The following glossary defines chainmail terms that come up in various places on this website. Some of the entries presented have other meanings, but only their chainmail-related meaning will be defined here. For a much more extensive list of chainmail-related terms, please visit the M.A.I.L. glossary.

actual aspect ratio (AAR)
Actual aspect ratio is the aspect ratio using the measured inner diameter. This is important as springback causes the inner diameter of a ring to end up slightly larger than the size of the mandrel used to manufacture the ring.

alloy
The composition of different metallic and non-metallic elements that make up a certain metal.

aspect ratio (AR)
The ring inner diameter to wire size ratio. When you make this division you are given a decimal number, the precision of which is determined by the precision of the initial values. The aspect ratio of a collection of rings of the same type will dictate which weaves will be possible to construct out of those rings.

Example: If your ring inner diameter is .250" and your wire size is .063", then the equasion (.250/.063) is used, and the result is 4.0. The answer we get has two significant digits, because that is the precision of the number in the equasion containing the lowest number of significant digits (.063).

basic unit
The smallest repeatable segment of a weave. Any and all successive instances of that unit have the rings sharing the same alignment and relative position.

cell
A term used loosely to describe a single segment or distinct element of a weave.

chainmail
A flexible material composed of small interlocking metal rings or loops of chain. In some cases, chainmail can be made of rings that are made from a material that is not metallic, or a combination of metal rings and non-metallic rings.

coif
A maille hood which covers the head and has an opening for most of the face. Coifs usually extend to the edge of the shoulders, although this is not always the case.

coil
The product of winding wire on a mandrel. A coil is a thing that resembles a spring. Coils are cut into rings.

general use AR
The range of actual aspect ratios that are ideal for a certain weave for use in general applications where flexibility is usually desired.

hauberk
A maille shirt with 3/4 to full length sleeves, which extends down to the knees. It normally has slits that start from the bottom hem and extend up to the mid-top of the thighs, either on the wearer's sides (footman's slits), or on the front and back (horseman's slits), to allow for greater leg mobility.

ideal aspect ratio (IAR)
Ideal aspect ratio is measured by using the mandrel size as the inner diameter measurement. The value received from the equasion is not accurate. It is always lower than the actual aspect ratio, and therefore should only be used as a guideline.

inlay
An image woven into chainmail fabric by using rings of at least two different colours, multiple weaves, or a combination of the two.

inner diameter (ID)
Inner diameter (or interior diameter) is the measurement of the distance from one side of the inside of a ring to the other side. In many cases, chainmaillers will refer to the inner diameter of a ring as the size of the mandrel on which the ring was originally wound. This is a misnomer, as this value is actually called the mandrel diameter (MD).

listed ring size
Wire size, and mandrel size. e.g. .048" 3/16" for imperial, or 1.22mm 4.76mm (metric). Some people list wire gauge instead of the measured wire size. This sometimes causes confusion because there are more than one different wire gauge systems in use.

Optionally, the measured inner diameter and aspect ratio can be listed too.

mandrel
A cylindrical shaft around which wire is wound to form coils for the purpose of making rings.

mandrel diameter (MD)
Mandrel diameter, a characteristic of a group of rings of the same type, refers to the size of the mandrel on which the rings were made. It is usually measured in inches or millimeters, and is smaller than the measured inner diameter (ID). Also referred to as listed ring size.

maximum aspect ratio (maximum AR)
Refers to the largest possible aspect ratio that will work for a particular weave. Very few weaves have a maximum AR.

minimum aspect ratio (minimum AR)
Refers to the smallest possible aspect ratio that will work for a particular weave.

For all intents and purposes, the listed minimum AR values for each weave entry in the weaves section of this website refers to the smallest AR a ring type must be in order to make a piece of that weave indefinitely expandable. In some situations, a slightly smaller AR can be used, but the weave will bunch up after a certain number of units are added making it impossible to add extra rings.

oxidation (also: oxidization)
The result of a metals exposure to oxygen. Effects generally include discolouring, due to oxide buildup. The degree of this consequence varies greatly from one metal type to another, and from the amount of exposure.

pinch cut
Regarding ring closure, the result of a ring cutting method which involves stressing the metal until it breaks, creating a >< closure. Tools used to pinch cut include side cutters, end nippers, and bolt cutters (provided the bolt cutters are not used for score-n-break).

root weave (also: parent weave)
The weave that a weave variant, weave structure, or weave construct is based on.

saw cut
Regarding ring closure, the result of a ring cutting method which uses a saw blade which cuts rings from the coil. A || closure is achieved. Several factors in a saw cut setup will contribute to the quality of rings achieved, one of the most important of which is the thickness of the saw blade. Material is removed creating a kerf. Care must be taken to close these rings properly. Saw cut rings are the highest quality and most desirable, especially in applications like jewelry.

score-n-break
Regarding ring closure, the result of a ring cutting method which involves marking the top and bottom of the next ring on the coil, and then gripping the next ring to be and twisting it off. This method is said to provide a better closure than regular pinch cut, but it's not something I've ever had luck with.

shear cut
Regarding ring closure, the result of a ring cutting method which uses shearing action to cut the ring giving it a // appearance. Aviation snips (tin snips), certain cable cutters, and other scissor-like action tools will yield shear cut rings. The quality is better than pinch cut, with only small divots at the top and bottom of the closure. Certain shear cut methods will yield warped rings to a varying degree, which require more effort in closing and perfecting.

speedweave
The utilization of both pre-opened and pre-closed rings in weaving. Theoretically, by pre-closing a number of rings, you will save time weaving, the main reason being that you are adding more than one ring to a piece of chainmail at one time (even though you still took the time to pre-close a percentage of the rings).

Some argue that speedweaving doesn't actually decrease overall weaving time. Whether or not time is actually saved will vary from one situation to another.

springback
The tendency of a coil, once wound, to expand after the coiling tension is released. This causes the coil to expand slightly, thus making the resulting rings slightly larger than the mandrel on which they were originally wound. Springback varies according to metal type and hardness, mandrel size and wire size used, and to a lesser extent, other factors such as winding speed, etc..

structural use AR
The range of actual aspect ratios that are ideal for a certain weave for use in structural applications. These are generally very close to the minimum aspect ratio for a given weave, and provide restricted flexibility.

temper
The degree of hardness of a metal.

weave
A unique and indefinitely repeatable pattern of rings, characterized by the connections between rings, and containing only rings that serve to maintain the physical structure thereof or to connect an instance of the pattern to an adjacent instance.

weave variant
A unique and indefinitely repeatable pattern of rings characterized by the connections between rings, which is derived from one or more (root) weaves.

wire diameter (WD)
The measurement of the diameter of wire. Not to be confused with wire gauge, which is a specific unit of measure, wire diameter is measured using decimal inches or millimeters. Because several suppliers of wire use gauge systems, calipers or a micrometer are required to obtain the actual wire size. This is only necessary for advanced applications which require specific, fine-tuned ring sizing.

wire gauge
A numbered method of measuring wire diameter that is commonly used in North America. There are different versions, most commonly Standard Wire Gauge, and American Wire Gauge (Brown & Sharpe), which differ, sometimes leading to confusion. Anywhere from 24 to 12 gauge are ideal for chainmail use. Because wire gauge is not precice, avid chainmaillers will adapt to a better measurement system for measuring wire diameter in decimal inches or millimeters.