Chainmaille Craftsman Sells Wares

William Graves' love of crafting chainmaille stems from his long-standing affinity for history and ancient warfare, and his creations are individually interesting. Insomnia initially pushed the local craftsman into late-night Web surfing; he stumbled across a website with tutorials on weaving the illustrious armor known as chainmaille. His rapport with the art form grew as he studied how chainmaille affected various ancient civilizations.

“I've always been a huge history buff and interested in ancient warfare," Graves said. "The materials and methods used in making the arms and armors of different nations has been one of the most influential aspects leading to success or failure in war."

Though many of Graves' creations could serve defensive purposes if the need arose, he tends to create items meant to be aesthetically pleasing.

He generally makes his own rings, the first step in creating a chainmaille piece from scratch, which can be a noisy and time-consuming process. The actual assembling of the chainmaille is less obtrusive.

Through his manual construction of his chainmaille creations, he now has a clear understanding of the difficulties faced by ancient war-wagers.

“It's a great way to gain respect of the ancient armorers from way back when they didn't have access to tools and pre-made wires,” Graves said. "I generally give a bit of a history/metallurgy/methodology lesson whenever people ask about my work."

His work includes items such as keychains, bracelets, necklaces, finger rings, earrings and shirts. Belts tend to be his biggest sellers, and his creations can be seen at in Downtown Woodstock.

“Blue Frog Imports is a great store holding tons of folk art from all around. I house a good deal of samples in Blue Frog's display cases. Go on in, take a look, and ask about my products. You'll seem them all over the owners, too.”

Graves doesn't limit himself to only metallic materials. He has also incorporated Swarovski crystal and even Japanese coinage into his pieces.

“If you have an idea for something chainmaille, I can make it. That's how versatile this stuff is,” he said.

This craftsman is open to freelance work and will gladly discuss weaves, materials and size with a customer.

Graves said he knows his value as an anomalous artisan, saying there are few chainmaille-making Georgians and even fewer in the Woodstock area.

“What makes me unique is that making chainmaille armour and jewelery is a dying craft,” he said.

Graves' chainmaille pieces are also unique in their price point. Since chainmaille crafting is not Grave's relied-on source of income, he can offer his wares at lower prices than any other craftsman.

“I guarantee it so much that I will give you the Web addresses to various websites selling quality chainmaille so you can compare prices.”