Chainmaille in the Steampunk World

We’ve been told more than once that “chainmaille has no place in the Steampunk realm.”

That line usually comes right after we’ve been encouraged to apply by Steampunk cosplayers who love our work — and right before we’re rejected by the event organizers.

We’ve heard similar things from Renaissance Fairs, too. Our colors aren’t “period enough,” our booth looks “too modern,” and sometimes we don’t even get a reply. After a while, we stopped applying.

And honestly, we don’t blame them.

Event organizers have every right to curate the atmosphere they want. They’re building a world for their attendees, and if they don’t think we fit, that’s their call.

But when you can see the vision — when you know exactly how your art could elevate that world — it stings.

Customers constantly tell us, “You’d sell like crazy at (insert realm here) fair!” and we have to explain why we aren’t able to participate. We reassure them that it’s okay, that the organizers are simply shaping a specific aesthetic, and that we respect that.

That’s why we’ve chosen to categorize ourselves simply as Art.

And that’s why we show exclusively at the Maker’s Faire in Poulsbo each June.

It’s a space that celebrates unique, handcrafted work. We’re grateful to be there, and we do incredibly well. The people, the energy, the creativity — it’s a joy every year.

It’s bold. It’s inventive. It’s mechanical. It’s metalwork. It’s everything Steampunk celebrates.

And now, we want to show you.

These are the photorealistic Steampunk images created using our actual chainmaille designs — proof that the realm is bigger, richer, and more imaginative than the gatekeepers believed.