Chain mail

[3][4][5] Its invention is commonly credited to the Celts,[6] but there are examples of Etruscan pattern mail dating from at least the 4th century BC.

Herodotus wrote that the ancient Persians wore scale armour, but mail is also distinctly mentioned in the Avesta, the holy scripture of the Zoroastrian religion that written in the 6th century AD.

[12] Mail continues to be used in the 21st century as a component of stab-resistant body armour, cut-resistant gloves for butchers and woodworkers, shark-resistant wet-suits for defense against shark bites, and a number of other applications.

Relying... only on artistic and some literary sources because of the lack of archaeological examples, some believe that it was a heavy leather jacket with metal scales sewn onto it with strong thread.

[19][20][21][22] It was typically an extremely prized commodity, as it was expensive and time-consuming to produce and could mean the difference between life and death in a battle.

[24] Mail from dead combatants was frequently looted and was used by the new owner or sold for a lucrative price.

The oldest intact mail hauberk still in existence is thought to have been worn by Leopold III, Duke of Austria, who died in 1386 during the Battle of Sempach.

[26] During the late 19th and early 20th century, mail was used as a material for bulletproof vests, most notably by the Wilkinson Sword Company.

[30] The riveted mail armour worn by the opposing Sudanese Madhists did not have the same problem but also proved to be relatively useless against the firearms of British forces at the battle of Omdurman.

[31] During World War I, Wilkinson Sword transitioned from mail to a lamellar design which was the precursor to the flak jacket.

This proved unpopular with soldiers,[33] in spite of being proven to defend against a three-ounce (85 g) shrapnel round fired at a distance of one hundred yards (91 m).

[34] Another invention, a "splatter mask" or "splinter mask", consisted of rigid upper face protection and a mail veil to protect the lower face, and was used by early tank crews as a measure against flying steel fragments (spalling) inside the vehicle.

Asian mail could be just as heavy as the European variety and sometimes had prayer symbols stamped on the rings as a sign of their craftsmanship as well as for divine protection.

(Yusuf Ali's translation)From the Abbasid Caliphate, mail was quickly adopted in Central Asia by Timur (Tamerlane) and the Sogdians and by India's Delhi Sultanate.

Earliest assumed reference to mail can be found in early 3rd century record by Cao Zhi, being called "chained ring armor".

[40] The rings of Japanese mail were much smaller than their European counterparts; they would be used in patches to link together plates and to drape over vulnerable areas such as the armpits.

Its invention is credited to Fukushima Dembei Kunitaka, pupil, of Hojo Awa no Kami Ujifusa, but it is also said to be derived directly from foreign models.

[47] Mail's resistance to weapons is determined by four factors: linkage type (riveted, butted, or welded), material used (iron versus bronze or steel), weave density (a tighter weave needs a thinner weapon to surpass), and ring thickness (generally ranging from 1.0 to 1.6 mm diameter (18 to 14 gauge) wire in most examples).

However, when mail was riveted, only a strong well-placed thrust from certain spears, or thin or dedicated mail-piercing swords like the estoc, could penetrate, and a pollaxe or halberd blow could break through the armour.

The flexibility of mail meant that a blow would often injure the wearer,[51] potentially causing serious bruising or fractures, and it was a poor defence against head trauma.

Mail-clad warriors typically wore separate rigid helms over their mail coifs for head protection.

Mail was also common in East Asia, primarily Japan, with several more patterns being utilised and an entire nomenclature developing around them.

[57] Butchers also commonly wear a single mail glove to protect themselves from self-inflicted injury while cutting meat, as do many oyster shuckers.

[61][62] Conventional textile-based ballistic vests are designed to stop soft-nosed bullets but offer little defense from knife attacks.

[63] Many historical reenactment groups, especially those whose focus is Antiquity or the Middle Ages, commonly use mail both as practical armour and for costuming.

Mail artwork includes headdresses, decorative wall hangings, ornaments, chess sets, macramé, and jewelry.

[66] Large-linked mail is occasionally used as BDSM clothing material, with the large links intended for fetishistic purposes.

Films more dedicated to costume accuracy often use ABS plastic rings, for the lower cost and weight.

The metal coats are used rarely because of their weight, except in close-up filming where the appearance of ABS rings is distinguishable.

For the film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Tina Turner is said to have worn actual mail and she complained how heavy this was.