CHAIN MAIL SHIRT

The construction of the mail shirt was started in 1976 by Stephen, who started making the rings from wire coat hangers wrapped around a piece of wooden dowel. The coat hanger wire rings are around the throat area. When the family ran out of hangers, he combed the Roleystone tip, eventually finishing with a roll of fencing wire of similar gauge found in his dads shed. A few more links were added in the 1980's as he outgrew the shirt. This is when the brass rings forming the zig zag pattern appeared. The brass wire was welding rods salvaged from a Japanese fishing vessel that ran aground off Rottnest about 1981.The shirt was worn for the performance of Macbeth at the Elizabethan Village in 1978 by children from Kelmscott Senior High School. The event included Morris Dancers and folk music.
Stephen also wore the chain mail shirt to fancy dress parties and demonstrated it at his Medieval History 110 unit at the University of Western Australia in 1981.
Stephen made the shirt, and a sword, as well as a full breast plate in the 1970s and early 80s because he was fascinated with armour and medieval history.