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Got it all stitched up tonight! The Lewis Chessmen are a group of chess pieces found in the early 1800s near Uig Bay, on the Isle of Lewis. They are Viking era pieces, carved out of walrus ivory, and nobody knows why they were cached there. The pieces can be viewed in the British Museum in London, and the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. They're wonderful pieces of early Medieval art. This is the first of a set-- Queen, King, Bishop, Knight, Rook/Warder. The pawns aren't quite so photogenic for bags. Leather: 2 mm veg tan, Eco-Flo Red Waterstain. It's probably one of my Tandy stash of miscellaneous hides. Thread: Ritza Chestnut, 5mm spacing Fabric: Black denim (on the inside) and red Harris Tweed (backed with an iron-on stabilizer). Harris tweed is manufactured not far away from where the chess pieces were found, so it's fitting for use here. zipper charm: a Lewis chessmen bishop, from Ebay. Strap: purchased from Amazon. I could make a strap, but it would take FOREVER to stitch by hand. The price I paid is less than I could actually get the hardware and leather for.

Hi there, I'm currently working on a cosplay of this character, Guts, from the hit manga Berserk. I'm looking to commission someone to recreate all the leather equipment shown on this character's outfit. If anyone can point me in the right direction, or maybe even offer to make this piece for me, that would be fantastic. I am based in the UK so UK orders would be more preferable. Cheers, Gav

Hi all, I recently made myself a new pair of reins to use for themed photoshoots and last weekend a friend of mine visited to make some photo's of me and one of the horses with my handmade outfit. Now onto the task of making a matching bridle for this set! So happy how they turned out! The quiver, ridingskirt, saddlepad, reins and armbracers are all selfmade. Bridle by Woodenwulf.

I have always wanted a laced sword scabbard, but the amount of work (and wood working experience) required to create a scabbard is daunting. I have a sword, but it already has a scabbard, so what to do? Finally, I got a brainstorm -- I'll just make a sleeve which goes AROUND the existing scabbard, and that'll do the trick! So here's the original tooled design, a key-work panel on the sleeve, with Fiebing HiLighter (modified slightly from the original design, taken from a church in Wales): Geometrics are a pain...but to get it right, go SLOWLY with the swivel knife, and use a straight edge wherever possible. Here's a mock-up of what it will look like, when all done: All that intricate lacing...it's painstaking work -- you can't really cut the slits until you have the belt strips ready to mock it up. The triangular piece to the bottom of the picture is a type of "buckle." The other strap (top center) will end in two strips, which will tie through the holes in the "buckle." It's period -- some medieval art features scabbards done that way. I also decided to cut a 'window' in the wide middle strap to hide less of the nice tooling. Here's the back -- I'm using a baseball stitch to butt-stitch the pieces together, using flat lacing. I'd forgotten how tedious lacing can be; you really have to pay attention to avoid twisting the lace, or getting the pattern wrong (only had to undo two stitches so far!) Here you can see the interlaced straps, linked through each other. I didn't realize it, but the baseball stitching doesn't close the edges as closely as other stitches, so I think the hanger might be a bit loose on the scabbard itself. However, I can glue a 'shim' of thin leather inside the hanger sleeve, and that should snug it right down.

I want to make more costume and armor pieces, and right now my wife wants me to make her a hood (she calls it an Assassins Creed hood) so she can cosplay her rogue from Pathfinder at the Renaissance Festival this year. And I have some really good lambskin I think will work, I just ... don't know how to do it. Are there patterns available for this sort of thing? Not just hoods but other clothing too. I don't mind paying a little bit for a good pattern as long as it doesn't cost a fortune. TIA.

