Medieval WarriorMedieval Chain Mail Shirt and Coif Armor Set and Shirt

At first amazon sent me just the coif instead of the whole package. I contacted the seller and he made it right without fuss. The chain shirt is pretty awesome. I’ve worn it a few times. It doesn’t pinch and is shaped decently and Hangs mid thigh in a realistic manner. I bought a thick belt which pairs well with the look. No rips or hanging wires that I can see in mine. For criticism, The coif could be a bit longer. I read the reviews and so I sized up in anticipation of slight under sizing for my typical American body (Large to XL.) That fits pretty good. I’m 6’ and relatively broad shouldered. That’s all I have for criticism. More pluses : The steel appears to be a good grade of stainless steel and has not rusted even though I wore it in the rain twice. Also the value is pretty incredible. I have a friend who makes chain mail based jewelry, and this is offered at a way cheaper price than you could get similar quality crafted for.

I can not be happier with this set. For the price, it is a great piece. I personally attended the Maryland Renaissance Festival with this as a main accent for my outfit.The set was in great shape when I received it, it lost a single link that fell off. I simply repatched it and tightened the ring with some pliers. It's condition even help up at the festival; not losing a single ring while I explored around all day.For my body type, it came very long, below my knees. With the help of a friend, i proceeded to detach an amount of the shirt so it fit me snugly around the leg area. I now have an extra 5-or-so pounds of rings for any future repairs that need to be done.It is steel, so expect it to weigh a lot. You may tire out after a long day of walking around in the heat. In the cold, be sure to be wearing a thick padding underneath so as to not come into contact with the steel that changes temperature more readily in the cold. I can attest that i was rather sore after being active all day in it.It will be lubricated well. Take some time to soak it in a light degreaser of some sort, like kerosene, or mineral spirits, or spray it with some sort of degreaser. You can alternatively leave it in the heat in a black bag and sweat it off, or tumble it in sand. If you do not remove the oil, your underclothing will blacken quickly. I used a cheaper undershirt and I thought it made the costume more authentic looking.Lastly, the underarm areas are riveted. This is a very gracious thing to do, as this is probably the area that wears the most. Not to mention that if they were butted like the rest of the shirt, it would pinch skin easily.Overall, this piece is awesome, I plan to use it next year, and for years to come, as well as make many additions to it.

While I can't write a full review as of yet (I haven't worn this to a faire yet or used it more than just trying it on), I will say that my initial impression is good. My chain mail came without a single missing ring, and I haven't had any fall off whilst trying it on. In fact, I haven't seen any loose/open yet, either (and I did do quite a bit of wiggling around trying to get it on/off the first time). I've heard a lot of people talk about the armpits tearing out, so I'll be keeping an eye out for that and will probably update my review at a later date.After reading others' reviews, I've determined that the chain mail sizing must be inconsistent, as others who are taller than myself (5'9") talked about the hauberk coming down past their knees. Mine came to a perfect length of just above the knee, and the sleeves a few inches above the wrist (I may shorten them to just below the elbow). This would DEFINITELY not fit a 3XL; It's more like a men's medium, so beware (I'm thin and it fit me perfectly).My only complaint is in the coif. The face hole is a little too small and, while it does fit around my face, I can't pull it over my head (like pulling back a hood). Removing one or two rows of rings should make it perfect, though.I will also mention that, unless you know how to put on and take off a hauberk, it is extremely difficult, because it is heavy and awkward. I ended up looking it up online just to avoid wriggling in and out on the floor (so graceful for a knight, eh?). The best way to get in is to lift up the mail from the bottom and put your arms in first and let it slide over your head. To get out, pull up the bottom halfway, then bend over and touch your toes. It will slide off your head and then you can pull your arms out.Pros:-Good quality metal (no rust or oil, as another reviewer experienced)-Looks good-Mine was a perfect length-Great for costuming (renaissance festival) purposes-Very affordable priceCons:-Hard to get into/out of if you don't know what you're doing-Heavy (but, hey, it's chain mail; it's supposed to be heavy)-Coif's face hole was a bit too small-Nowhere near a 3XL