Originally Posted by
mizgeorge
Unfortunately, plated metals area very bad idea for maille. With time, they inevitably chip or flake at every cut point, and can end up looking pretty nasty after very little wear, which is a great shame given the time taken to make. There are plenty of good bare metal alternatives though - copper, brass, bronze, aluminium and stainless steel all work very well, and anodised niobium or titanium hold their colour reasonably well, and at least don't chip.
My biggest worry is always seeing earwires handmade with plated wire. Unlike bought in (which are plated after cutting and fabrication), these can leave microscopic chips of plating in the piercing, and this can lead to some very nasty infections.
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