Phil Parkes is one of only a few traditional maille makers to exist in the UK. His Traditional Maille Making workshop offers a unique insight into a niche and highly skilled craft, giving you the opportunity to make your own piece of chain-maille and gain an appreciation for the craftsmanship of the past.
Phil’s background in teaching means you’ll be guided each step of the way and come away with new skills as well as the chance to try something entirely different.
A proud member of the Heritage Crafts Association, Phil is recognized as a finalist for Maker of the Year 2023, and his work is listed among Critically Endangered Crafts.
We had a chat to find out more about the experience he offers with Yuup.
Tell us a bit about your story - how you got into this type of work and what led you to where you are now?
I’ve worked as an archaeological and museum objects conservator for over 30 years, preserving objects from a fossilised mammoth’s tooth through to a CD jukebox. Some years ago, we had a maille shirt come into the labs for conservation. While I was studying it, I realised all the little links were riveted. I wanted to find out more, so I suppose that was my first inspiration for Maille-making. You see Maille shirts on TV but until you look closely you don’t realise the intricacies of how it’s all done.
I was lucky enough to be put in touch with a maille maker and conservator, Nick Checksfield who showed me the basics, which allowed me to go away and develop the skill.
There are only four of us on the Heritage Crafts List registered as maille makers. In terms of what people call ‘chain maille’ there are lots of jewellery makers but that’s different from the armour where the rings are all riveted. From that side alone it’s unique.
Who would you recommend this experience to?
I’d encourage anyone with an interest in history to take this opportunity to create their own bit of living history. Also, anyone with an interest in crafting or jewellery-making.
It’s a fun activity for groups. I’ve worked with groups ranging from schoolkids who love the handheld aspect and the crafting skills, through to retired people, such as the Men’s Shed organisations. Both men and women enjoy these intricate craft skills.
Your business is particularly unique. Where did you first notice the market for this type of work? Who do you share these skills with and how do you think it benefits them?
My work is often for re-enactors who want their armour to look as authentic as possible. This can range from me tailoring pre-made maille armour to fit correctly - making specific pieces from pre-made rings through to bespoke items hand-made from wire.
There are also museums, history groups and enthusiasts who want a piece of maille that has been made to exactly match a particular time-period or style. And there are professional jousters - yes, that does exist! - who want custom-made armour to look exactly as it was.
My background is university teaching of practical skills, and I’ve always enjoyed that more hands-on approach. I like being able to share my knowledge of making with people which is why I set up these courses. People find it’s very mindful, and we know that crafts improve your mental health.
What can people expect from one of your experiences?
I’ll spend the first part of the workshop doing an introduction to maille armour, and showing examples of different styles from different periods. I have an original 16th century shirt so people can see an historical item, as well as modern items people can try on. I talk through some of the different styles that exist and how these have evolved.
Then we’ll go into my workshop and people can have a go, from wire, at making some rings themselves. It’s very hands on - winding springs, cutting into rings and hammering them to create the rivet holes and so on.
After lunch I show people how the rings they’ve made are joined together to create the ‘weave’. People can have a go at doing that with pre-made rings and walk away with a little patch of maille and samples of the springs, rings and everything they’ve made that goes into the process of making maille.
People sometimes like to mount the maille they make into a frame or attach it to a keyring.
Anything unique or unusual people wouldn’t know about maille making?
It’s all made using very simple tools and requires a minimal setup which can surprise people who expect forges, fire and so on. So does the weight of the material!
A collar weighs about 1.3 kilos. Back in the day a knight might be wearing anything from between 25-35 kilos of armour. But it’s all made beautifully to fit and flex so whilst it’s heavy, it’s distributed evenly, and you can still move.
People come away from the workshop realising the amount of time it takes to produce. A collar might take me one to six months work depending on the size of the rings I use. It’s incredibly time consuming.
What’s been your most exciting project?
The one I'm most known for is my replica of a 15th century maille collar (or standard) from The Wallace Collection. It has 13,000 rings and it was 6 months of work making everything from wire. I showed this to conservators of the Royal Collections Trust and they were amazed to see how much it looked like the original - as I had made it during lockdown by looking only at photos from the web.
What do you love most about Cardiff?
Cardiff is a small friendly city with a vibrant arts centre.
I’m in Canton, near the Chapter Arts Centre, which is really nice - it’s in the middle of parks with lots of green space, small shops and a community feel.
Where do you get your inspiration for your work?
I get a lot of my inspiration from the field I work in - Welsh archaeology and museums. That’s fed into what I do. It’s interesting how many people working in this field have that creative side and go on to turn those skills into a creative art. That’s something I really enjoy.
In Wales there are small amounts of armour found archaeologically. Then, it’s about recreating what could have been. At Caerleon Museum they have small patches of Roman maille that were found during excavations. It’s things like that which provide the inspiration.
What made you choose Yuup to partner with?
I like the local aspect of Yuup and its focus on particular areas. Having seen it take off in Bristol and Bath, I’m excited to see how it might encourage more people local to Cardiff to come along and try new experiences like this.
