mail was the most commonly known form of armor. It was reasonably available to the average person, often family or other heirloom type sets, which most of the members of these 'expeditions' were. These were not 'military' missions, and equipment not 'issued' but personally supplied.
From what I have understood, keeping mail serviceable in remote areas subject to often dramatic climate effects was a challenge at best. The deterioration of the mail as well as its compromise proved a poor defense against Indian arrows which not only broke the corroded rings, but carried the debris into the wound causing inevitable sepsis etc.
This led to the well known 'cuera', leather armor so well known in New Spain.

How was mail kept serviceable...that is kept from rusting or corroding?


These are the kinds of things that always piqued my interest,and it would be great to know your thoughts and observations.

* just noticing Raf's excellent question.......Roger you may have opened Pandoras box here, but frankly we could use a resident authority on mail.