Spiderchain Jewelry

Boutique Jump Ring Manufacturer

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European 4-in-1

fitting a 3-dimensional shape
decorative openwork sleeves

European 4-in-1 is what most people think of when they think “chainmail.” It was the weave used for armor in the olden days, and purses in the Victorian era. It’s also one of the most versatile weaves, able to expand and contract in much the same way that fiber knitting does – one “stitch” of adjustment at a time.

This weave is pretty forgiving about ring sizes – it looks nice in a wide range. For reference, here’s a range of 18ga ring sizes all used to make a patch of European 4-in-1. Size 9:18 is what I recommend for this weave in 18ga, but it’s possible to go tighter. It’s also possible to go much looser, though the chain gets weaker at the “airy” end. The sizes I’ve recommended in the charts below are at that sweet spot: fairly snug, but not as tight as possible. Your preferred Euro 4-in-1 may vary!

This is the level of snug that I like.
As the weave gets more open, it also gets less strong.
Really snug 4-in-1 isn’t as flexible.

And just for fun…

Look Ma, no clasp!
Vertebrae is just Euro 4-in-1 with ring doubling and funny sizes.
Same pattern, woven the other direction.
Euro 4-in-1 is fantastic for inlays.

The ring counts and chain widths listed here assume that you’re making a band five rows wide (as shown).


Inch Sizes

size 6:21 7:20 8:19 9:18 10:17 11:16 13:15 14:14 16:13 18:12 20:11 22:10
rings/inch 55 45 38 33 31 28 23 21 18 16 15 14
inches/ozt 13.6 11.7 9.4 7.5 5.5 4.6 3.7 3 2.5 2 1.5 1.4
chain width 11mm 13mm 15mm 17mm 19mm 21mm 24.5mm 26mm 31mm 34mm 38mm 41mm

 

Please note that there is no “great” 22ga Euro 4-in-1 size in inch rings. Use the millimeter size 2.25M22 instead, which falls between 5:22 and 6:22.


Millimeter Sizes

size 2.25M22 2.5M21 2.75M20 3.25M19 3.5M18 4M17 4.5M16 5M15 5.5M14 6.25M13 7M12 8M11 9M10
rings/inch 55.75 53.25 46.25 38.75 36.25 30 26.25 25 22.5 20 15.75 14.25 12.5
inches/ozt 19 18 11 9 6.9 5.6 6 3.4 2.8 2.1 2 1.5 1.2
chain width 10mm 11mm 13mm 15mm 17mm 19mm 21mm 24mm 26mm 29mm 34mm 38mm 43mm

  • Bracelets Vol. 1

    $35.00
If you don’t already know how to make European 4-in-1, you can find instructions for this weave (and six others) on my first DVD.

  • The Art of Chainmail

    $24.95
If you’re interested in using European 4-in-1 to fit the human form (and other 3D shapes), I recommend getting a copy of Dylon White’s Art of Chainmail book.

  • AR Sampler – 3.4

    $41.00 – $268.00
If you’d like to explore this weave, I recommend that you purchase one of these aspect ratio samplers. All the rings in this sampler work well for European 4-in-1, and they range from 22ga through 10ga. Try out a wide range, and decide for yourself which size(s) you like the best.

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