Got this just about finished tonight. It just a needs a bit of cleanup on some edges and a nice coat of Resolene. I have more info about the process, featuring internal shots and pre-assembly pictures, on my website: <http://djole.altervista.org/djole/Publications/Leather/Walpurgis Wallet/WalpurgisWallet.htm>

A relative of mine, a couple years back, walked the medieval pilgrimage route, the Camino de Santiago, from Le Puy, France to Santiago de Compostella, Spain (2 1/2 months of nearly daily hiking, all on foot, about 1500 km). So this summer, I made her a commemorative bag, similar to the one the medieval pilgrims used, as pictured in art like this: And here's my version: I used some red-brown chrome tanned leather (picked up at a Tandy clearance sale) for the bag, and some thick tooling leather for the flap. The tooled design is a scallop shell, the symbol of St. James. The golden shell and blue background are used as trail markers across the Camino. That's Angelus light blue and gold acrylic paint on the front flap. 3 coats of SuperShene on the flap, too. The edges are coated with Fiebeing's Edge Kote in black. The closer hardware is from Ohio Travel Bag. They have a LOT of cool hardware! The tassels are handmade (wrapped with black thread and gold wire)-- see close-up here: I am very pleased with my stitching -- I used a 3 mm Japan Goods stitching chisel. I used Natural waxed linen thread for the bag and Blue waxed linen at the top of the blue flap. Other stitching used Red waxed linen. Both the Red and Blue thread are from Royalwood, Ltd. in Ohio (see their website here:<https://www.royalwoodltd.com/>) There is a cloth liner inside, using hand-printed fabric which features the shell motif and the St. James cross: Even the strap hangers keep the shell motif (using Fiebing Mahogany to get that red-brown color): I learned a LOT from making this bag. The full story of the bag (with work-in-progress pictures) is located at my website, here: <http://djole.altervista.org/djole/Publications/Leather/Camino Bag/CaminoBag.htm> The strap is not done yet -- I didn't have enough time to finish it before giving to the new owner. I'll get the measurements and make that later on.

I'm making more sets of forehead "crash pads" for longsword fencing. The forehead is a frequent target, and a sword to the mask can leave some dents! But this is a piece of armor that attaches to the mask (with foam padding underneath) that will help cushion the blow. And since it's armor for swordfighting, why not put a swordsman on the piece? This man in his fancy pants is standing in a guard, ready to strike a fearsome blow. Note the swivel knife for scale, and the printed woodcut to the right, which was the traced source for this. Working in miniature is a pain!

Hello! I was wondering if anyone knows some sources on medieval leatherwork. I've been tooling leather for about a year, but I have a major interest in the medieval period. I don't do re-enactment myself, but I would like to know how to make leather projects that are about as accurate as they can get. I have been looking on the internet, but couldn't find any books or other information on medieval leatherwork. There are some patterns, but it is often unclear to me if they are actually medieval, or whether they were based on modern (fantasy) movies. I am therefore looking for sources about this. For patterns it could be preserved items from the middle ages, but for the leatherworking process, a description is probably needed... Any information is welcome! About tanning and preparation, stitching, tooling, colouring, perhaps some patterns, other processes (such as making cuir bouilli). Is there anyone who knows such sources? My thanks!

Hello all, I'm looking for some guidance here. I'm planning on making my first set of turnshoes and I'm having trouble finding what leather thickness to use. The more technical texts (Shoes and Pattens, Anglo-Scandinavian Leatherworking in York), talk about types of leather but not thicknesses. Tutorials online contradict each other - some say to use 5/6oz leather, at least one says that anything thicker than 4 oz will always split when you turn them. Given that the leather species used for uppers in medieval contexts was often calf, sheep, or goat, it seems like the leather would be quite thin - maybe2- 3 oz. But how on earth could you do a butt stitch or tunnel stitch on such thin leather(like for heel stiffeners and closing seams). So, for those of you in the know - what thickness have you used for uppers? Has anyone had any luck doing closing seams on really tin leather?

Hi y'all! I'm a medieval geek from Montréal with a passion for costuming,swordfight and more recently leatherworking. I've always been fascinated with leather armors and all the intricate techniques that are implied un their making. In the past month, I finally geared up with the essential. I am now crafting pieces of armor and celtic-themed accessories of my own. Anybody else in the area? Anyhow, I can't wait tout get criticism from you people! By the way, I'm looking for good armor patterns, anybody has some good websites that could help In my quest for the most epic armor In the universe?

