The Third Dimension of Chain: David Belt
This first appeared as a post in May 2011.
Not long ago I was like most Americans in that chainmail was only something cool to see in a 1700’s euro-based film. I knew there were individuals who adorned themselves in chain for SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) events or to use as costume jewelry, but that idea never really appealed to me. I always thought of chainmail as a two dimensional craft requiring a certain amount of skill to work the chain to the proper size and shape, but which didn’t have much in the way of depth. Without that third dimension, without that depth, chainmail just seemed “fake.” In my mind, it lacked a necessary component to become “real.”
Then, one day I saw something that completely changed my perspective. The object, which I later came to know as a Japanese Cube, was composed of a cast of dozens of little rings. The ensemble lay two by two with rows of paired rings, four rows on a side, each row squaring off with the next, forming a perfect three dimensional cube. For a time, I was completely captivated. I lost myself in a whole new world of possibilities, as my mind raced through endless patterns of link and chain with an infinite number of directions along an infinite number of points. It was as though the two dimensional door of chain had been opened to reveal the three dimensional world of chainmail.
I was starved for information, finding myself in desperate need for knowledge of this art. I scoured the internet, the library, the book store, anywhere I could find anything about this reclusive topic. The few websites and books I found at the time didn’t show me near enough to learn what I wanted to know. Undaunted, I ordered chain from a number of different suppliers, not knowing precisely what I would be getting. Within a month, I had my first supplies. A month after that I had blisters from the cheap tools and a half dozen unfinished projects. I had to order more. I needed more tools. I needed more chain. I needed more. I had not yet completed anything worthy of this newfound art, but I felt a compulsive desire for it. If anywhere in my intellectual travels I had found a Chainmaillers Anonymous, I probably would have joined. I needed help.
My first virtual mentor was the master of modern chainmail, Dylon Whyte (author of “Art of Chainmail”). Through his and other teachingsI learned the craft, but I had only a vague understanding of what it meant to be a chainmail artist. With each “failure,” hope was fading but not lost. I could produce quality work, I could craft chain, but I had not managed to find the resonance I desired for art. I had one last project in mind: a flower, not a closed rose bud, nor the focal of a hairpin, but a living flower captured in full bloom. In order to raise the stakes, this object was to be a gift for Lesley, my dearest love. The night before Valentine’s Day, I set upon a quest to create a piece crafted of chain and scale and love. For fourteen hours I labored on this noble task, and at last, it was done. I had completed what I set out to do. I created a three dimensional, free standing object of art.
Lesley was completely enamored by the gift I held before her. She gazed in wonder, as the object now in her hands was unlike anything she had laid eyes on before. Her reaction was exactly what I had hoped. She has so loved her rose, since, that it has required repair on more than one occasion. In truth, the flower wasn’t very good, but creating it let me know that what I was looking for in this craft was possible. I had only to discover it.
Since that day, I have done my utmost to push the boundaries of chainmail, trying to see past the craft of what is and find the art of what could be. Somewhere along the way I started a business. Lesley told me that I should sell my pieces, that I could make money crafting chain. I didn’t believe her at first, but I did one small show, and the look on my early customers’ faces gave me confidence enough to proceed. I have a few shows this year, twice as many already lined up for next year, and a web site launch scheduled in late May 2011. Once that goes live, I will have an online store allowing people to access my wares year-round from across the globe. But the quest for money is not why I do what I do. I craft chain, link-by-link, day-by-day, looking for those wondrous objects that lie dormant in the chain and the scale and the art.
A few recommended chainmail resources:
Web sites:
CG Maille; Maille Artisans; Art of Chainmail
Books:
Chained by Rebeca Mojica (North Light Books, 2010); Chains by Becky by Helen and Becky Goga (Wire Artist?); Art of Chainmail by Dylon Whyte (Dylon Whyte?)
David Belt is a 16 year veteran of the US Navy. While still on active duty, he spends his leisure time writing, gaming, and crafting chainmail. In his early years, he won several awards for writing, including Southwest Region Young Writers Short Story (1st) and Poetry (4th) Contests. Seeking entertainment as a semi-pro card player, David earned numerous trophies in State, Regional, and National Championships for Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, and Tribbles games. Now, he sets his sights on the age old craft of chainmail, hoping to bring new insight and ingenuity to this venerable art.
