How to Weave Dragon-scale Chain Mail

With the extra time many of us have had over the past year, there has almost never been a better time to practice a new hobby! In this "How To", I will show you step-by-step how to weave a dragon-scale chain mail pattern. Once completed, the combination of large rings, overlapping the smaller rings, will make a scale design, reminiscent of a snake or dragon. This specific pattern is fairly simple and looks amazing as you develop each further segment. One word of caution, this pattern is very time intensive!

Rings of two different sizes:

Large Rings: 1.6mm wire, 8mm in diameter

Small Rings: 1.2mm wire, 4.8mm in diameter.

NOTE: No matter what size rings you choose, remember the following tip. The smaller rings must fit within the larger rings, but they should be at least three times the thickness of the large rings, in diameter.

Pliers: I use two sets of small pliers, but use what you are most comfortable with.

The first thing to do, is create a small chain, connecting two large rings with one small ring. Continue to add a small ring and large ring to the segment to reach the desired length. Keep in mind, that as you add each additional segment to the pattern, the rings will naturally be pulled closer together. This means that your first segment should be slightly longer than the desired length of your end product.

Be careful when bending the rings closed. If the pliers slip off of a ring, it could potentially cause bruises,cuts, or scrapes!!!

In this step, you will want to make at least one more segment, prior to weaving the segments together. As you can see in the picture, I generally start with only two segments. The second segment will sit on top of the first, and should be one large ring less than the first segment.

For Step 3, we will first lay segment one on a flat surface. Place segment two on top of segment one, keeping the large rings offset to one another. The goal is to be able to access the small rings through the center of the large rings. Then take a loose large ring and slide it into the small rings that have been pulled through the first two large rings on segment two. Continue until you have linked all small rings from the first segment with the newest layer of large rings.

Once you have linked all of the small rings together with large rings, you will need to add more small rings. These small rings will be linked through two large rings in the prior segment. When done correctly, the small rings will then protrude through the large rings of the newest segment.

Linking the small rings through the existing large rings provides a challenge. There will be limited space to work, so take your time to avoid injuries!

For the remainder of your project, you will continue to weave both small and large rings to reach your desired length. You will need to repeat steps 3 and 4 continuously. It is best to have an end goal in mind. The first project I learned this pattern for, was a custom guitar strap that I unfortunately never finished! Once you recognize the detail that goes into creating chain mail patterns, you will begin to notice the various designs used even in the modern jewelry that we wear everyday!