Hey everyone. It's been a while. Over the last couple of years I've been studying how to make leather helm crests. I uploaded a couple of photos of the two I have been working on recently. Here's a link to the gallery. I also put up a link to the documentation as to how they are made. I also have a blue hoer I need to upload as well, which I will do hopefully over the next day or so. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?app=gallery&album=2314 It's a very different kind of approach to leather because the leather is the base of the finished piece. Here's a peak at one of them...

Hello! After being a long-time lurker on the forums, I'm finally ready to take one step forward and show off one of my works. It's a medieval girdle purse for my girlfriend, not quite authentic, but I think it'll compliment her reseda green and brown reenactment dress nicely. The things I don't like about it are the knifework and the beveling on the flap and around the decorative opening in the belt loop. Other than that, I'm pretty happy with it, especially with the stitching and the hue of my homemade red leather dye. Hope you like it! Cheers, Adam

As I needed a little bag to match the hat I made some time ago, I made this girdle purse. Actually it isn´t practical at all, but all I need (well.... let´s say one of the main priorities) is that it looks and feels as "realistic" (in the quality point of view) as possible. So this one is about 20cm x 20cm and is quite limited in the capacity, but I like it anyway XD The front is made of sturgeon again the rest is mainly goat and some calf skin (I guess, but I am not sure). The yellow inlay is made of wool. I hope you like it

Just a hat in an altered medieval "pillbox"-design with some tooling added. made of about 2,5mm veg. Cowhide and some sturgeon . The top is made of wool. I kind of like it, even if the stitching line on the back is anything but perfect... gonna work on that ^^. I just hope you like it. (as normal - click to enlarge)

Here's my new project in progress--a Nativity panel. (Every year at Christmas time, my local church organizes a Festival of the Nativity in which hundreds of Nativities fill the church and the community is invited to take part and view/contribute. I've been meaning to contribute something like this for a couple of years now, and finally I got past the thinking stage!) I've based this on a medieval woodcut, which seems to translate surprisingly well into leather. The roughness and sharpness of the lines works well. I've never done anything like these cloth folds, so I had to figure out how to do them with my bevelers and my modeling spoon. I also have done some embossing on the rear side of the leather to raise certain parts. I'm not quite done with the modeling stage--there are some places where I need to clean up some edges, even out the background, and such. Then it's on to the dyeing. I dragged out my dyes today to consider colors. Mary's dress will be blue, but the Fiebing Light Blue is *much* too dark. I did a bit of mixing (Fiebing Lt. Blue and Fiebing White) to get a lighter blue, but that's going to be a LOT of blue and a LOT of mixing. I'm considering Angelus' light blue. Should I go ahead and buy some of that for my test pallete? Joseph's robe is still undecided yet--gray? brown? green? Apparently there is no set iconographic color for his robe, so I'm on my own here! I'm wondering about skin tones--these folks clearly need to be olive skinned, with dark hair. Is there a good color already made, or do I have to custom mix my own? This will be framed, eventually--what do I need to watch out for to protect/preserve the leather and frame from each other?

There were a lot of "firsts" in this demi-gauntlet. First "construction" of two separate pieces, first use of chicago screws (which work much better than your average rivet), and first use of black and red dyes. I plan on adding proper straps to the hand and thumb but this is where we stand so far.

Celtic/Barbarian Bracers: These were my first real attempt at carving, tooling, stamping, riveting, and...um...spiking. I think they turned out pretty well for a beginner's try.I learned a lot during the process. Leather Flask #2: This is my 2nd leather flask design.

Hope this day finds ye warm, dry and happy! As you might detect from the opening, I enjoy Faire and all things medieval. Aside from western and Saddle making, I have tried most anything in Leather, from art to Steam punk, clothing to Door panels on a truck. Been working in Leather about 5 years and enjoy it a lot. I am often available in the chat room and interested in learning new things, meeting new people and sharing my knowledge, so look me up there if you like!

