Medieval Leatherwork

[WillyTrambone]

Hello everybody! I'm newbie on this forum, and here are so many fantastic leatherworkers and their projects, that I'm simply blinded!

I learn new things every day readind forum. But only taking without giving would be unfair, I think. So I'd like to post some of my works here. I think this could be interesting for reenactors and leatherworkers. I'm doing leatherwork for about 2 years, and for now it's what I do for a living. So here are some of my works. Rest of them you can see on my web-album http://picasaweb.goo...m/WillyTrambone All of the purses are totally hand stitched. I will be glad to answer questions about this or others projects.

1. Purse from Dordrecht (by Goubitz's book)

2. Purse with mounts, 15c.

3. My version of pouch purse from Hague.

4. Purse from Novgorod, Russia, end of 13c.

5. Purse from Karos, 10c.

6. Purse from Birka

7. 16-sentury style purse by custom order

Cheers,

Willy.

[TheTrooper]

Hi Willy,

thanks for this post ! I really like the bags. Do you maybe have a source for those patterns, or have you created them by your own ?!?

I am also interested in everything medieval related but atm I am focusing my work to cue cases.

Cheers,

Marcel

[Eldorado]

Top shelf. Very nice. I'm curious where the brass bits come from?

-- Eldorado

[amuckart]

That's very very nice work Willy. Those Dordrecht purses are as good as any I've seen.

I too am curious as to where you get your mounts. Did you cast them up yourself?

Looking at your picasa gallery I like your casework and scabbards. My only suggestion would be to get a much smaller tool to do the backgrounding. The extant examples all seem to have been done with a very fine tool that leaves quite a consistent stippled background.

Where are you based?

[WillyTrambone]

Thank you men for kind words! It really means alot for me.

thanks for this post ! I really like the bags. Do you maybe have a source for those patterns, or have you created them by your own ?!?

Yes, I do all patterns by myself. It is not that hard, just takes some time.

I'm curious where the brass bits come from?

I too am curious as to where you get your mounts. Did you cast them up yourself?

I buy it from this guy http://photofile.ru/users/velund/

he has nice quality and reasonable prices.

That's very very nice work Willy. Those Dordrecht purses are as good as any I've seen.

Thank you! I can say only that I love how you make your footwear, and I find your blog very helpfull! Now I'm trying to learn how to make medieval footwear, and you help alot!

Looking at your picasa gallery I like your casework and scabbards. My only suggestion would be to get a much smaller tool to do the backgrounding. The extant examples all seem to have been done with a very fine tool that leaves quite a consistent stippled background.

Thank you! The thing is that you cannot buy leatherworking tools here in Ukraine. I have only 5 base stamps. The case with the men with shield I made without any tools, only with pen without an ink)))) it was crazy work, took me 6 hours of "painting". And I have only one backgrounder. But when I'll buy more tools I'll do much better background )

Here I wrote about my problem asking advice http://leatherworker...=0entry146777

Where are you based?

I'm from Sevastopol (modern Ukraine).

[amuckart]

Hi Willy,

I'm glad you find my blog useful, that's why I write it Sorry I haven't posted anything for ages, I've been moving it to it's own domain at http://wherearetheelves.net but it's almost ready (note that all content on there currently will get deleted and re-imported from blogger before I go live, so if you comment on that they'll get lost).

I'll reply to your other post. I make most of my own stamps because I haven't been able to find good approximations of medieval ones. It's not that difficult to do the simple ones.

Cheers.

[WillyTrambone]

Can't wait when you'll start posting new projects on new place! I immidiately bookmark it

I tried to make my own tools but I failed (((

So now I've decided to just buy some tools and focus on learning to use them.

Have you ever seen survived stamped tools? Cos I was researching this and found nothing. I suppose that some of them were wooden, but I can hardly believe that there were no metal.

I've got a dream to make full authentic workshop with maximum correct tools. So now I'm collecting all available info.

Cheers.

[Suze]

Hi -- I love your work and I really like your pics....

You might try looking for leatherworking articals by people in the Society for Creative Anachronism (www.sca.org)

we play in the middle ages and I am sure that there are folks out there that are doing the same thing that you want to do -- make a correct workshop. and are on the net.

I'll ask around at the next event I am at - later this month - and see if there are any "leads" for you.

In Service to the Society

Lady Mariassa Ashgrove (AKA Suze)

[AndyL1]

Hi Willy! Welcome to the board. Your work is absolutely fantastic! Thanks for sharing with us and nice photography too by the way.

Cheers,

Andy

[kiltboy]

That is gorgeous work!

I'd be happy to try and send over tools for you- but I won't lie about value/contents of things to the customs folks-

I have a Tandy here, and they have a decent selection of tools. You could look 'em up on the internet, and see if any of those would be useful.

As for making tools, many were of pewter, with a wooden handle. The negative "mould" is carved in wood, a "casting block" is made, they pour the molten pewter in, push in the handle, allow it to cool, and - tah dah! a new tool. this was easy, and pewter melts below the temp that wood burns, and can be done in your kitchen. Just don't spill, or your wife will get rather mad at you... I've made everything from knife rivits to arrowheads to tools this way. They last for a lot longer than you would think, and replacing them is fast and (relativly) easy.

Keep up the great work- all of those are simply wonderful!

Robert

[celticpride]

Thank you for posting your lovely leather work willy.

My mum and da were merchants in the SCA at uprising in 2003. I have some bad news for members with the SCA about one of there own. I am going to start the fly swatters again and will post them when I can.

[Harag]

Thanks for posting your work. Can I ask, what leather do you use to make the pouch in the first and third pictures and the pockets in the last picture?

Edited April 19, 2013 by Harag

[Paulr]

im also curious about the leather used in pic 3. Im looking to make some pouches and i like the look that leather has. Very nice work.