douglais

Hey Medicus, thanks for the detailed reply. Yes, if you don't mind sending me some links, I'd appreciate seeing a few examples. No need to go out of your way with an extravagant amount. I'm just using a mounting method that seemed practical to me, derived from pictures of other people's kit. Most of my gear is based on a little more research, but this aspect just never occurred to me. Your sax is a handsome piece of work. So, how are you involved in reenacting? I'm a nonfighting member of SCA, and a new member of Regia Anglorum in the USA, where I live about an hour away from a local group. I have yet to make my first meeting, so my kit will need some upgrading. I also sell leatherwork at Renfaires, much of which is oriented to the Viking age. I try hard to get those items way more accurate than most other merchants on the RF scene, but some of my stuff is speculative fantasy. Gotta make what sells. I like to steal and modify my favorite line from The Deer Hunter, "This is this...and that is that." Whereabouts are you located? I'm in Illinois, and a long way from any other Viking/Vendel reenactors, except the Regia group, and I'm not sure what kind of a welcome I'll be getting there. Hopefully I'll become a part of their little family. Doug OH, I see that you're a Brit. Guess we'll never meet, then.

OK, I guess I didn't really know how the Vikings carried their sheaths. I've seen all kinds of reenactor methods, like you mention, and just assumed that they were copying historical designs. So, is the method you used the only one that's historical? Not to be a wisw guy, I'd just like to know. And, is yours simply tied with a knot on the backside of the sheath? Doug

All good stuff, but I think that many of the temps are on the high side. I'd hover between 175 and 180. That will give you some time to get the leather out of the water when it starts to change color on the edges. It's a process that's extremely sensitive to time and temperature. Once you get above 180, the edges start to curl within less than 30 seconds, and they curl rapidly. When it dries it will be brittle, and not take dye very well. At 175, you can leave the leather in for over 2 minutes or more, without damage. When it dries it may still have a little flex to it, but still be stiff. Shrinkage and distortion are minimum, and it accepts dye just fine. Below 170, the cuir bouilli doesn't happen. I'd drill before hand, and immerse a few at a time, so you can keep an eye on them, and keep your temp steady. You can shape them by hand after they've been out of the water for 5 minutes. Stick a vegetable steamer, or some kind of screen in the pot, as the leather will scorch if it touches the pot bottom. The rabbit skin glue sounds fascinating, as it would eliminate the problem of softening in the heat or the rain. If you use some kinda glue, what would you do about waxing or oiling the leather? Would it absorb oil or wax? Also, would it still accept dye? Or would you need to dye it before you harden it?

The video is hilarious. I was cheering by the end. I never heard of this band, but I love the music.. The lyrics suck raw eggs.

I buy rawhide horsetails from Chichester. They have a huge catalog of animal parts from all over the world. I soak the tails until soft, then trim the rawhide into pieces which will make the best plumes. Then I roll the rawhide into a cone shape and let it dry, and I mount these onto the leather finial. It's difficult to get the rawhide dried into the right shape, because the it's very stubborn material.

My brother wants to make some belt pouches for bikers that would have a quick release feature for removing from the belt. I know a tactical swivel clip would work, but I'm looking for something that would be less modern. Does anybody have a more primitive, homemade system to quickly remove, and then easily reattach a belt pouch? I'm currently drawing up an idea that uses 2 loops on the belt, and one loop on the pouch, held together with a large wooden pin. I'm still looking for something simple, and clever, but I haven't had that "aha!" moment, yet. Doug

Thanks Mark. Here's a pic of the inside. Also, the blue dye is a process I've worked out over time, using just Fiebings dye. First I use Leather Balm on the cuir buoillied (hot water hardened) leather to restore the leather. I wait a couple hours then apply some Atom Wax, which is a water base wax. When that's dry I apply the dye, and the atom wax sorta liquifies and mixes with the dye, but it also keeps it from penetrating the leather and getting dark. So, when that dries I have the dye/wax sitting on top of the leather mostly. It could be sanded off if you really tried. Then I seal it all with maybe 3 coats of Resolene mixed 50/50 with water. So, that gives me a durable, bright color. The drawback is that it can fade in the sun faster than a regular style dye job because it hasn't got much depth. I sometimes dilute the dye with alcohol, so I can really lay it on heavy, trying to get more penetration when it mixes with the Atom Wax.

Thanks, King's X. It's no Archangel helmet, for sure. But I make them to sell between $150 and $300, depending on how many features a customer selects.

Thanks Dimitri. I would have never made this if I had to cut my own plates. I drew out a lot of easier designs, with large plates, before I settled on this. I was bitten by the authenticity bug, so had to use the smaller lamelleae. Also, I've gotten to be much more patient as the years go by.