(I was told this was the right area to post this in, so sorry for those who see this as a doublepost.) Hello! So, this is my first post on leatherworker.net, and I have quite a few questions regarding leather weight, purchase inquiries, leather types, and copper rivets. But first, some background... My name is Caracal Keithrafferty, and I'm located right by Milwaukee, WI. I made my first large purchase of leather tools, dyes, and hardware late last summer. The tools I have are: Knives V-Gouge Awl Edge Beveler (Sz. 3) Parallel Stitch Groover 2 Overstitch Wheels (Sz. 5 + 6) Bone Folder Edge Slicker Wood Hammer (I was considering an epoxy or rubber hammer; can't afford a good rawhide one) 2 cutting mats Dyes and liquids (and related items) I have are: Wool Daubers EvoStik Time Bond Contact Adhesive (haven't used it; not really sure when, how, or where one would use it) Carnauba Creme Gum Tragacanth Tan-Kote Neatsfoot Oil (Never used it, not quite sure what it's for) Leather Sheen 8 different dyes Hardware (and related items) I have are: Lots of scrap leather from Hobby Lobby; mostly small pieces. A couple different hammering tools 2 small anvils (one is damaged) O-Rings D-Rings TIny buckles Various rivets *Note: To describe the rivets and other hardware further might be challenging. I know I have some snaps, and I can set those properly. I have many tiny eyelets (the ones that mushroom out; one piece). I have a couple of grommets (2 pieces, brass look to them), but I don't believe I have any of the necessary setting tools. I have some single cap rivets I believe, but they are missing the male end I believe. I used all my copper rivets; even with improper tools, I made use of them (and I plan to purchase many more in the future. Any suggestions on what I'd want?). Aside from those, I have some other ones I'll call mystery rivets... I've got some that are long tubes (7/16 inch or so) that are unthreaded on the inside. I'm not sure how they're used. I've got other ones that look like grommets, but are non-flowering like the eyelets, and have a short shaft. I don't know if they're part of something. There's another kind that seems similar in for to the snaps, but is missing a 4th piece. They are definitely different from the standard ones; one cap has a little piece of metal lifted up, another part has tiny holes and grooves on it, maybe implying that it's supposed to change shape when tooled. Another kind I have are only few in number, but they're flat-bottomed, have a moderate/small sized shaft, and have a tiny hole at the end of the shaft. Lastly, I've got some solid ones that I have no idea how to set. They have long shafts, end in a dome on one end, and about 2/3 of the way down from the dome have a disc solidly on the item. It may be related to a Sam Brown rivet, but I am unsure. I also have several split pins, but I don't know if they're related to leatherworking at all. Those are all the leatherworking related items I have at my disposal currently. I do not know how to sew leather, and I am not quite sure where to start. All the items I've seen sewn so far have been with very thin leather, and I hardly to never work with thin leather. Can anyone suggest some hand tools for me to use? I did some brief research and though about buying, but I have no idea where to start. I cannot afford machinery, but hand tools might work. I have dyed some leather a fair amount, and I've learned how to smooth edges and backs of leather well enough. So, as far as that goes, I have down the technique, just not the perfection. I can hammer rivets well, and I can cut leather just fine. But what I need now is information on leather weight, proper leather types, and other items needed for making basic armor for LARPing. I've got a friend who wants me to make him some armor. It doesn't need to protect much, and he's seeking form over function. I also want to sell at other LARPing conventions. More details on armor: My friend Geoff has commissioned me to make him a set of armor consisting of: pauldrons (shoulder armor) that go from arm-to-arm over the shoulders, covering the arms up to the elbows; greaves (shin armor) that go up to the knees, but don't cover them too much (I have this part mostly done, should I post photos?); sabatons (foot armor) that cover the instep of the foot, and covers the ankle bone on either side; and that largest part being the breastplate (front body armor), which only needs to cover the chest, the belly, part of the sides, the collarbone, and little to none of the lower back. He also told me that a long term project I could do with him would be a plumed helmet. Another one would be a Romanesque skirt. The overall look he's going for would be somewhat similar to a roman soldier with a mix of some medieval aspects. It does not need to be historically correct, just similar in its look. What I'm not worried about is making the whole project aesthetically pleasing. Geoff said he doesn't mind nicks and damages to the leather, as long as the overall product is good. It can be made of lots of straps and things on it without much worry. What matters is that it looks good, fits semi-comfortably, and is thick enough to protect against foam swords (they can actually hit fairly hard, should I get 7-8, 8-9, or 9-10 oz leather?) For reference, Geoff is a pretty big guy; he's about 6' 2" and weighs around 230 lbs. What I seek to learn: What I really need to know now is what kind of leather I should purchase. To cover the pauldrons, sabatons, and breastplate, I hope to spend less than $175 on leather. I'd like to purchase leather that's bleached or white so I can dye it easily to my liking. So, what suggested weight (oz) leather should I grab, what specific type of leather should I grab (rawhide?), and where should I get it? I have a Federal Tax ID #, so I can purchase from wholesale suppliers, but I don't know if I'd be purchasing enough for the venture to be worth it, or if I should just stick with eBay or wherever you guys suggest. I currently have only a catalog from Weaver (thoughts on the company?), and I'm curious where I should go from here. Overall list of questions: Important: What leather weight do I want for making pauldrons, sabatons, and a breastplate? What type of leather do I want for making pauldrons, sabatons, and a breastplate? What amount of leather would I want for making pauldrons, sabatons, and a breastplate? Where should I purchase my leather? What other leather related items should I purchase? Not as important, but still curious: Should I post pictures of my leather progress and various works? Should I post pictures of the mystery rivets? What tools should I get for copper rivets? When is leather adhesive used? When is stitching used in leatherwork? Is stitching the same as sewing (if not, when is sewing used in leatherwork?)? Any ideas on what the mystery rivets were? (Sorry if some questions seem like they can just be googled; I really prefer to ask people because it allows me to respond for clarification.) Thanks much for reading all this. If any parts need clarifying, please let me know! This is a large project for me, and I hope to learn a lot from it!

