[Ed Toton]

Has anyone taken a look at these?

http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/generic/9080/

I received two of the "large" size, and thought I'd present some impressions in case anyone is interested.

If you're interested in historical authenticity, these certainly are not going to cut it, primarily because they're made of aluminum. It's also constructed entirely of butt-rings.

The ring inner-diameter, as measured with calipers, is about 5/16". It looks like it might be 16 gauge wire. The rings appear to be cut with clippers or snips, as they do not have clean saw-cuts. It's not nearly as bad as the sharp V-cuts I get with my bolt-cutters when I make mail, though it does leave some sharp points protruding. Many of the links are not completely closed, leaving a sharp raised edge in places. It's not severe, but definitely noticeable. Also, many of the rings are mildly warped. This is not obvious unless you're looking for it or are disassembling it to make something else (like I am). I know how this happens too-- when I'm making mail I usually coil the wire loosely so that I don't have to spend time opening the links, and this can result in a slightly warped link depending on how you close it.

I've found a couple of spots where there was a missing link, or a column vanishes along the side somewhere under the armpit. These sorts of mistakes are common and negligible, IMHO. The front and back panels look very straight and even.

The "large" size hangs to about 5" above my knee, and the sleeves just cover the elbow. I'm 5'11" tall, 42" chest, 36" waist, as a point of reference. Therefore it strikes me as a serviceable size for costuming. The "medium" probably gives a more tailored fit, though I didn't find this one to be baggy or excessive.

Thinkgeek estimates the weight around 20 pounds. I'll need to double-check but a first attempt weighed it in at 9 lbs (4kg).

They also come with a small bag of extra links for making adjustments/repairs.

My overall impression is that it's a good value for costuming, currently priced at $99 each. The light weight of the aluminum makes it perfect for costuming use, and probably useless for all but the lightest of combat. Since the large and medium sizes have the same price, I consider the large to be the better deal, since you can easily remove material to resize it down as necessary, and perhaps relocate the links to lengthen the sleeves. Most of the mistakes and flaws appear to be due to very rapid assembly, which probably is necessary to justify the cost.


(click for larger view)