M.A.I.L. is a union, a coming together of maille fans, smiths, and merchants. Together we learn new techniques, talk to our favorite artists, and find new contacts for our maille needs.

More than just a conversational nexus, M.A.I.L. strives to serve as a library of knowledge for all things maille. Members donate their knowledge and experience in the form of articles, gallery images, and weave submissions. Feel free to read and learn from them as you will.

M.A.I.L. vs maille: which is which?

Pardon our little play on words ;) Maille is a flexible material composed of small interlocking metal rings or loops of chain., M.A.I.L. is our organization. The two are used thruout the site. Don't be confused if maille is spelled mail, malle, or maile...they're all the same thing 8). You may also see maille used as a verb, this is simply the act of making maille.

Joining M.A.I.L.

If you wish to join our endeavor, then you'll want to check out the Join page. Know that all we'll ever ask of you is a submission of any sort to M.A.I.L. We also find ourselves looking for help on occasion, a sure way to get a lifetime membership.

Know that it is not neccessary to join M.A.I.L. to use our resources. What we have is for all to peruse as you see fit.

Learning more about M.A.I.L.

For a more detailed background of who and what we are, check out the "About Us" page.

Looking for something in specific?
M.A.I.L. comes equipped with an effective Search engine, if you're having trouble wading through all the information on the site, give this a whirl.

How do I start making maille?
If you've never made any maille before, you're in luck. M.A.I.L. is dedicated to teaching everyone, apprentice to zealot. Your first step on the learning adventure could be the Article library.

good primer articles
Chainmail Construction (overview) - Submitted by David_Austin
Know Your Maille Terms - Submitted by Blaise

Possible Hazards of Mailling - Submitted by Alex the Maillesmith1
stretching - Submitted by sakredchao
 
 

The Gallery is also a fun place to explore. I am amazed at what people have created every time I peek inside.
Here are a couple of my favorites.
                               
pyramid 3 - submitted by rescyou                                                      flower -  submitted by armored_raven
 

            
frisbee 3 - submitted by mical                                                      maille basket - submitted by david austin
 
 

The Weave library is chok full of different weaves. Want to make your chainmaille different than everyone elses'?  Use a different weave; try one in the library already, or create your own and share it with the community.
Weaves in the library range from traditional to newly developed.
                                      
european 4 in 1 - submitted by david austin                         hourglass cross web - submitted by grace
 
 
 

If you have any questions check the FAQ and the Search engine, to see if it's already been answered, and then...

Join us on the Message Board forums.  Folks are kindly and helpful there.

If your hunger for maille is still unsatiated, then our Links list is a great way to find other maille sites.

Enjoy your maille.
Enjoy your M.A.I.L.