fredk

Yes, each helm/helmet needs its own suspension inside. You could make yourself an 'arming cap' with the padding attached to it. Then each helm won't need the padding inside A basic 'arming cap' is dead easy to make up in leather. Just three pieces of leather sewn together.

1. Tandy does a pattern for a Great helm. With care it can be adjusted to make the face pot helm above, https://www.leathercraftlibrary.com/p-1877-crusader-helmet-pattern.aspx? 2. History lesson; A; Helm padding was attached to the wearers arming cap or maille coif. It was no less than 2 inches [5 cm] thick. Modern repro are about 3/4 inch [2 cm] thick. The padding was a linen tube stuffed with sheeps wool and/or straw. This was tied or sewn to the cap or coife at about upper brow level B. The suspension system in medieval times was as used now; a strip of leather sewn or riveted round the inside of the helm, at about high brow level. Then six/eight/ten/twelve straps of leather or heavy cord attached to this crossed from one side, thru the centre to the other side. 3 of these gives 6, 4 gives 8 etcetera. Sometimes these straps, or a few of them at right angles went through a centre leather disc. On a WW2 helmet I have adjustment of the cords is just by untying a couple of cords, retying at a different length and pushing the central disc back into the centre. On a medieval helm I inspected it looked like there was no adjustment provsion. Possibly it was made exactly for one head or adjustment was through the amount of padding at the top of the head. The chin strap attaches to the inner leather strap as well. Adjustment of the strapping not only adjusts how high or low the helm sits on the head but it can bias the sit to front or rear or to either side. 3. Having worn different styles of medieval helm in anger I would suggest that you have an absolute minimum of 1.5 inches padding at the sides and rear and 2.5 inches minimum at the front. You will not be wearing a leather helm to fight in so its not for protection, but the padding keeps the helm away from your ears and nose. You could attach the padding to the inner support strap running around the inside. Make it thick and it'll crush down to a tight supportive fit. 4. If your head circumference is 58.4cm then it has an average of 9.3 cm radius; add 4cm average for padding = 13.3 r = 83.5cm [32.9 inches] circumference. Note; the human head is not a perfect circle. Depending on your genetic origins in might be an egg shape, flatish at the rear, flatish at the front, etcetera 5. For hat making I use the polystyrene heads hairdressers use for wigs. Available in most normal sizes, both male and female. If you shop around you can get them for less than $5 and are really useful

Contact Le Prevo in Newcastle and ask them. They just might know something

Hi, You'll find lots of good stuff on here and get good advice from friendly [mostly] [ok, I jest] folk with loads of experience Whereabouts are you located?

Very nicely done

Its similar but not quite the same. Our version of 'Pledge with Future Shine', formerly called Future or Kleer is as thin as water. Its is really like painting with water. I have used it on a couple of stiff knife sheaths. Only to lock some hand painted designs the colours of which I found would run with Resolene put on them. On one I put two coats, on another I used three. I would not go any more than that. None of the sheaths have shown any sign of varnish cracking or crazing I've used it a couple of times on flexible items, but only one coat. No adverse affects. All applications were by broad brush

Very nice indeedy Any more photos available?

I think you try to belittle me The word in the definition is CASE. In the UK that belt would not pass selling legislation as being described as a 'holster'

Basic Question; did you trim the copper stud to about 5mm above the leather? Trim to length first; about 5 or 6mm above leather, put on washer, drive down the washer, then burr the rivet. Trim the rivet stud even shorter if necessary; it only needs about 3mm to get a nice round top

Does this even qualify being called a holster? Its just a belt with an extra layer piece riveted on Webster Dictionary; Definition of a holster : a leather or fabric case for carrying a firearm on the person (as on the hip or chest), on a saddle, or in a vehicle; broadly : a case for carrying a usually small item on the person a knife holster a heart monitor carried in a hip holster

A sheath, or anything, is an un-even shape which needs cutting out. Even with a perfect 12 x 24 inch rectangle you will be cutting away some leather you cannot use. With a bigger piece, a half hide, you can twist and turn your patterns around so you can cut out many more of them with much less waste Homework for you; cut out, in paper, some knife sheath patterns. Lay them out on a 12 x 24 board/paper. See how much waste there is? Increase your base bit of board/paper, the bigger you make it the more sheaths you can put on it and the wastage becomes a smaller percentage

