Dragon Tail
Overview
While checking out M.A.I.L. for new weaves to try, I came across Dragon Tail, submitted by Rygar. This member of the European weave family is another Dragonscale variant, essentially being a single strip of Dragonscale on an angle. If you want to try it at home, I recommend this tutorial by Tesserex.
Materials
For the sample piece showcased in this post, I used two sizes of rings made from 16 SWG Bright Aluminum wire. The larger rings, which I made myself, have an ID of 10mm for an AR of 6.15. The smaller rings have an ID of .25in for an AR of 4, purchased from The Ring Lord.
Notes
The Dragon Tail chainmail weave is not hard to understand and mostly easy to create, though starting it can be a bit tricky as it takes a few units to become stable. Visually, the weave looks alright, but it has some drawbacks. The small rings nested inside the larger rings don’t always lie in the same direction, and the weave appears messy unless they lie in the same direction. While the small rings can be adjusted, doing so isn’t always easy. Additionally, the ends of the weave tend to be loose and can look untidy. As a chain weave with a flat and wide cross-section, bracelets, chokers, or strapping are great uses for it. You could also form a closed loop with the weave, which would help resolve the issue of messy ends. Given its ease of learning, slightly tricky construction, and moderate visual appeal, I only recommend learning this weave if you have a specific project in mind or you simply like how it looks.
Pictures
Flat
Flat: Angled
Flat: Profile
Vertical
Vertical: Profile
In Process
