Greek body armour called a "linothorax"

[Peter Ellis]

I've finished the construction on the largest project I've tackled yet, a leather interpretation of a Greek body armour called a "linothorax". The historic versions were made of multiple layers of linen and soaked in glue.

The body itself is saddle skirting treated to harden it, and the skirt is saddle skirting without the hardening treatment. Tooling motifs are a Gorgon and the Snake Mother.

Just under 7 hours in the tooling part of the project. Probably 3 times that in the stitching.

[MatthewD]

Awesome job.. I have a set of armor on my to do list but I am going Roman with the set I am making...

[abn]

Amazing! I've never seen anything like that done in leather... Great job!

Alex

[The Major]

Cool.

Do the 2 pieces actually fasten together, or do the shoulders "free float"

[Peter Ellis]

Cool.

Do the 2 pieces actually fasten together, or do the shoulders "free float"

The shoulder yoke is attached in back by a leather hinge between the back plate and the yoke. In front the two straps of the yoke will tie to the breastplate. That detail and the closure on the side of the harness will be completed by the client, he has some particular decorative hardware he wants to integrate.

Just how much range of motion he'll have in the shoulders is a question. Until he tries it on we won't know for sure.

[bustedlifter]

Neat! I should get some of that to wear on my bike.Bet I would get some really strange looks from my neighbors. Priceless!

[Peter Ellis]

Neat! I should get some of that to wear on my bike.Bet I would get some really strange looks from my neighbors. Priceless!

My brother in law used to ride, and was also involved in the reenactment group I'm in. He would ride up to events wearing most of his armour. He had fun with the reactions as he travelled.

[Johanna]

Well, I know I've been at the keyboard too long. The first thing I noticed when I saw the pics was the hole punched before the "fringe" slits at the bottom of the piece. And I involuntarily nodded my head.

Do you folks know why he punched holes before he cut the leather? Because the holes will prevent the leather from tearing, even as the piece is in action. Doubt me? Get out a piece of scrap and make a cut. You can tear it easier than you can if you punch a hole before you cut, and, thus, have a curved line at the top. This is probably the same rule of physics that makes Roman arches of stone last for centuries, and I don't know if the practice even has a name, but it is one of the hallmarks of a good leatherworker vs. a mediocre one.

Johanna

[Art]

Hi Johanna,

Isn't that Stohlman's first law of leatherdynamics? A tear in motion tends to stay in motion but a tear or cut doesn't start from a cut edge? Works very well for loops on Mexican loop holsters too.

Art

Well, I know I've been at the keyboard too long. The first thing I noticed when I saw the pics was the hole punched before the "fringe" slits at the bottom of the piece. And I involuntarily nodded my head.

Do you folks know why he punched holes before he cut the leather? Because the holes will prevent the leather from tearing, even as the piece is in action. Doubt me? Get out a piece of scrap and make a cut. You can tear it easier than you can if you punch a hole before you cut, and, thus, have a curved line at the top. This is probably the same rule of physics that makes Roman arches of stone last for centuries, and I don't know if the practice even has a name, but it is one of the hallmarks of a good leatherworker, vs. a mediocre one.

Johanna

[leathernut]

thats cool man.nice job..

[fishguy]

Pretty cool. I have read that a lot of that type of armor was probably leather because the laminated linnen would take so much time both in relation to weaving the cloth and gluing up the laminations. Leather would have been much cheaper, faster and easier to work with, and provides pretty much equal protection. There is a book by John Watterer called "leather and the warrior" that speculates that much of the medieval armor usually assumed to be metal plate from pictures and sculptures, is actually hardened leather.

[Angster]

Very nice work. I made a breastplate for my wife, but she felt it needed something to cover over her hips. The skirting you did would fit the bill wonderfully. Keep up the excellent work!

[Wyvern]

Absolutly awsome!

[fishguy]

Pretty cool. One of the many projects I have been thinking about doing. Next you could try doing a leather version of the Roman armor, the lorica segmentata. In a book called "leather and the warrior" by John Waterer, he speculates a lot about how many forms of armor that were assumed to be steel or something else based on painting and statues were probably in many cases made of leather (hardened or otherwise). This was also true of the limnothorax that was supposed to be made of up to 20 layers of linen cloth glued together. Considering the amount of work needed just to make that much linnen cloth I suspect more than a few of them were leather.

[hivemind]

Pretty cool. One of the many projects I have been thinking about doing. Next you could try doing a leather version of the Roman armor, the lorica segmentata.

Leather lorica segmentata is probably the easiest form of leather torso armor to make, bar none. It's just 3" straps and floating joints, and straps and buckles. Honestly, dead simple.

The worst part is slicking all the edges.

Here's some pics of some I did a few years ago:

[calanneh]

Well, I know I've been at the keyboard too long. The first thing I noticed when I saw the pics was the hole punched before the "fringe" slits at the bottom of the piece. And I involuntarily nodded my head.

Do you folks know why he punched holes before he cut the leather? Because the holes will prevent the leather from tearing, even as the piece is in action. Doubt me? Get out a piece of scrap and make a cut. You can tear it easier than you can if you punch a hole before you cut, and, thus, have a curved line at the top. This is probably the same rule of physics that makes Roman arches of stone last for centuries, and I don't know if the practice even has a name, but it is one of the hallmarks of a good leatherworker vs. a mediocre one.

Johanna

Yep! I learned that the hard way on the first piece of leatherwork I made....

You armour looks great bro!!!!!

[Trojan]

I've finished the construction on the largest project I've tackled yet, a leather interpretation of a Greek body armour called a "linothorax". The historic versions were made of multiple layers of linen and soaked in glue.

The body itself is saddle skirting treated to harden it, and the skirt is saddle skirting without the hardening treatment. Tooling motifs are a Gorgon and the Snake Mother.

Just under 7 hours in the tooling part of the project. Probably 3 times that in the stitching.

That is amazing!!!

I`m researching these type of ancient armour, and as yet the layered linen method is what I was told was the definative method, however as yet absolutly no physical remains have ever been found. Sadly if they were, then this will be held to be the only method of manufacture for the entire Greek regions and islands. Basic common sense says otherwise.

I believe the layered linen method came across from Egypt, was then augmented or modified by the Greeks. Some poeple state that they were always layered linen(24 to 16 layers depending who you listen to), some say only leather, and some say leather with a couple of linen layers each side. I believe that each region, city state, and islands probably did there own version, a they used the materials that were most available in there local area. After all these were farmers, potters, etc.. all trying to make a living with help from other family members. So spare time and money to construct this armour would have been limited. High ranking members of the community could have commissioned their armour, with all the extras of the time. Pottery illustrations do show a variety, and your leather linothorax could easily have been what the artist was drawing.

Fantastic work, I want one.