Hello! So, this is my first post on leatherworker.net, and I have quite a few questions regarding leather weight, purchase inquiries, leather types, and copper rivets. But first, some background... My name is Caracal Keithrafferty, and I'm located right by Milwaukee, WI. I made my first large purchase of leather tools, dyes, and hardware late last summer. The tools I have are: Knives V-Gouge Awl Edge Beveler (Sz. 3) Parallel Stitch Groover 2 Overstitch Wheels (Sz. 5 + 6) Bone Folder Edge Slicker Wood Hammer (I was considering an epoxy or rubber hammer; can't afford a good rawhide one) 2 cutting mats Dyes and liquids (and related items) I have are: Wool Daubers EvoStik Time Bond Contact Adhesive (haven't used it; not really sure when, how, or where one would use it) Carnauba Creme Gum Tragacanth Tan-Kote Neatsfoot Oil (Never used it, not quite sure what it's for) Leather Sheen 8 different dyes Hardware (and related items) I have are: Lots of scrap leather from Hobby Lobby; mostly small pieces. A couple different hammering tools 2 small anvils (one is damaged) O-Rings D-Rings TIny buckles Various rivets *Note: To describe the rivets and other hardware further might be challenging. I know I have some snaps, and I can set those properly. I have many tiny eyelets (the ones that mushroom out; one piece). I have a couple of grommets (2 pieces, brass look to them), but I don't believe I have any of the necessary setting tools. I have some single cap rivets I believe, but they are missing the male end I believe. I used all my copper rivets; even with improper tools, I made use of them (and I plan to purchase many more in the future. Any suggestions on what I'd want?). Aside from those, I have some other ones I'll call mystery rivets... I've got some that are long tubes (7/16 inch or so) that are unthreaded on the inside. I'm not sure how they're used. I've got other ones that look like grommets, but are non-flowering like the eyelets, and have a short shaft. I don't know if they're part of something. There's another kind that seems similar in for to the snaps, but is missing a 4th piece. They are definitely different from the standard ones; one cap has a little piece of metal lifted up, another part has tiny holes and grooves on it, maybe implying that it's supposed to change shape when tooled. Another kind I have are only few in number, but they're flat-bottomed, have a moderate/small sized shaft, and have a tiny hole at the end of the shaft. Lastly, I've got some solid ones that I have no idea how to set. They have long shafts, end in a dome on one end, and about 2/3 of the way down from the dome have a disc solidly on the item. It may be related to a Sam Brown rivet, but I am unsure. I also have several split pins, but I don't know if they're related to leatherworking at all. Those are all the leatherworking related items I have at my disposal currently. I do not know how to sew leather, and I am not quite sure where to start. All the items I've seen sewn so far have been with very thin leather, and I hardly to never work with thin leather. Can anyone suggest some hand tools for me to use? I did some brief research and though about buying, but I have no idea where to start. I cannot afford machinery, but hand tools might work. I have dyed some leather a fair amount, and I've learned how to smooth edges and backs of leather well enough. So, as far as that goes, I have down the technique, just not the perfection. I can hammer rivets well, and I can cut leather just fine. But what I need now is information on leather weight, proper leather types, and other items