To add my 2p worth. Some Ebay 'rules' do not match UK laws. Me and #1 son got banned from selling on Ebay 3 years ago. In short we were returning buyers money per UK distance selling law, which wasn't the same as Ebays rules Ebay owns Paypal and between them they were getting about 14% of our sales. By cutting us off they were no longer getting £5,500 plus per year from our sales Tried talking with them but the people only had one script I joined an on-line auction site called ebid : https://www.ebid.net/uk/ Its still growing and as yet I've not sold anything thru it, but there again I haven't really tried. I took a punt on it and signed up for the lifetime jobbie at £49.99. No fees at all with that deal, just a couple [at pence rate] if you want 'gallery' pictures, that sort of thing. And at the lifetime membership you can link to your ebay feedback and to payment via paypal.

Even an engraver will pull the leather. Both those work best on very hard material I would suggest a pyrogravure; even just a soldering iron with a short line tip could be used in the manner of a pen

As long as you really cut through the top glaze Feibling should be ok. On jobs such as this I use cellulose thinners to really remove the top glaze, especially in any nooks and crannies. And give it a really good sealing afterwards

You can pay a lot less for your stones. Which ones? All of them, plus a couple of stropping leathers; one coarse & one fine I start off on a coarse grade water stone, then work finer on a couple of oil stones finishing off on a strop, keeping a fine grade diamond for quick swipes to keep the edge keen whilst working

Anyone tried saffron for orange-to-red?

They look just grand so they do These photos are looking like those trick photos which were on internet a while back; in the first photo the pockets and big patches look dark blue. but in the other photos they look medium brown!

I've been buying from LePrevo for 17 years - never had a problem with any leather. I tell them the thickness, square footage and type I want and let them send it to me. Only twice did I ask for a small sample first Hardware; do you mean rivets, buckles and such or tools? I used to get all from them as they were the only ones who would post to N.I. Now I buy rivets from China. I still get buckles from them as I like their range of brass ones. I usually/normally only use brass fittings and Le Prevo have good prices. Tools; I bought my first ones from them. Most are good, but they're limited in what they have. I bought a load of tools from Tandy last year, I also got some from China [via ebay] - eg a pair of special pliers which punches 3 lacing holes £35 plus P from Tandy, £9 from China; exactly the same thing cos they make them for Tandy You're probably paying an arm and both legs for delivery from UK. Have you tried that Parcel drop-off service? It sort of uses a N.I. post code to a place which then forwards it to a pick-up depot in Ireland - I think thats the gist of how it works

Nice

1. Two questions there a; any type you want to use, from any animal. The more exotic the animal the harder to get leather and more expensive it is. But leather from some animals is forbidden b. Soft leather. Soft leather can be thick or thin. Harder [stiffer] leather can be wet molded to make features on doorcards or dashes, or even a head-lining 2. Tandy keeps some. Sometimes they have leather that looks like its from snake or alligator, but its a lot cheaper. If you search on here you may find a list of leather sellers closer to where you are 3. What do you mean by this? More explanation please. For patterns just cut card or heavy weight paper or whatever, just whatever you do for cloth

I get my leather from LePrevo http://www.leprevo.co.uk/hides.htm

A thought. Ask "Scottsdale's Mueum of the West" in Scottsdale, Arizona. They are supposed to have one of the best collections of Chaps http://scottsdalemuseumwest.org/

I use a simple test. Burn a bit. Take a bit about the size of a quarter, hold in pliers, apply a flame. Real leather will scorch and smell like burnt meat, bonded leather wil start to burn, give off black smoke with black particles in it.

looks like a stuffing needle; for pushing stuffing up into tight places

Probably not a boot / shoe cobbler, but ask in equestrian and gun stores if they know a leatherworker. I reckon you're best bet will be through a gun store; they'll probably have contact with a holster maker. Holster makers work in lighter weight leather and generally don't mind to do it; saddle makers work in heavier weight leathers and may not have what you need As for samples to get or retain; I reckon you'll need three - the middle side and one from each end. The end pockets may not be exactly the same but made a bit 'lop-sided'