Chain Mail

[jayfurr]

Okay, y'all know I'm a complete idiot, right?

Okay, then here's a situation where I could use some advice on being a proper idiot.

I'm scheduled to walk the Tampa Bay Susan G. Komen 3-Day For The Cure in late October. Halloween weekend, in fact. And I understand that a lot of people walk Tampa in Halloween costumes of some sort, generally with a pink theme or pink-ribbonized theme.

So: I was randomly thinking of what I could wear that might make for an interesting costume. Since I have absolutely no interest in the whole vampire genre, that was immediately out. Then I thought "hey, I could walk dressed as a medieval knight or warrior of some sort." I'd need to get chain mail or costume plate mail, find some willing seamstress who would make me a surcoat with a big pink ribbon on it, maybe even get a shield with a pink ribbon coat of arms. (Obviously, I'd pay for the surcoat and so on. I'm not looking for people to make me my costume for free.)

I grant you that plate armor would have to be costume plate to be wearable, but I'm not really seriously considering plate in any event. I don't think any medieval knights wore plate when fighting on foot, but then, what do I know? I understand that it would be more common to wear chain mail with a padded cloth undershirt and then then a surcoat over that, if desired.

Yes, of course it'd be heavy. But not intolerably so, and I'm not exactly weak. It'd be fun walking in humid Florida weather wearing forty pounds of armor. I've done training walks wearing a forty pound weight vest; I know what I'm talking about here.

So: can anyone recommend a good maker of relatively realistic looking chain mail, something that wouldn't look like it was twisted out of coat hanger wire by some fanboy, but that wouldn't cost thousands? In the name of making a memorable costume, I'm willing to spend a few hundred. I imagine I could get some re-use out of the stuff; who knows, it might become an annual tradition for me to show up at a 3-Day dressed as Jay, the Pink Knight.

I see lots of makers of mail shirts and coifs out on the interweb, but I know quality varies widely. Does anyone have any friends who make full shirts and coifs whose stuff would last and be of good quality?

Thanks for any suggestions!

Comments

[sandyinstep.livejournal.com]

Jay, why not just get a shiny silver hoodie? I'm sure you could find one much cheaper than even fake chain.

[jayfurr.livejournal.com]

Not authentic enough. If a thing's worth doing, it's worth overdoing. :)

[birdnut.livejournal.com]

That's my husband's family's motto: What's worth doing is worth overdoing. Evidently it isn't all that exclusive :-)

[sandyinstep.livejournal.com]

I could always pick up a wooden sword at the Maryland Ren Fest for you.

[jayfurr.livejournal.com]

I've got some thoughts about the weaponry. But I'll let you know if I need help. :)

[mr-mediocre.livejournal.com]

I'll email you my phone number. Call me in the evening or let me know when would be a good time to call you. In the meantime, you can look over the different mail options at http://www.icefalcon.com/. Icefalcon's a well-known dealer in the SCA.