needed for making basic armor for LARPing. I've got a friend who wants me to make him some armor. It doesn't need to protect much, and he's seeking form over function. I also want to sell at other LARPing conventions. More details on armor: My friend Geoff has commissioned me to make him a set of armor consisting of: pauldrons (shoulder armor) that go from arm-to-arm over the shoulders, covering the arms up to the elbows; greaves (shin armor) that go up to the knees, but don't cover them too much (I have this part mostly done, should I post photos?); sabatons (foot armor) that cover the instep of the foot, and covers the ankle bone on either side; and that largest part being the breastplate (front body armor), which only needs to cover the chest, the belly, part of the sides, the collarbone, and little to none of the lower back. He also told me that a long term project I could do with him would be a plumed helmet. Another one would be a Romanesque skirt. The overall look he's going for would be somewhat similar to a roman soldier with a mix of some medieval aspects. It does not need to be historically correct, just similar in its look. What I'm not worried about is making the whole project aesthetically pleasing. Geoff said he doesn't mind nicks and damages to the leather, as long as the overall product is good. It can be made of lots of straps and things on it without much worry. What matters is that it looks good, fits semi-comfortably, and is thick enough to protect against foam swords (they can actually hit fairly hard, should I get 7-8, 8-9, or 9-10 oz leather?) For reference, Geoff is a pretty big guy; he's about 6' 2" and weighs around 230 lbs. What I seek to learn: What I really need to know now is what kind of leather I should purchase. To cover the pauldrons, sabatons, and breastplate, I hope to spend less than $175 on leather. I'd like to purchase leather that's bleached or white so I can dye it easily to my liking. So, what suggested weight (oz) leather should I grab, what specific type of leather should I grab (rawhide?), and where should I get it? I have a Federal Tax ID #, so I can purchase from wholesale suppliers, but I don't know if I'd be purchasing enough for the venture to be worth it, or if I should just stick with eBay or wherever you guys suggest. I currently have only a catalog from Weaver (thoughts on the company?), and I'm curious where I should go from here. Overall list of questions: Important: What leather weight do I want for making pauldrons, sabatons, and a breastplate? What type of leather do I want for making pauldrons, sabatons, and a breastplate? What amount of leather would I want for making pauldrons, sabatons, and a breastplate? Where should I purchase my leather? What other leather related items should I purchase? Not as important, but still curious: Should I post pictures of my leather progress and various works? Should I post pictures of the mystery rivets? What tools should I get for copper rivets? When is leather adhesive used? When is stitching used in leatherwork? Is stitching the same as sewing (if not, when is sewing used in leatherwork?)? Any ideas on what the mystery rivets were? (Sorry if some questions seem like they can just be googled; I really prefer to ask people because it allows me to respond for clarification.) Thanks much for reading all this. If any parts need clarifying, please let me know! This is a large project for me, and I hope to learn a lot from it!

Looking for a good source or 2 of hardware for Ren Faire items. Always looking for the more exotic or ornate stuff to really set a piece off.