A problem I've had with my maille shirts - even my new riveted haubergeon - is that one or two rings tend to snap loose in the armpit where the sleeves join the body. Is this unavoidable or could it be fixed?

This probably won't help you too much on a the shirt you have since it is rivetted, but the easiest way to build in some flexibility is to add in gussets (especially with a long sleeved shirt). These are triangular or diamond shaped sections of mail that can be used to add room/countour the mail to fit. Basically, you split open what would otherwise be a straight tube and add the gusset in. This does change the lay of the rings a bit but is not really that noticeable when you are wearing the mail. I don't usually bother to make mail since it's available so cheaply from India, but when I did I would use gussets at the armits, elbows, etc.

Hope that helped,

Nathan

Okey, thanks. I guess it would be pretty difficult to go in and try tailoring the armpits, although gussets would have been ideal. Perhaps one should expect to regularly repair the armpits of a maille shirt?

Well, just as an aside, I don't think it would be ahistorical to do repairs/customizations like this--I have no trouble imagining a man-at-arms busting his hauberk's armpit the first time he wore it and then bringing it to his lord's armorer to get a better fit.

I agree. If it is possible to acquire some loose links from whoever you bought it from you could add in gussets. Of course this is a lot easier to do on a butted shirt :(

Well I guess it won't be too difficult. After all, I've made two maille shirts myself + two hoods. How large should the gussets be?

Extant maille shirts have gussets in them and are tailored for the wearer; I too have had this problem and need to add a gusset; it is on my project list. I think Van Sussen sells loose rings for his shirts; I have a GDFB shirt and I have loose rings for it because I did tailoring to it when I bought it.

Depending on how big you are I would say at least 4 inches. On my long sleeved shirt I have them on the points of the elbows as well.