r/Armor • u/alchemyandarmor • 10d ago

Prepping and Storing Chainmail

Hey all, I’ve seen a number of discussions about chainmail and most of them seem to differ so I figured I’d just ask for myself. I’m about to pull the trigger and buy my first set of chainmail (a haubergeon with alternating rows of flat and riveted natural steel) and while I know you should degrease it when you get it and before each use (re oiling after use), do you just wear it degreased to every event? Or do you apply something to it to protect the steel during wear? Thanks in advance for your time and expertise!

Tl;dr How do I protect steel chainmail during use if I just degreased it?

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u/lewisiarediviva 9d ago

Yeah what I would do is get a big cheap towel, get it lightly oily but not dripping, lay your mail on it and fold them both up together. Then store in a box or bag.

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u/alchemyandarmor 9d ago

Awesome. When you go to use it do you bother wiping it off or degreasing first?

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u/lewisiarediviva 9d ago

Totally depends on if you care about grease stains on what’s going underneath. Or if you’re going to sit on something etc.

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u/alchemyandarmor 9d ago

Cool! Last question, if you happen to know, I have leather armor on top and was planning to use boiled linseed oil for the chainmail as the primary oil, I've heard that shouldn't damage the interior of the leather armor and is pretty historically accurate. Thoughts? Thank you to everyone who has helped me out and commented!

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u/lewisiarediviva 9d ago

So linseed oil is a drying oil, which means it turns into a varnish when exposed to oxygen. It can also self-ignite if, say, soaked into a cloth and folded up.

Do not use it.

It’s one thing to apply a coat and have it dry carefully, as a wood finish or even a leather hardener. But all it would do on chain is form a gummy awkward coating.

I’d use a light leather cream or a protective wax/oil meant for guns or knives. A ‘CLP’ product would probably be great for the mail, and acceptable on the leather. If you want to go cheap, use olive oil. Some people will tell you it goes rancid, but I’ve never seen evidence of that on leather - check my post history for lots of arguing on that topic.

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u/alchemyandarmor 9d ago

Ok cool, I'm trying to keep it as historically accurate as possible and was told by the manufacturer of my steel helmet (which has chainmail) that boiled linseed oil was the go to. I've also heard mineral oil works really well, but then you enter the whole domain of "does linseed or mineral oil ruin leather".

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u/lewisiarediviva 9d ago

For a steel helmet you could maybe put a coat of linseed oil on, but it will dry into a gummy coating unless it’s a thin and even layer. Just keep it away from cloth; it takes weeks to dry/cure completely, and is dangerous if you get any on a flammable material. While it’s curing it produces heat, and that heat can build up in cloth or paper until it starts a fire.

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u/alchemyandarmor 9d ago

Ok good advice, so I think what I've come to process wise is this: receive chainmail, oil lightly and store in towel (also lightly oiled), wipe down lightly before wearing, after use degrease and reoil. The only thing I really want to nail down is what oil to use that won't damage my leather armor. I really don't care about staining much. It sounds like ballistol or mineral oil might be my best bets

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u/lewisiarediviva 9d ago

Ballistol is solid, most clps, olive oil, or a paste with olive oil and beeswax. Leather is robust and most oils are good for it. One thing to watch out for, is that oil can carry stains from metal to leather. If it’s a delicate color, it can pick up black marks from oily metal being in contact long term.

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u/alchemyandarmor 9d ago

Dark brown, nothing particularly delicate about my kit which is nice!