In this lesson, I will be talking about the different types of metal that are commonly used in chainmaille as well as make suggestions about what metals are best for beginners. Let’s discuss base metals, starting with aluminum. Aluminum is lightweight, shiny, very easy to work with and comes in a multitude of colors. In my opinion, aluminum is perfect for beginners, which is why all of the jump ring supplies until Section 5 of this course are made up entirely of aluminum.
Whether you spell it chain mail, chainmail chainmaille, it doesn’t matter – it all refers to the same thing. Personally, I like to spell it with two “Ls” and an “E” because it makes me feel all smart and fancy and stuff. But if you think that less is more, well, more power to ya!
To start out in chainmaille, all you need are two sets of pliers. But what kind of pliers should you buy? Here’s the abridged version on the two most common types – chain nose and needle nose.
