hivemind

Bottom is a 4" diameter circle. Top is probably 14"-15" in circumference.

Alternately, get some beeswax, then get a used crock pot from goodwill, put the wax in, when it's fully liquid, start stuffing scales in. Leave each one in until it stops bubbling, then remove it with some tongs, and give it a little shape with your hands (wear gloves, they're hot), then let them cool. Hard like wood. Don't leave them in long enough to scorch, experiment with scrap first.

Anytime! Maybe I'll make another one for something else... Belt pouch maybe?

Just finished this. Like always, it's made to the customer's dimensions, and my wife-size mannequin is swimming in it. 15oz vegetable tanned leather, Fiebing's medium brown dye, Master spray shine finish. Nickel plated brass hardware and latigo strapping. The lion on the chest is a belt buckle that I ground the belt bits off of the back of, and soldered on a couple copper rivets. The design is the customer's, I'd never have made armor that closes in the back, but hey, his drawings didn't show any closures on the front or sides, sooo....

Looks like a frog! Onward and upward!

No problem man, glad it's helpful.

The sword has a Mandrake rubber stabbing tip. It's only 6-7oz leather, so no real protection either - it's purely aesthetic (and convenient). I plan to also make a seax in a sheath as a backup weapon.

Hmm...

I made a scabbard for my SCA rattan sword. Kind of a proof of concept to see if I want to keep making them.

It's all minimum 12oz vegetan for the black parts. The floating joints and some of the strapping is done with some gold garment leather, maybe 4oz. Cape is a reindeer fur - there's a guy selling them on eBay for $90 shipped, which is less than I paid for one a few years ago from Moscow Hide and Fur. Thanks for looking.

Some armor I'm working on for one of my guys. Torso finished: Obviously, he's larger than my wife, who's modeling it. And his fur cape is done too:

Sword/axe frogs Small hard pouches Collars Eyepatches Mugs

You do the best stuff...

I have some 5-button boots from him, been fighting in them for a few years now, still awesome.

I heard the SCA does some throwing axe competitions, so I got my old Ragnar's Ragweed Forge franciscas out, gave them a quick polish on the buffer, and made masks for them:

I bought several hundred of them for a few projects from Jaime at Polar Bear Forge. They're laser cut, which is nice because they're all identical.

I can't see one without thinking the same thing...

I get all mine locally from a distributor. As long as they're solid brass, shouldn't matter where you're getting them. I definitely do not buy much hardware from Tandy though - shop around.

I use 1" solid brass heel bar buckles for almost everything. The rest of the time I use 1 1/4" solid brass center bar buckles. As far as how to attach them, you should use solid copper rivets and burrs, generally.

A better method, I would think, would be to melt some beeswax in a can and brush it on.

Maybe? I have no experience with that method, so can't comment.

Jason's advice is sound. Use Chicago screws on the edges, loose enough to allow movement, and a floating joint in the middle to allow them to move there. You can also use copper rivets and burrs instead of Chicago screws, just put a galvanized steel washer between the leather layers, and another under the burr, and don't set the burr all the way down. This is the method I use on my articulated elbows and knees. If you're going to sweat a lot in this, there's really nothing you can do to keep it from losing shape other than wax it. You'll need to be constantly vigilant after a long day in it to mold it in shape again when you take it off. This is the problem with wet molding such thin leather for armor - it's much easier to mold, but won't hold it's shape well under use.

Your shit is just amazing man...

The bracers, is there foam under the black garment leather?

That's a solid idea there, I'll remember that.