Advice Needed On Summer Presentations

[Nighthawk]

I have a question for you all-

As some of you know, I am in a living history group called the Renaissance Scots Living History Association. Throughout the summer, we travel to all the Celtic festivals in the midwest region. Last summer, I started giving leatherwork demonstrations. It was my first summer, and I only did a few. This summer, I will be making a reproduction of this:

Left is my design, and right is the original. I'll be using this project as an opportunity to give demonstrations on tooling, and to show the different kinds of leather- particularly the elk hide that I'm using on the back, and to teach about finishing techniques- dying and edge finishing.

So my question is this- if you were to see one of my demos, what information would you be most interested in learning? History, techniques- anything you can think of that would be of value to people who know nothing about leather other than what it's made of! Any and all ideas are welcome.

And there is one more thing. On my new FaceBook page, I posted a pictorial guide to the technique I use for edge burnishing:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=100002109169454&aid=16175

Any comments or critiques on this would be helpful, too.

Thanks in advance!!

[Luke Hatley]

I do 17th & 18th century demos. this is my outline

show the item

how is it used

how i recreate it along with the tools and how the tools are use.

[Nighthawk]

I do 17th & 18th century demos. this is my outline

show the item

how is it used

how i recreate it along with the tools and how the tools are use.

That's pretty much what I've been doing, too.

[hidepounder]

Here is another tutorial on finishing Edges.....

Finishing Edges

Hope this helps......

Bobby

Edited March 3, 2011 by hidepounder

[Nighthawk]

Here is another tutorial on finishing Edges.....

Finishing Edges

Hope this helps......

Bobby

Thanks!! That's a great tutorial! It's more in-depth a process that I use. The biggest difference, I think, is how you slick your edges. I prefer canvas myself, but I don't have any, so my slicking wheel is the best tool I have at this point.

[hidepounder]

Thanks!! That's a great tutorial! It's more in-depth a process that I use. The biggest difference, I think, is how you slick your edges. I prefer canvas myself, but I don't have any, so my slicking wheel is the best tool I have at this point.

I can sell you a canvas mitt but If you can find a Tent & Awning store, they usually have scrap canvas they'll give away. Even if you had to buy a couple of pieces, they last forever. I just threw away a piece I've used for over 20 years and the only reason I did that was I wanted to test the new mitts I was making. What you want is 18 oz natural cotton canvas.

Bobby

[Nighthawk]

I can sell you a canvas mitt but If you can find a Tent & Awning store, they usually have scrap canvas they'll give away. Even if you had to buy a couple of pieces, they last forever. I just threw away a piece I've used for over 20 years and the only reason I did that was I wanted to test the new mitts I was making. What you want is 18 oz natural cotton canvas.

Bobby

There's actually a canvas tent company here in Denver. It's just that... well... I procrastinate.

[GrampaJoel]

being a leather worker, I might ask,...

what is the difference between the leather used in the past and what you are using for the recreations?

How authentic are the designs of the pieces you make?

or as just someone passing by being curious,

I might ask,,,

is the shield very heavy?

Will it really stop a sword ?

Hope this helps

Joel