Congratulations! If you're reading this
article you almost certainly have just entered the exciting world of ancient armor; perhaps your
first chainmail
purchase is sitting before you right now, begging
to be opened.



In the Good Ol’ Days


Of course, most of us who like to
imagine ourselves fighting in armor on the battlefields of the good old days do
not think we will have to maintain our own equipment. We like to think that we
will have squires or pages or some kind of dedicated helper to manage such
details while we concern ourselves with battle and courtly manners. However,
self-maintenance or not, the process of olden times was neither complex nor
technical.


Sand mixed with some grease or oil was
used to clean armor and chainmail. Lucky armor maintainers had sand
tumblers available to clean their chain mail and would hand-clean sheet armor
with this sand/oil mixture.


Maintaining your own Armor and Chainmail


Moisture is the enemy of armor and chainmail.
To prevent rust, remove any moisture as soon as you possibly can using entirely
dry paper towels or rags or the strong, bright, warming sun. Being conscious of
preventing moisture from remaining on your armor will save you hours of
maintenance.


When you open your armor, you may be
overwhelmed by the smell of grease. To rust-proof your purchase, the owner
probably saturated it in oil.


De-Greasing: Fussy Rather than Difficult


The best way to have an uncomplicated,
successful degreasing is to schedule your degreasing for a day on which you
have ample amounts of strong, warm sunlight to assist the process.


Fully submerge your chainmail in a
degreasing product and use your hands to agitate the metal in the solution;
it’s actually a kind of fun activity; the links make an attractive sound as you
move them.


Spot check the metal for grease. When
you think you have removed all of the oil, take it outside and lay it on a
concrete or other rust-resistant surface to dry. Reposition the mail at
intervals to allow the sun to completely dry the metal.


For plate armor, rather than immersing,
use a rag to liberally apply the degreaser, drying each section as your
complete it. Concentrate on any areas that have rivets or overlapping metal to
ensure complete drying.


A good sun substitute is a hair dryer or
heat gun, though they are time-consuming.


Apply a Protective Coating


Once your armor is completely dry, use a
dry rag or paper towels to apply a coating of wax or similar - there are many
products from which to choose. Try not to expose the metal to water while you
work; for example, do not use a rag that is already wet.


At the conclusion of this phase, you
will be storing your armor until its next use. Many people designate an old
towel or large rag to act as the foundation on which you apply the coating and
the covering in which you store it. Cover and store your clean armor in a dry
place.


Whichever way you choose to store your
armor and chainmail, check it at intervals to ensure it is still dry and
rust-free. This is certainly a case where prevention is the absolutely best way
to fight the enemy: rust.


Finally, Polishing Your Armor


Unless your armor is for display only,
don’t polish it to a mirror-like shine. To achieve that look, you would have to
compromise its usefulness through buffing and polishes. Super-shiny armor is ahistorical,
and you can only achieve that finish through copious amounts of elbow grease
that would be better applied to battling rust.



Source: Armor & Chainmail Maintenance Tips 101