16 gauge rings

Wire gauge numbers run backwards, so a higher number is thinner wire, and there is more than one gauge system. Two matter for chainmail. SWG is the Standard Wire Gauge, a British system, and AWG is the American Wire Gauge. The same number does not give the same wire. Sixteen gauge is where the difference starts to hurt, because it is the size many weaves are built around.

The two systems side by side

Sixteen SWG is 1.626 mm. Sixteen AWG is 1.291 mm, about 20 percent thinner. In fact 14 AWG (1.628 mm) is almost exactly 16 SWG. If a listing says 16 gauge and does not say which system, you can end up with rings that are a fifth thinner than the pattern you planned.

The American values above come from the standard copper wire tables published by NIST. SWG values are the long-standing British figures, and most chainmail ring sellers who use SWG say so.

What it does to the weave

Aspect ratio is inside diameter divided by wire diameter, so thinner wire raises it. Take a 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) inside diameter:

• 16 SWG gives 6.35 / 1.626, which is 3.9.
• 16 AWG gives 6.35 / 1.291, which is 4.9.

For European 4-in-1 both work. For Byzantine the first is comfortable and the second is loose. For a tight scale mail ring the first may be perfect and the second may let scales slip. See aspect ratio explained for the ranges.

Weight and strength change too. The cross-sectional area of the wire goes with the square of the diameter, so 16 SWG has about 1.6 times the metal of 16 AWG. A shirt made from it is noticeably heavier and the rings are harder to open.

How to tell which system a listing means

1. Look for the letters SWG or AWG in the description. Honest sellers state it.
2. Look for a millimetre or inch wire diameter. If it is 1.6 mm or 0.064 inch, it is 16 SWG.
3. If neither appears, assume the worst and measure the rings when they arrive. A caliper settles it.
4. Be wary of the phrase 16 gauge combined with a metric inside diameter, because mixed units often mean a manufacturer who has not thought about it.

Jump rings sold for jewellery often use AWG. Rings sold specifically for chainmail more often use SWG, particularly for steel and aluminum in the 14 to 18 range. Both are used, so check.

Choosing between them

Pick the system the project guide uses. If a tutorial says 16 SWG and 1/4 inch, buy exactly that. If you are designing your own, work from the aspect ratio you want and the weight you can tolerate, then choose a wire from either table. The wire gauge chart lists the common sizes with typical uses, and the calculator will convert gauge and inside diameter into AR.