Brian,

Looks good. Do you have padding inside the secret?

Sam,

Why do you think the 'circular' was more common? Just looked at twenty three effigies from this period and all were horizontal. As well even in artwork of the period Such as St. Olaf's Chronicle there are more horizontal ones over the other configuration. I'll concede the possibility of it in use but where is the evidence it is more common?

And again that 0 existent mail has been found in this manner is not very supportive either.

Not trying to rain on your parade just figure why/how you came to that conclusion.

RPM

There are a few images showing something that could be an independent collar, such as those in the Mac Bible but they could be the collar of an aketon as well I suppose. Keeping mail from rubbing on bare skin is a good idea. After running around with just mail over a few places for a day I had some nasty abrasions and bruises from mail pinches as well as a few worse bruises and cuts where I took some hits. I think your idea a very good one if you ever use it for reenactment battle.

They made interesting stories at work and school though.

RPM

Some places in mac and Edward the confessor people appear to wear loose padded colars. In Eddy C these are also worn on top of the coif:
[ Linked Image ]

Of course, this migh be in addition to a thin inner collar. It apears the norm was to wear a reasonably thin arming tunic under the mail, and add further paddin on the outside, as seen on some infantrymen in mac, and described in written sources.
This makes sense, since it restricts movement less than stuffing your hauberk/coif full of padding...

Personally I have a very tall, about 1cm thick collar that goes all the way up to the base of the chin. This is to compensate for my comparatively short greathelm when sparring; the depicted originals for wear under padding seem to be a simple 5cm standing colars attatched to the arming tunic.

Coif's finished now.

I'm happy overall with the results - although there are still a few things that could be improved. I was just spending too long on them! Pics are at the end of here:

http://dawnofchivalry.wikispaces.com/Mail+Coif+-+Biro%27s+project

Brian,

That is pretty awesome.
And more importantly it looks the part, and from what you've said it seems to function the well as well.

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Better late then never.

Brian,

Very nice work. It looks very much like what you are trying to do.

Looks like you site is coming along very well. I have aspirations of doing something like it for the 1340s. Only a few weeks till Christmas break so may be I can work on it then.

Looking forward to your photos on the clothing and martial examples.

If I had to jump to another time frame mid 13th would be one high on the list for me so look forward to seeing things develop.

RPM

Thanks, Randall.

I think if I could choose another period, it would probably be 1340! (If not for it being a lot more expensive than 1250!)

Sam,
Looking at the direction of the rows of mail on the figures on the image you posted.. Do you think they may have had the usual circular piece of mail you usually see on the top of the head at the back of it instead to give that kind of style?

When it comes to the lines of styliced mail, my expreience when drawing is that it is often a convenient way to give depth and shape to the figure. So there is always a posibility that such variations in direction is artistic.

You cof is looking real nice! A good riveded mail coif is one of the last things I am missing from my 1260s kit, so this is quite interesting.

Here is an excellent example of a coif with no ventail (the "circular" style) and how it may open. PLUS! It appears to be a separate coif.
Oh, and in this thread, I posted a crude sketch of how (at the time {in retrospect they're too complicated}) I thought they may function. I have since changed my tune.