What's the best way to attach chainmail to a gambeson?
For more freedom of movement, it's great to attach chainmail to your gambeson. When it comes to chainmail, there are two ways to approach this. You can buy a chainmail shirt (hauberk), wear it over a gambeson and then wear armor on top of that. Or you can buy chainmail pieces, like sleeves (voiders) and skirts, attach them to a gambeson and then wear armor over it.
Attaching
A complete chainmail shirt covers a larger part of your body and therefore offers more protection. However, chainmail pieces attached to a gambeson are lighter and easier to move in. Just make sure your armor covers the parts of your body that aren't covered by chainmail.
Attaching voiders to your gambeson, for example, isn't particularly difficult. It just takes some time and patience. The most secure way to do this is to sew the chainmail onto the gambeson.
Sewing
First, place the chainmail on the gambeson where you want it. Make sure it's on a surface you can work on and try to move it as little as possible.
Next, you can use needle and thread (using double thread is recommended) to sew the outer rings onto the gambeson. Use three stitches per ring to secure the chainmail properly.
Eyelets (buttonholes)
Some people prefer a faster method. You can also attach chainmail to a gambeson by making eyelets (or buttonholes) in the gambeson and using a leather cord to lace the chainmail to the gambeson.
With this method, you first place the chainmail on the gambeson where you want it. Mark the desired location of the eyelets or buttonholes, with a spacing of 5 to 10 cm between each hole. You can now punch the holes at the marked locations and insert an eyelet or finish the edges of the hole with thread, like a buttonhole.
Lace a leather cord through the eyelets and tie the ends securely. You can now use another leather cord to thread through the chainmail and under the first cord. Again, make sure you tie the ends securely.
