Chainmaille By Bim

Handmade by Bim since 1999. Shop: www.chain-maille.com

[chainmaillebybim]

I made this ring for a longtime customer who’s gonna wear it as his wedding ring! It’s made from 22 and 24 gauge Brass. So tiny! So cool! Should I make more rings? I think so.

[chainmaillebybim]

I made this Mythril Chainmaille bracelet from 22 gauge Sterling Silver wire. I wrap the raw wire around a rod, cut that coil into circles with a jewelers saw, open them up using two pairs of pliers, put each one into place, close them using two pairs of pliers, and than to make sure my work will last a lifetime I weld each one closed before moving to the next. This beauty has exactly 1,570 links in it and it weighs just over two ounces. Oh and I make and weld the clasps myself. Look how pretty!!

[chainmaillebybim]

I made this satchel for an old friend. It’s made from Stainless Steel with Brass decoration, all welded-links. I used Euro 4-In-1 with a row reduction for the bottom of the bag and with a micro-maille drawstring for the top. It even clasps back to a locking link to safely secure whatever’s inside! This was a fun gift to make and each time I make Chainmaille outside of the mindset of the marketplace I fall back in love with the craft. That’s good to remember. I almost didn’t post this for the same reason, but here we are. Okay that’s all for today. It’s one million degrees here in Portland and my mind has settled to a puddle at the bottom of my skull 🙃

[chainmaillebybim]

*SOLD*

I finally finished my secret copper shirt project I’ve been working on for months! I made this shimmery magical beauty from pure copper wire. 15 pounds of copper that I wrapped into coils and then saw cut into 15,440 links! I assembled it all one link at a time with my trusty pliers and time machine! I’ve used all my little fitting tricks in this one: I used a standard Euro 4-in-1 pattern and cheated in extra rows under the arms on each side to create breathing room for the rib cage. I spliced the sleeves on on the bias to make them fit right on the shoulders. I even stepped up the wire gauge for the neck so that it has a nice sturdy 16 gauge set of three rows as the collar. The rest of the shirt is 18 gauge wire. It was a joy to make this one of a kind piece! Now I’m on to the next wild project! What’s your idea I can make a reality?

#chainmaille #copper #armor #handmade #purecopper #coppershirt #chainmailleshirt

[chainmaillebybim]

I made this bracelet for myself and I wear it 24/7. I skate, drum, work, shower, swim, sleep, and everything else in it. I made this silky beauty from super thin 22 gauge Stainless Steel wire. It’s a Euro 4-in-1 pattern that I’ve finished with slightly smaller rings on the edges to crisp up the the look and feel of this ancient pattern. As I am want to do lately I also welded every link closed as a assembled it! The closure on this bracelet is special as well. What I’ve done is diminished the pattern down to a opposite points on both ends and then built in slightly larger rings where the decrease starts on each. This way, the two clasps can reach back to connect to the other end which positions the break in the chain diagonally, and touching, so that it mostly disappears. I think this is SUPER COOL and I can’t believe it took me 20 years to try it, haha!

[chainmaillebybim]

I made this custom 14K gold necklace for a wonderful client of mine named Marcel! It’s a micro-maille Byzantine chain for this beautiful jade pendent he wanted to keep close. To make it I started with raw wire and wrapped, cut, assembled, and welded each solid gold link. I made it using 22 gauge yellow gold wire and a matching yellow gold lobster clasp. On a parallel note, I have been working on my photos, but I must say that no photo can convey the certain special physical feeling of a handmade gold chain. I honestly didn’t understand the whole “thing” with gold until I started working with it to make chains for people. Now I get it. It is magical. I’m so lucky to get to do what I do for a living. I’m grateful to all the folks like Marcel for having me make my best work for them! Here’s to what is to come! Keep it real out there everyone!

Oh and as always, DM for orders and don’t be a stranger!

[chainmaillebybim]

I first started making this pattern when I was maybe 13 years old. I had been making Chainmaille already for a number of years and I was tinkering with Full Persian when I realized it would work to build each row from the corners of the previous row rather than straight up. This created a totally different looking chain. It twists its way along but looks totally chaotic. At the time, I thought I’d invented it and I called it “Chaos Theory” which is one of the common names for this pattern to this day. It is also often called “Candy Cane” which I don’t like as much as my name for it 🙃

After decades of making this pattern this is the first solid gold one I’ve made from Chaos Theory! I made it from 14K gold wire that I turned into links and then assembled by hand, right down to welding each link closed. This necklace is 25 inches long and is connected back to itself seamlessly so there is no clasp. DM for Pricing and/or custom gold work 🙏🏻🧙‍♂️🖤

[chainmaillebybim]

I made this amazing meditation blanket for one of my favorite customers. It’s a flowing mountain of pure Copper. I made, saw cut, and hand assembled all 11,742 links! It is 29”x19” and it feels SO COOL! It has the magic within it, trust me I’m a wizard 🧙‍♂️

[chainmaillebybim]

I made this super tiny micro-maille ring from 24 gauge and 22 gauge Stainless Steel. I welded every single little link! It’s a Japanese 12-in-2 pattern and I think I should make more rings now, so I will!

[chainmaillebybim]

I’ve been making this Double Wide Byzantine pattern for decades. This one is special because it’s the first one I’ve done with welded links! I’m prepping for a drop of all new all welded chains here on my Insta!

I made this from 16 gauge 300 series Stainless Steel wire that I turned and cut into links, assembled, and welded by hand. This beast is heavy and tough and dripping with power, if you’re into that sort of stuff.

[chainmaillebybim]

I made this Byzantine Ladder necklace from raw Stainless Steel wire. I wrap and cut each link myself before putting them together into this fitted design that curves with the shape of your neck. To make it do this I make slightly larger links for the outer row and sneak another link into the pattern so that it all ends up perfectly tight yet flexible throughout. Details aside, I think it looks effortless when I step back and, more and more, that’s my goal! 😇

[chainmaillebybim]

Here it is! The one and only, Japanese 12-in-2 Rainbow Anodized Aluminum and Bright Aluminum Chainmaille Shirt! Catchy name, right?

I made this one from 12 gauge Anodized Aluminum and 16 gauge Bright Aluminum. It’s got it all; the subtle tie dye design hidden within the silver, the sculpted shoulder shapes using perfectly placed and plotted Japanese sphere patterning, the custom cut leather sides that are seamlessly stitched to the shirt with links and that buckle around back for a perfect fit with this pattern. I don’t even know how long this shirt took me to make. A long long time.

[chainmaillebybim]

Happy new year everyone! I’ve been making these Japanese spheres for decades but this is the first welded one I’ve done. Every link starts as raw wire that I wrap, cut, assemble, and then weld. I wish you could feel this thing in your hands! It’s like nothing else.

[chainmaillebybim]

I made this Chainmaille Hacky-Sack by creating a dodecahedron from Byzantine. It’s spherical, durable, and collapsible in a way that makes you want to fish it with it endlessly.

[chainmaillebybim]

I made this super thin Byzantine necklace from 24 gauge Stainless Steel.

[chainmaillebybim]

Ladder Byzantine Bracelet

[chainmaillebybim]

I love this one! I made it with Stainless Steel & Blue Anodized Titanium. The pattern is Japanese 12-in-2 run at a slight curve to the center point. I make the subtle shape by using three graduated link diameters for the horizontal links. When it’s right, you can feel it. Like all of my stuff I made this from scratch. I wrap the wire into a coil that I cut into links that I assemble and close by hand.