Hello, my name is Patrick Ober.  I have been making Chainmail armour and jewelry since 1996, a bit more than half my life.  I began making armour from fencing and electrical wire that I found around the house and barn.  From those first steps I have learned many of the different weaves and patterns of European, Japanese, and Persian mail and much of the history and historical usage of the different armour types.  I am constantly fascinated in the mutability of chains from their original design types and chainmail families, with only a small nudge and they become something completely different.  With fusing and soldering, chains can be stretched and their need for intrinsic strength (thick wire) can be overcome to create non-traditional designs that build on, but differ from their parent chains. 

For the last five years I have worked in the Baltimore and just recently moved to southern Pennsylvania.  I teach at Made in Metal Jewelers Tools and Supplies in Hampden and the Beadazzled on North Charles Street. 

The MICA Jewelry center encouraged me to refine my knitting of mail and introduced me to small scale soldering.  This has allowed me to make delicate items that are very solid and hold up to a fair amount of abuse.  These techniques have also had an impact on what types of chain I make on a regular basis although I am always willing to try new things, incorporating different materials and esthetics.