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In game chain mail is far too easy to make, whether it is the helmet or body armor. Athough the concept is easy, the accuall work is quite time consuming compared to other armors.

Proposal: When you use the anvil when iron and coal, you will have to make rings instead of a new set of armor. Around 10 rings per iron/coal if successful.
150 rings for chain mail with sleeves
100 rings for coif
80 rings for gloves
250 rings for chainmail with skirt and sleeves

1/4 of the rings required will be taken away if unsuccessful.
Another idea is for you to make the rings flattened, flattend chain mail was good at protecting against arrows. So with this new difficulty of making chain mail, it will be more expensive, more used, and hopefully when they implement weapon effectiveness (if they already haven't to some degree) chain mail will protect excelently against slashing weapons.

Great idea! Although you would have to make chain mail have an extra benefit, more defense or soemthing, because most smiths wouldnt bother making it then.

Hardly, chain mail is much lighter than plate, with a little less defence. Then I can roleplay my smith as being an excelent chain mail crafter who doesn't work with plate armors!