Here's a picture of my most recent helmet. The customer wanted the blue, and I'm really pleased with how it came out. My customers are often responsible for making me forge into new territory. Doug

Here are some pics of my latest project. It represents what a Varangian Guardsman would have worn circa 1000. The Varangians were Viking mercenaries who were the personal bodyguard of the Emperor of Constantinople, in the Byzantine empire. They would have drawn this kind of armor from the Byzantine armory, besides wearing their own personal gear. I didn't make the plates. I'm not crazy. They were made by a fellow named Torvaldr who has a clicker. There are about 275 plates in the vest, and it took me about 12 hours to lace it all together. The plates were purchased already hardened by heating them, then melting wax into the leather. Doug

Whew, you've picked an ambitious project. Greek armor is beautiful, so it's a worthy choice. You'll need to master the art of cuir bouilli...French for boiled leather. it's the hot water method for hardening leather. Many people use melted wax also, but I avoid that as being too messy. So, there is lots of info out there on the method. First I'd suggest doing a google search for the term. Ican give you more advice, etc, but I'm pressed for time right now. Talk atcha again in a day or two. Daggrim

I use them as head straps inside my helmets because they're stiff for their thickness. They're rough, so I sand smooth the part that touches their foreheads. Doug

I've made some medieval shoes and knife sheaths from buffalo leather, and I find it to be too soft , and it stretches a lot, even the 12 oz parts of the hides I've had. Maybe my hides were tanned differently than others, and I've never made saddles, but I'd say that buffalo for saddles might be risky. Doug

You want to start a stampede?

It's a piece of hardware from a decorative lamp I found at a thrift store. I haven't seen anything like it for a very long time, either at thrift stores, or online. BTW, I love your Elven Helm. A tremendous amount of work, and a great variety of skills. I'm humbled. Dag

Hey Nighthawk, welcome aboard. I love reenactment, too, and I see that you're doing what I do also...making almost all your own stuff! It's the only way to get it all without breaking the bank, but it seems to take years to get around to everything. Where are you located? Looks like Florida? I'm in Illinois, and always looking for new reenactor friends. Daggrim

Here's a picture of my attempt at a Samurai helmet. Not really very accurate, but it captures the overall appearance.

Hello Bauer, Daggrim here. I was away from my computer all week, and just found your post. I can't help you with any laquering information, but I can let you know what I do for leather hardening. I generally use 4.5mm leather, but 2mm would work, especially if it's already hard. Soft leather, even if it's thicker, will make softer hard leather. By the tme it gets hot enough for the cuir buoilli effect, it's already beginning to shrink and curl. I place leather which has been soaked in room temperature water for maybe 10 minutes, into water that is about 175 degrees F. I leave it in there for about 2 to 3 minutes, watching carefully for any shrinkage and curling on the edges. The edges is where you'll notice it first. Get it out right away if it starts to darken or shrivel up. 180 degrees seems to be the very hottest , by my thermometer, that will work. At 180, just 5 degrees hotter than 175, your time in the water will be reduced down to maybe 45 seconds, and when it starts to shrink, you only have a couple seconds to get it out. 170 will allow you much more time, up to 4 or 5 minutes, but it will not get as hard. With your 2mm leather, it will be a dance between shrinking, and hardening, but it's possible...especially if it's already stiff. Stiff leather makes the best water-hardened leather, and it never needs to get above 175, so it's easier to make. I'd try it at 170, for a longer duration. If the leather is not as stiff as you want, after the cuir buoilli, you can always soak it again, then dry it in an oven at 190 degrees F. Support it with wood, as metal will scorch it. Run some tests, until you know how your leather will act. It sounds like a difficult project to get it molded in one piece. I'd say you may need to make two or three test helmets before you commit your best leather. I made 3 or 4 helmets, before I had one I thought was good enough to sell. Also, if you send me a personal message, or an email, I can let you know what I use for a mold, to shape the helmet dome. I can give you the measurements I use for the helmet parts, just to help get you closer on your first attempt. Regards, Daggrim (Doug)

What kind of product is Pecard's? Is it a paste? Daggrim

I tried some Fiebings white dye once...only. It was more like paint, and an attempt at a second coat just reliquified the first coat. I used a dauber, though, so a sprayer might help a lot. Daggrim

Thanks much for the link , Clair. Since this is also good for hot beverages, I'll investigate it. Daggrim

It's specifically stated in a Fiebings information sheet I have that Atom Wax is not considered a waterproofing product. I used it for years on my helmets, and it left very noticable water stains after a helmet was caught in a sprinkle. I tested lotsa products at home, and read a lot on this forum, and I now use Resolene. I resisted that for years, wanting a more natural product, but finally gave in. Great suggestion to put a coat of Aussie over it...I'll try that. The absolute best I've tested is Sno Seal, but y'need to heat up the leather to get it to soak in, and the product is very thick, so I'd think it would also need to be warmed up to thin it out if you want some real control over your application. Daggrim

Looks like 3 eagle heads. I'm not liking how difficult it is to read. It's very powerful, graphically speaking, which is great, but I think it needs to go thru one more iteration to clarify things. Just takes too much dedicated concentration to get it. Has a fabulous look, but bring it along one more step, I'd say. do your customers a favor. Daggrim

It's true that those who know, and who sell mugs, keep it a big secret. But, after a couple years of keeping my ears open, I found a product that's available in woodworking stores, and I'm telling the world. Just to be contrary, I'm telling everybody. I'm stopping people on the street, I'm taking out TV ads during prime time, I'm renting dirigibles, and getting together a half time show for the next Superbowl. It's called Salad Bowl Finish, by General Finishes. Also available from other manufacturers. Alas, I doubt if it's ok for hot liquids, but it's Food Safe for non-hot liqiuds. I use it to coat the insides of drinking horns, after they're well cleaned out. The nice thing about it is that it is probably available over the counter in most cities, at woodworking stores...like for guys who use wood chisels, and have a hundred router bits. Daggrim