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Russ Ellis
Industry Professional
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 Posted: Wed 02 Jan, 2008 6:55 am Post subject: |
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| Brian Robson wrote: | Hi Tod,
Didn't realise you posted here! You probably don't know mw but I post on the LH forums as 'Biro' and bought a few rivets from you at the TORM a couple of months ago.
Anyhoo - something you just mentioned about a broken core.. I'm currently in the middle of making my first scabbard (Currently about 2/3 sewed - I'm sure its not good to leave it half done and have to re-wet it to continue, but my blisters had just had enough), and it struck me that the leather is very tight on the wooden core, and I can't see how I could ever get the core out if I wanted to...
So If the core ever did break, am I correct in thinking that the whole scabbard would be a write-off?
Cheers,
Brian |
Well, I'm not Tod, but if it were one of mine it would be. There's no point in reusing old leather on a new core, when new leather is available.
TRITONWORKS Custom Scabbards
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Jared Smith
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| Posted: Wed 02 Jan, 2008 5:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Leo Todeschini wrote: |
Brain tanning - 1 brain per skin, the fats in the brain do something to the hide to preserve it and it makes for a very durable (native Americans used it for moccassins) but soft leather.
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I actually tanned one deer skin (not this way, using ammonia and fat liquor for pro-animal reasons, I did not even kill the deer myself) and researched this method, corresponding with others and spending a fair amount of time on it three years ago. Several individuals still practice this at a hobby level. I traditionally took the brains from three dead deer to tan one skin to the premium quality grade that was so sought after that even settlers traded with the indians to get their brain tan skins.
If you had a single camp for a few months, you might pull off the 1 brain per hide ratio, by scraping together brains from "first rubbed" skins, and moving the re-cycled brains over the older skins for the repeated rubbing sessions that are required at longer and longer intervals. With todays' refrigeration capability, you can just keep reusing the same brain on the same skin. The noble idea that indians never wasted anything is probably exaggerated in this case.
Absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence!
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Jared Smith
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| Posted: Wed 02 Jan, 2008 6:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Robin Smith wrote: | | I have this theory that woodcore were more common amongst cavalry than infantry. Just my theory, nothing but practical experience to back it up... |
I share your theory as far as it addresses longswords. I have never been happy with the feel of a fairly large longsword (appropriate to cavalry, at least around 14th - 15th century) scabbard harness while walking around or attempting German Longsword technique drills. I have gone to the trouble of making several trial scabbards, several different style suspensions, etc. Scabbards are great for mounted use and transport of big longswords, but cumbersome when on foot. I figure opponents would have been appreciative of anyone providing such a nice handle while they attempted grappling though.
My preference would be to do what I suspect may actually be shown in the surviving plates of period fechtbuks. When fighting in a staged setting where dueling or combat on foot was obviously planned for, don't wear any form of scabbard or sheath. One might notice that scabbards are infrequently shown (there are a probably couple of minority exceptions) in cases of unarmoured combat inside of obvious pens or fight arenas. In some of these old manuals, such as Gladatoria (gauntlets removed for some reason), opponents shown with scabbards fighting on foot are generally in full harness, including the sabatons over feet, suggesting to me, they had already been upon horse. These are sometimes are shown with spent lances and other weapons lying around like debris, suggesting to me the possibility that the conflict may have started out on horseback and progressed to unmounted battle, precisely as we hear about in Froissart's tales of great deeds at arms. In the Solothurn manual, scabbards are never shown except on subjects, even in full harness, except while mounted.
I have long lost, and regretted, the historical reference, but I once read a translated period account that Henry the Black Prince would often set out on foot into the battle field at late stages of the conflict. He was noted for carrying his "uncommonly long sword with a long grip" in hand as he set out toward the battles with his two body guards. The "spaghetti western" idea of the "quick draw" the longsword from your scabbard concept became rather dubious for me at that point.
Absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence!
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Leo Todeschini
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Thu 03 Jan, 2008 12:52 am Post subject: |
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Hi Brian, see you 10 weeks I guess.
Brian wrote
So If the core ever did break, am I correct in thinking that the whole scabbard would be a write-off?
(sorry not yet got to grips with quotes bit)
I have actually repaired quite a few. You have to remove the leather and if it is not split you can reuse it, but it will always show the creases at the break; restitch back on later or use as a pattern for another piece.
Glue the scabbard parts back together as best you can around the blade and once dry sand out the really mauled bits and splice in new wooden panels and reshape the core.
Do the job properly and the core will be as strong as it ever was, the leather will show creases a bit or as Russ says, cover with new, using the old as a pattern.
The big advantage of this is that any fittings will easily fit as the core has remained the same.
Tod
www.todsworkshop.com
www.todcutler.com
www.instagram.com/todsworkshop
https://www.facebook.com/TodsWorkshop
www.youtube.com/user/todsstuff1
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D Wick
Location: Lampeter University Joined: 29 Dec 2007
Posts: 13
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| Posted: Thu 03 Jan, 2008 4:04 am Post subject: |
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I personally still swear by heavy leather, sewn with fleece down the inside length; usually constructed from mid-brown 4mm hide then single-seamed up the back; it behaves with all the resilliance of wood but with some flex if the unthinkable does (frequently) happen. I've had a mix of scabbards and just for practicalities' sake, have learned to love leather, even though wooden scabbards have a certain gravitas when nicely mounted with some good furniture.
Oh, and is the representative from Toddsstuff the one who sold a bronze-headed mid-sized mace to a dubious looking long-haired oik at TORM? If so; greetings from the long-haired oik!
(If you can't remember me specifically, I was the one who turned and smacked it into the solar-plexus of the man behind me to test it's ''whackability''. The man behind would probably have complained as to the lot of a household knight to an earl.)
"What possesses a man to take better care of a length of steel than himself?"
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Leo Todeschini
Industry Professional
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