[TheForge] Sprang Mail - OT

[Bruce Freeman]

The discussion of chain mail reminded me of a thought I'd had some time
ago.

Chain mail is extremely flexible.  It bends and folds just like soft
cloth.  Those properties aren't needed in all areas of armor (else armor
plate would be useless).

There's a textile form older than chain, probably older than knitting,
called sprang.  http://www.regia.org/sprang.htm  In its simplest
incarnation, it's indistinguishable from modern "chain-link" (aka
"hurricane") fencing, except for being executed in wool or other textile
fibers.  Hence, the technology was there!

Envision a small-opening chain-link fencing, made with wire and with
openings roughly the same as for chain mail.  Along the lengths of the
wires, this would bend and stretch only slightly.  Cross-wise, however,
it would bend and stretch quite easily.  The main advantage of sprang is
that it's very easy to make.

So if "sprang mail" were appropriately combined with the more familiar
chain mail, a relatively inexpensive armor could be made.  Broad areas
of this would be sprang mail (with eyes at the ends of each wire) and
relatively small areas would be chain mail.  

The traditional way to make sprang involves a twisting of yarns that
produces a garment symmetrical about a midline (and uses a separate yarn
to secure the midline).  Using annealed wire, it might be possible to
work this way, if some modifications are made in the procedure.  If this
approach were taken, it might be possible to "weave" the left and right
sides of a garment simultaneously, then to cut them apart at the midline
for assembly.

Alternatively, a jig could be created for making individual
"chain-link" wire elements, which then would later be interlocked. 
Conceivably, a simple machine could be built to crank out endless
lengths of "sprang wire", which would then be cut to lenght, an eye made
at each end, and the garment "woven" from these lengths.

BTW, Sprang (the textile) was made a great deal more ornate than
chain-link fencing by varying the pattern.  Conceivably this could be
done as well for sprang mail, producing a much more elaborate piece.

Now, do you suppose that such a thing was actually used for armor?

Bruce
NJ