I'm new to chainmail so the only thing I would like to point out for any other newbies is that these are listed as 16 gauge, but that is SWG, they are actually 14 AWG (gauge) and this is clearly marked on the package, but I was confused by it. I would actually call these 14 gauge jump rings because it seems most all other sellers go by AWG when listing their rings. The product is very good and the price is excellent compared to many other jump ring suppliers. Good service and shipping from the seller. I will purchase from this seller again. Attached is a photo of my first project - a boxchain weave with Chainmail Joe's 1/4" 14 AWG jump rings with some anodized 1/4" 16 AWG rings from another seller.
I started teaching myself chainmail a few months ago. I've ordered from Chainmail Joe several times. Always a quality product and a great price. When they were out of my size link, I emailed them and the links were available to order very shortly after. I just ordered some black and gold I can't wait to work with the new colors.
I'm a long-time jewelry mailler/minor dabbler in small armor pieces who has tried about everybody's stuff, and when I saw these, I was intrigued due to the "no gray residue" claim. I'm glad I took the risk and got a pound for a larger project. The rings I received are:
-Well-sized, and seem equivalent to other vendors' rings with this measurement
-A good balance between soft and hard; not as hard to work as steel, but I think they won't pull apart with wear like copper. I was concerned because they're an alloy, not pure aluminum, but they seem quite comparable to aluminum's strength and weight.
-Don't leave gray residue on my hands and clothing while I'm weaving like pure polished aluminum (at least not so far; I'll have to wait and see how they wear)
-Have no apparent nicks or scratches near the opening like certain other vendors' rings too often do these days
-Have no burrs at the cut like certain other vendors' rings too often do these days and happily aren't leaving flakes of metal on my weaving surface and clothes
-Are cut straight; so far, no awkward acute angled cuts (again, unlike lots of rings I've received lately from that other vendor)
-Arrived well-polished instead of being advertised as "bright" but actually being very dull and accompanied on the vendor's sale site with a smug warning note about how if you want to use actual brightly polished aluminum rings, you can go buy an expensive tumbler and learn the fine art of tumbling
You may be sensing my dissatisfaction with increasing quality control problems from another large jump ring vendor who is a primary supplier to the community; if so, you're right. If I continue to receive this quality of product, I'll be switching my bright aluminum business from them to Chainmail Joe whenever possible.
Great! Maybe one or two broken rings in the whole bag. This photo shows about how much I was able to make with one bag.
Although I'm giving a 5 star rating, I must tell you about the observation I have made.
1. Very well packaged, love that.
2. Includes a identification chart, also loved that
Sturdy product, love that as well.
All I could hope for. However, the ID chart has a mixture of measurement standards.
1. Ring diameter is in Inch size. Fractions
2. Is in (B)SWG, British Standard Wire Gauge. And Metric (mm).
I feel using a single system would be best. All American (inch) or all British (metric) would be best. I prefer to preform my own AR calculations. Yes the aspect ratio is given. But when I convert your numbers to the same system the AR you've supplied are different the what I get. The card is very handy, I like that it was included. I will be doing more business with chain mail Joe in the future. I will also
be contacting CMJ about not usin a single standard. An if different standards are used then convert show all the conversion units. For instance AWG and SWG,both have a different wire diameter, between inch and mm. And the system used showed a mm converson, using only 1 decimal place. Not accurate enough to calculate AR. And having to locate a chart to accurately convert SWG to mm requied un needed work.
I am only saying is to any company that lists measurements, PLEASE USE A CONSTANT FORM OF MEASUREMENT. I don't care which just pick one.
Feature Product
- You are looking at one pound of quality Bright Aluminum jump rings for making outstanding jewelry or mail armor. These rings are saw cut by an extremely precise jewelers saw (0.008" thick) to make perfect closings for your projects. They are made of Aluminum Alloy 5356, which has 5% Magnesium and makes for a much brighter finish than regular aluminum and doesn't oxidize(no blackness ruboff). They have been cleaned and polished and are ready to use!
- Aspect Ratio(AR) = 5
- The dimensions of the rings are 5/16 inch(8MM) Inside Diameter and roughly 7/16 inch(11.2 MM) Outside Diameter
- The wire is 14AWG/16SWG or 1.6MM in Diameter
- There are at least 3000 rings in each pound bag, we always include several hundred extra just in case there are any defects from the manufacturing process.
Description
These rings are perfect for any project you have, whether to make chainmail armor, try out new weaves, make spectacular jewelry items or something else entirely! Aluminum is easy to work with, is light, and still quite strong! If you have any questions feel free to contact us on our seller page.
I buy most my jump rings from TheRingLord as I know they deliver good quality for a low price. But I decided I should give Chainmail Joe's rings a try. Also because Chainmail Joe's rings are slightly cheaper still then TheRingLord.
I must admit the rings I received are of an excellent quality. They are sturdy, yet easy to work with. The saw cut kerf is fine and apparently tumbled as I can't find many rings with burrs. The rings have also obviously been cleaned are polished to a nice shine.
Its too bad Chainmail Joe doesn't supply jump rings of different types and sizes. I would likely buy them.
My son loves, loves, knights and all things knight-related. His personal hero is one of the Knights of the Oklahoma Renaissance Faire. As a result, we have become "Rennies".
As we get more and more into this Ren Faire culture, my son decid that he wants his own maille shirt, so he looks like his hero. So, I decided to buy these chain mail rings, so we could make one together. It has been so much fun working together on this product. He cannot wait until his shirt is finished.
These rings are so easy to assemble. You can easily open them so your hands, and they can be closed with a pair of smooth grip pliers, so you don't mar the rings. Once you get the hang of things, you will be well on your way to your own piece of armor, suitable for fending off sharks or zombies.
Quality: 4/5
The rings are nicely cut, but some do have small burrs or rough edges. Still nice saw-cut rings, but not perfect. I have not found very many defective rings, either (1 out of ~300). I have also bought rings from other makers, some better, some worse. West coast chainmail makes the cleanest rings I've bought.
Cost: 5/5
Rings are on par with other sellers costs. The only reason they got 5/5 is because if you order enough, Amazon will throw in the shipping, saving you about $5 on your purchase. Otherwise, they would be comparable to ringlord or West Coast Chainmail.
Other thoughts:
The rings are just fine for most chainmail projects and are the most cost effective I have found (apart from DIY). One thing I don't like is that there is some aluminum dust in with the rings, like they were not deburred well enough or that shavings got mixed in with the rings. It's not a big deal, just makes your fingers a little dirty when you're working with them. Might need to rinse them off before wearing anything.
I am new in to chainmaille and I was looking for somewhere other than theringlord to purchase some cheap jump rings. I am absolutely thrilled with the quality of my purchase! Only one broken ring in the whole package, and so far I've had enough rings to make 3 dice bags for me and my D&D group. This in my second order now because I've recieved so many requests for dice bags of their own from my family and friends. I will definitely order again! Thanks Chainmail Joe!
I was thoroughly pleased with my purchase. The rings are durable, lightweight and have a nice shine to them. They arrived promptly and the seller provides a large quantity for the price. I also appreciated the fact that each package includes a chart which shows the seller's entire selection and includes their aspect ratios as well as a handy chart on the back which details which aspect ratios are needed for different chain mail weaves. I was working with a fairly tight weave (through no fault of the seller but rather a tutorial that was not very specific on the details of its materials) and the rings held up surprisingly well under a fair amount of force/tension.
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