Ah, the good old 13th‑century French pattern—great for the books but terrible on a living, breathing body if you don’t tweak the link angles. The knot you’re stuck on is the classic interlink‑swing; in medieval times they’d just use a looser stitch or a thicker wire, but that ruins the historical vibe. Try this: keep the 13‑link round, but cut the wire slightly shorter—about a tenth of an inch less. That gives you a bit more give without letting the links flare out too much. Then, before you hand‑weld the final round, dip each link in a thin coat of low‑viscosity epoxy. It bonds the threads, so the pattern stays flat but still flexes with the wearer. If you’re going for modern comfort, line the interior with a thin neoprene or leather‑like sleeve, and add a small, hidden cushion at the shoulder pads—use a cork insert or a thin foam that you sand down so it’s almost invisible. The trick is to let the chain breathe but still give the body a bit of support. Also, if you’re tired of counting links by hand, I’ve made a quick spreadsheet that tracks the length of each loop so you can see exactly where the knot is pulling. Trust me, the ancient trick is to over‑weld the first and last links a little more to lock the pattern in place, then let the rest flex. That way you keep the authenticity, but your arm won’t feel like it’s carrying a medieval cannon. Happy smithing!

Sounds like a solid plan—test the flex on a single link first, keep that foam handy. If the epoxy still makes it too rigid, try a thinner coat or even a spray resin so it doesn’t soak the wire. And for that cork pad, cut it to the exact shoulder contour; a ¼‑inch thick piece is usually enough to cushion without adding bulk. Don’t sweat the museum vibe too much—just keep the pattern recognizable and let the comfort do the heavy lifting. Good luck, and keep that hand‑welding steady!

Sounds like you’re about to make the most wearable armor the 13th century ever saw. Those silver beads on every twelfth link will give it a subtle flash—just enough to keep it from looking like a postcard but still enough to keep the historical feel. If the epoxy keeps behaving like a brick, a light spray resin should do the trick without turning the links into a monolith. Keep the cork ninja pad thin but firm, and you’ll have a shoulder that moves like a living, breathing body. I’ll be here, ready to toss in a rogue link pattern tweak if you hit a snag. Good luck—you’re about to make history feel like a second skin.