Chain Mail

armor · medieval · protection

Rings linked together. Chain mail is made by connecting thousands of small metal rings in a special pattern, kind of like a metal mesh blanket. Each ring is linked to four others around it to create a flexible but strong piece of armor.

Protected medieval soldiers. Warriors in Europe wore chain mail from around 300 BC all the way until the 1500s AD because it was excellent at stopping sword cuts and slashes. A full chain mail coat, called a hauberk, could weigh up to 55 pounds but spread that weight across your whole body.

Used worldwide for centuries. While Europeans stopped using chain mail by the 1600s, soldiers in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East kept wearing it for hundreds of years longer because it worked so well. This shows how useful the invention was across many different cultures.

Still protects today. Modern butchers and meat processors wear chain mail gloves and aprons to protect their hands from sharp knives and saws. Scientists and divers even use special chain mail suits to protect against shark bites because the metal rings are too tough for teeth to pierce.

Heavy but flexible. The genius of chain mail is that even though it's made of metal, it can bend and move with your body, unlike solid metal armor. The rings absorb the impact of blows and spread the force across a wider area so you don't get hurt as badly.