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RIVETED MAIL \?
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THE MAKING OF RIVETED MAIL ?! RECONSTRUCTION OF AN ANCIENT SKILL.
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BACK IN 1989 AFTER PREVIOUS YEARS OF ENDURING BUTTED MAIL I DECIDED TO FULLY RESEARCH AND 'ATTEMPT' TO PRODUCE RIVETED MAIL IN A WAY THAT WOULD NOT ONLY REPLICATE EXACTLY THE ORIGINAL HIGH QUALITY OF CENTURIES AGO - BUT TO ALSO PRODUCE IT IN A WAY THAT WOULD SEEM APPROPRIATE TO ANY PERIOD IT WAS USED IN, BY THAT I MEAN THE TOOLS & TECHNIQUES USED.
MANY THEORIES HAVE BEEN CONCLUDED OVER RECENT YEARS REGARDING THE ORIGINAL METHODS USED TO PRODUCE RIVETED MAIL, ALL OF WHICH CANNOT BE DISMISSED - BUT MOST OF WHICH ARE RIDICULOUS !!
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HAVING READ MANY THEORIES BY 'EXPERTS' ON ITS PRODUCTION - ALL OF WHOM HAVE NO DOUBT EVER TRIED TO MAKE IT - AND COMING TO THE CONCLUSION THAT ALL STILL SEEM TO BELIEVE A METHOD 'CONCOCTED' IN THE 1950'S.
THIS METHOD CANNOT OF COURSE BE RULED OUT, BUT THE TOOLS USED ETC JUST MAKE IT TOTALLY IMPRACTICAL, YET IT STILL GETS WRITTEN AS 'THE' METHOD WHENEVER A NEW PUBLICATION ON ARMOUR APPEARS. MAYBE IT'S JUST A WAY OF ADDING A QUICK CHAPTER TO A BOOK BECAUSE THEY GENUINELY HAVE NO IDEA HOW MAIL WAS ORIGINALLY PRODUCED AND HAVE NEVER EVEN ATTEMPTED ITS PRODUCTION EITHER.
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I HAVE USED A METHOD FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS WHICH PRODUCES AUTHENTIC 'LOOKING' MAIL - YOU CANNOT PRODUCE AUTHENTIC MAIL UNLESS YOU HAVE PERIOD WROUGHT IRON WIRE ETC AND CAN BE TELEPORTED BACK IN TIME A FEW HUNDRED YEARS !
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I PRODUCE 'SAMPLE' PIECES FOR HANDLING PURPOSES FOR MUSEUMS ETC. THE COST OF LABOUR IF DONE BY A SINGLE PERSON WOULD MAKE THE PRICE OF SOMETHING LIKE A HAUBERK ABSOLUTELY ASTRONOMICAL - SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON'T THINK OF.
A PIECE OF THE MAIL I PRODUCE WAS TESTED FOR STRENGTH AND ITS PROTECTIVE VALUE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. I MUST THANK KIM SIDDORN OF REGIA ANGLORUM FOR GETTING THESE TESTS DONE.
THIS HAS CREATED A LOT OF INTEREST AMONGST PEOPLE - TO SAY THE LEAST !
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THE ARGUMENT ON MAIL - AND A LOT OF OTHER THINGS - WILL CARRY ON NO DOUBT.
AFTER ALL, IT'S HISTORY ! THE SUBJECT WHERE EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN THEORIES.....AND EVERYBODY IS RIGHT !!
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