I had a fun day yesterday showing a group of 30+ year 7 pupils around the Roman Army museum and then Vindolanda. The displays in the Roman Army museum are great, very hands on for kids. Although you could not actually wear any of the armour they were amazed at how heavy some of it was, in particular the lorica hamata/chainmail. The 3d film is also very good. Recomended for anyone with a passing interest in anything' Romams in Britain'. Vindolanda was also fascinating, we had a talk from one of the archaeologists that was very interesting before having a good look round. The museum threr is also worth visiting. All this and I was being paid too!

Sounds good but a bit far for me to travel

The main problem with mail, as I understand it, is less the weight than the way it hangs on the shoulders, concentrating that weight in a small area. A tight belt helps a bit.

I remember taking a group of sixth formers to the Greenhead  army museum thirty years ago. Not as high tech then, but there was an old chap in charge who demonstrated Roman fighting methods, then gave a couple of the kids helmets, shields and swords and let them have a go. So much fun in the days before health and safety went mad. There was also a very wobbly VHS made by Robin Birley, from which we quoted oft from him, "Here, on the Wall........"  substitute what you will - we're freezing our nadgers off; there's a load of old bricks; we can't find a pub, etc. Some of those sixth formers were real japesters.

Yep you need a tight belt to support the weight, a lot more comfy than lorica segmentata , but less protection my photo and video used to be in there from When I was in the Ermine street guard.

Did I hear a feline yowl of protest over the technically correct term CHAINMAIL yet again. In Chester the other week saw what looked like a pack of yr 7 with plastic swords and shields lead by a guide in Lorica Segmentata. Good way to learn

IanS

When I see a sentence beginning with, "The main problem with mail..." I immediately think of the US Postal Service. And chain mail are those annoying letters (now emails) that you are to forward to ten friends. Chainmail is, of course, the rules set from the elder times.

Enjoyed the OP, Bodvoc - nice to live in a place where recorded history goes back a couple millennium..

These guys were always cool too.
http://www.dewaromanexperience.co.uk

Quote from: ianrs54 on 06 July 2016, 02:04:11 PM
Did I hear a feline yowl of protest over the technically correct term CHAINMAIL yet again. In Chester the other week saw what looked like a pack of yr 7 with plastic swords and shields lead by a guide in Lorica Segmentata. Good way to learn

IanS

Only "technically", or otherwise, correct if you do not know what mail (or maile as Medieval French would have it) actually is. I've made it, it ain't chains 

Quote from: sunjester on 06 July 2016, 04:13:58 PM
Only "technically", or otherwise, correct if you do not know what mail (or maile as Medieval French would have it) actually is. I've made it, it ain't chains 

There's a clear fault in our promotion system, Sir. You should be well above captain's rank by now with a clear mind under fire, such as you show there.

Although I have heard of it being called 'mail' the popular or most common name for it is certainly 'chainmail' (or 'chain mail'). Not just the Roman Army Museum but also the Royal Armouries in Leeds which I also visited recently use 'chainmail' rather than 'mail' on their displays. I also recently got a book on Medieval Warfare called 'Knights and the Golden Age of Chivalry' which never mentions 'mail' even in it's index yet has a whole boxed off section describing what chainmail is.
I suppose the best thing to do is to be chivalrous and just agree to differ

Or we could just throw the kitty amongstthe pigeons and just call it "chain"? 

Quote from: Bodvoc on 07 July 2016, 06:16:13 AM
I suppose the best thing to do is to be chivalrous and just agree to differ

Be the first Kitty I ever heard of that did that.   

IanS

Quote from: Bodvoc on 07 July 2016, 06:16:13 AM
I suppose the best thing to do is to be chivalrous and just agree to differ

Are you new to this forum?

More seriously, as long as everyone understands what's being talked about does it matter what word(s) we actually use?

I've worn it in re-enactment and LARP events lasting all day, and after a few hours the problem with the metal knitted armour stuff isn't the sheer physical weight so much as the way it compresses the shoulders in and makes you hunch over. After a day wearing it you get massive pain between the shoulder blades if you don't have good posture & keep your shoulders straight. A belt is essential, I agree, but I gave it up after a few years of events and went leather lightweight!