What size Hamata?

[Rotvndvs]

For a while now, I was under the impression that one should add 10" to their chest measurement to accommodate the subarmalis, etc. However, recently, someone else told me that only +6" was necessary.

If I have a chest measurement of 48", should I be looking at a 54" or a 58" hamata?

Is there a downside to the mail being a little too big?

[M. Demetrius]

I wouldn't want to recommend with certainty here, but if the main "grain" of the mail is side to side, like most is, there is certainly more expansion possibility than top to bottom. If your hamata is "too big", you are more just adding weight than anything else. The rings will simply collapse along the "weave" and fit a smaller frame.

Probably, 6" of slack is plenty. It's not a close, tight fit like rigid metal armor is, if that's what you're asking. And you wouldn't really want it to be. You'd lose the flexibility of the links if it were stretched to its limit.