Medieval Chain Mail Shirt and Coif Armor Set and Shirt

I am happy to say not a single link was missing & both coif & shirt are very well made! It fits me like a glove but I am 5 foot 7 inches tall. I would think that a big man would have some issues, I have a 48 inch chest & the shirt is tight on me & only hangs down to groin level much like a large T-shirt. I feel very lucky as both coif & shirt fit me well enough & a 48inch chest is stretching the chainmail. Also beware if you have long hair when you put these on make sure your hair is contained, completely covered!!! I was fortunate enough to foresee the potential & tucked all five of my braids inside a wool winter cap! When I took off the chain mail it did snag my hat. If I would have put the chain mail coif or shirt on without covering my hair I would now have 10+ lbs of beautiful chainmail entangling my locks!!! Yes it would have been funny but I am guessing it would have hurt quite a bit, as well as involving a long yoga like grappling match trying to free my hair from the chainmail! Also I have read reviews where people had difficulties removing their chainmail. The key to this is stay relaxed & let gravity do the majority of the work for you, let it slide off DO NOT try & put your arms inside the shirt!!!!!!!! The next time I put my chainmail on I will use a tight weaved cotton head bandana instead of a knit wool hat. After trying it on & taking it off it is still intact with no missing links. Handle your chainmail gently & I don't think you will have any problems. I am going to see if it is possible to rivet the links shut If I can it will triple the value of this already nice costume set! As far as 3XL I don't think so unless this chainmail can really stretch because I am on the short side of the spectrum & it fits me tightly I was anticipating it would hang to mid thigh but it barely hangs to the groin & is tight in the chest so big men beware! My daughter & her boyfriend tried it on & it does come down to their thighs when they say up to 48 inch chest they mean it! Any bigger & you will have to pass on this deal.

I can not be happier with this set. For the price, it is a great piece. I personally attended the Maryland Renaissance Festival with this as a main accent for my outfit.The set was in great shape when I received it, it lost a single link that fell off. I simply repatched it and tightened the ring with some pliers. It's condition even help up at the festival; not losing a single ring while I explored around all day.For my body type, it came very long, below my knees. With the help of a friend, i proceeded to detach an amount of the shirt so it fit me snugly around the leg area. I now have an extra 5-or-so pounds of rings for any future repairs that need to be done.It is steel, so expect it to weigh a lot. You may tire out after a long day of walking around in the heat. In the cold, be sure to be wearing a thick padding underneath so as to not come into contact with the steel that changes temperature more readily in the cold. I can attest that i was rather sore after being active all day in it.It will be lubricated well. Take some time to soak it in a light degreaser of some sort, like kerosene, or mineral spirits, or spray it with some sort of degreaser. You can alternatively leave it in the heat in a black bag and sweat it off, or tumble it in sand. If you do not remove the oil, your underclothing will blacken quickly. I used a cheaper undershirt and I thought it made the costume more authentic looking.Lastly, the underarm areas are riveted. This is a very gracious thing to do, as this is probably the area that wears the most. Not to mention that if they were butted like the rest of the shirt, it would pinch skin easily.Overall, this piece is awesome, I plan to use it next year, and for years to come, as well as make many additions to it.

While I can't write a full review as of yet (I haven't worn this to a faire yet or used it more than just trying it on), I will say that my initial impression is good. My chain mail came without a single missing ring, and I haven't had any fall off whilst trying it on. In fact, I haven't seen any loose/open yet, either (and I did do quite a bit of wiggling around trying to get it on/off the first time). I've heard a lot of people talk about the armpits tearing out, so I'll be keeping an eye out for that and will probably update my review at a later date.After reading others' reviews, I've determined that the chain mail sizing must be inconsistent, as others who are taller than myself (5'9") talked about the hauberk coming down past their knees. Mine came to a perfect length of just above the knee, and the sleeves a few inches above the wrist (I may shorten them to just below the elbow). This would DEFINITELY not fit a 3XL; It's more like a men's medium, so beware (I'm thin and it fit me perfectly).My only complaint is in the coif. The face hole is a little too small and, while it does fit around my face, I can't pull it over my head (like pulling back a hood). Removing one or two rows of rings should make it perfect, though.I will also mention that, unless you know how to put on and take off a hauberk, it is extremely difficult, because it is heavy and awkward. I ended up looking it up online just to avoid wriggling in and out on the floor (so graceful for a knight, eh?). The best way to get in is to lift up the mail from the bottom and put your arms in first and let it slide over your head. To get out, pull up the bottom halfway, then bend over and touch your toes. It will slide off your head and then you can pull your arms out.Pros:-Good quality metal (no rust or oil, as another reviewer experienced)-Looks good-Mine was a perfect length-Great for costuming (renaissance festival) purposes-Very affordable priceCons:-Hard to get into/out of if you don't know what you're doing-Heavy (but, hey, it's chain mail; it's supposed to be heavy)-Coif's face hole was a bit too small-Nowhere near a 3XL