BLACKMAILLE
Part 71 - My Works
by Lord Thomas the Black
 


BLACKMAILLE

My Works

            Welcome back to another edition of Blackmaille!

            I post regularly on several maille-related online bulletin boards. People on these boards post pictures of their work all the time, and I never do. I get asked why this is all the time. The reason is that most of these boards require the picture to already be online somewhere before you can attach it to your post there, and I don’t feel like going through the hassle of opening a Flikr account (or other online photo album). Frankly, I have enough going on without another computer-related PITB to deal with.

            As you may have guessed, I’m a bit of a Luddite. Oh, well.

            Still, there’s been enough inquiries and interest shown, that I think I can justify using a month of Blackmaille to feed my ego by showing off a little. Yeah, ok, I know I’ve done it before (see the articles on the renfest demo, the demo sign, “Meet the Author” “Behind the Scenes”, etc). As my student Louis once said, “It’d be funny if it was the first time!” Nonetheless, this month I’m going to show off a few of the projects I’ve done, and tell you a little about each of them.
 

 

Byzantine necklace, 14g, 5/16" rings
Aluminum & copper

This was one of my first pieces I got asked to sell. I was approached at my renfest demo my the owners/ operators of a medieval-themed gift shop in Olathe, who wanted me to sell my maille there. Long story short, they screwed me on my commissions, and asked me to retrieve my merchandise when it didn't sell. I kept the price tag on this chain because I thought it was funny that anyone thought they'd get $40.00 for it!

   
         
         
         
 

Knights’ Chains, 12g brass,
various ring sizes and weaves

These are part of a largess project I’m working on. I’m making one chain of each weave I know how to do (and learning several in the process). These will then be boxed up and donated to the Kingdom of Calontir for new knights.

   
     
         
         
         
 

Riveted coif, 16g, 5/16” rings

Anyone who’s been to see my demo at the KCRF has seen this one. It’s been in the works for years, and is still (as of this writing) a ways away from being done.

   
 
 
 
 
 
 
         
         
         
 

Chains, 16g, 5/16” bright aluminum,
various weaves

These are some chains I made for myself. I was commissioned to do a belt for a co-worker. After estimating the number of rings I’d need based on her specifications (and ordering them!), she changed the specs. As it turns out, I ended up with a LOT of leftover rings, so I started making different chains for myself, partly to see what I could make in that ring size, and partly as advertising. So far, I have roundmaille, 6-in-1 roundmaille, half-persian, spiral, doubled spiral, and box. I’m working on a helm chain and Turkish

   
     
         
         
         
 

Handflowers, assorted

These are some handflowers I made some years ago, when I did a mostly-jewelry demo at KCRF. I did a lot of handflowers, some bracelets and anklets, and a few necklaces, most of which got sold under-the-counter. Oops, I mean, they were “lost”. Luckily, I “found” a lot of money laying around, so it worked out. Yeah, that’s it…

 

   
     
         
         
         

Maille pouches, 14g, 3/8” and 16g, ¼” rings

These were two early projects, and were just sort of a “let’s see what happens” kind of thing. This is what happens when I’m left to my own devices without any current projects to work on at renfest. Unfortunately, the best of the three pouches I made was stolen off my table one day.

 
       
         
         
         
 

Trizantine drinking horn chain, 16g, ¼” rings

This was another early project. I’d just gotten the drinking horn at renfest, and I was just starting to learn the trizantine weave, so I combined the two into one project.

 

   
         
         
         

Candle cover, 14g 3/8” steel & brass

 This was another piece that was intended to sell, and didn’t. Still, I like the design, and it looks great lit. I may end up making this one of my annual Twelfth-night candle project articles.

 
         
         
         
 

Candle hanger, 14g 3/8” rings, steel & brass

This is the project that got the store owners attention, and subsequently sold fairly quickly. Regular readers of Blackmaille will recognize it as the candle-hanger made for Project II. This was actually my first candle-hanger, and I liked the design enough that I had to make another one after the first one sold.

   
         

            So there you go. Now several of my projects are on display online. You can probably plan on seeing these pictures on the usual mailling boards, since I’m a shameless self-promoter (haha).  Seriously, for those who think I’m all talk, or who think that “those who can’t do, teach (and write)”, here’s proof that yes, I do actually make maille occasionally!

            Thanks for joining us for another month of Blackmaille! As usual, any questions, comments, hate mail, or fan mail can be sent to:

Tom Beckett
13628 Belmead Ave
Grandview, MO 64030
Attn: Blackmaille

Or you can email me at: tbeckett1@kc.rr.com          

             Next month: Q & A VI! See you then!

 



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