@@Taurusus Or even if you don't have a forge, there's a few metals you can choose that are soft enough to work cold. I believe copper, or thin mild steel may work.
Just wanted to write something similar. The historic brooches for that purpose are called fibular and if you find the right shop there are extremly cool designs, far better than the simple horse shoe like viking stuff.
You can use a food safe epoxy resin to seal the mugs. I know a vendor that does this for their drinking horns at my local medieval faire. They advertise they are for drinking coffee and dishwasher safe.
I came here to say this. My epoxy-lined horns from Longship Luxury Goods (now defunct I think, or else drastically changed under new ownership since the original artist/owner's passing) are decades old and still going strong. Of course they don't go in the dishwasher, so I can't speak to that issue.
@@carinhuber2570 Never put anything made of horn in the dishwasher, no matter what you seal it with. It will eventually cause it to swell from the moist heat and crack open. Food grade epoxy is the best choice to make it stand up to coffee, tee, and mulled wine. BTW Revolutionary reenactors buy a special brick tea that is grated and then brewed. It was the majority of the tea that was thrown in the Boston Harbor. Since it was sealed in kegs the Rebels were able to salvage it from the bay and still use it. Smoke and Fire used to sell it.
Something to consider before your next LARP -> wear your gear all day, as you would be equipped around the house (or out for a walk/etc). It is a really good way to get a feel for how well your gear fits, what works and doesn't work.
Can’t wait for the 5 part episode of him learning to cooper, so he can make a 2 liter cask. From making the metal rings, to shaping the staves on a woodhorse. And additionally, making a little chest to horde leather supplies.
18:00 Belts: First, its not the thickness (weight) of the leather that is the problem. One issue is the belt width to ring diameter ratio that is really important to make these belts work right. You can (and should, if hanging stuff off it, or using it for retention around armor) use thick leather. 3.5 mm thick is common. The ring diameter should be around 1.5 times or greater the strap width. Secondly, vegetaned leather is specifically stiff, and is "moldable". As it absorbs sweat or rain, and with applied pressure, it will deform (even long after being finished). So, you should avoid the "belt straps" that you can often buy from leather shops, or cutting your own from vegetan. Its great for modern clasp belts with a keeper, where the tongue is fed through belt loops. Any leather crafter on youtube will tell you "use vegtan for belts. It doesn't stretch." But.. urr.. all things stretch. And when you are sweating gallons and your belt is sweat wet, its going to lock that shape in when it dries out. Vegtan is not good for ring belts (IMO). The best you can do with a vegetan belt is keep it well oiled and just hand work it a LOT back and forth, making tight rolls inside and outside. keep the outside surface waxed or oiled. EVENTUALLY it will be in that perfect space between pliable and not yet brittle ;) Instead, what you want is Latigo leather, or chrome tanned (From most "floppy" [supple] to least: chrome, latigo, vegetan). You actually WANT that springiness/stretchiness in a ring belt. It helps to "lock" the belt around the ring and is much more pliable around the waist. Unfortunately it can be difficult to find latigo or chrome tanned leather in shops that isn't already dyed (often grotesquely ;) When you find it in a "natural" color you'll know because it is already lightly dyed. Even sans dye, its a darker color than vegetan. Latigo has the characteristics of being much more pliable than vegetan yet super durable as well as naturally water resistant. It does not deform even when wet (at least not in a way that locks in when it dries again). It "self heals" cuts, scrapes, and stress deformation very well. Super "floppy" which is how you want the tongue of the belt to hang below the ring. The downside is that you cant stamp it or carve it (at all. It wont "take" the stamp). Thus why its almost always pre-dyed in the shops. Which is fine, as the dye is much more uniform direct from the tanner. The best you can do is paint it with leather paints, or add embellishments like studs, conches, belt tips, etc. Avoid the chrome tanned leather with a super sheen (almost rubbery) top surface. it will be too stiff. Look for an unglazed top surface, flat, not glossy. its a natural skin feel.
Use elasticized shoelaces for your breastplate. No one will be able to tell at a distance and it will fit snugly every time. (I have a tactical vest, and that's what I use to lace it up.)
The lighter felted wool material can be used as a cloak material without a liner. To make it have the weight and drape so it’s not a bother, take a tip from historic cosplay: Add coins or a chain inside the bottom hem (depending on the material, it might be needed in the seam allowances, as well). Great video! I really enjoy seeing how the things you’ve made actually held up in a LARP environment and hearing all the beginner lessons you learned. So helpful!
I was the guy that came up and asked(pointing to the assassin cloak) "hey did you learn to make that from a certain RUclips channel?" And kit is like "no... but I made it on a RUclips channel" my reaction was !!!!!
Bless you, such a rarity with crafty channels to see followups! Were I to be uncharitable, I'd suggest it's because _some_ channels take shortcuts in builds and don't make actually functional pieces... perish the thought!
The nutsack is actually a medieval design with double closure and all. I created one similar to that one and i use it as a sporran. It is good as a daily use bag, you just need to acclimate yourself to the inner being the primary closure instead of the outer.
Hey! As a suggestion, you could wear your arrows as a bundle weaved in a sash around your hip. You would twist the bundle of arrows in to the sash you already wearing. Another option could be a wooden quiver which is used in Koshiya Kumiyumi. I hope this is of any use to you and thank you for all the ideas you are providing. It is also a delight to watch you two conversing. Love from Germany.
Following along with your quiver was my second leather project I ever made. I shoot my bow off my horse and accounted for it bouncing around a lot. I added the second strap that you were talking about. It makes a world of difference. It keeps the arrows right where you need them to be. Also would recommend swapping the buckle to the other strap so the slack is hanging down it will look neater
As with the rest of your builds I really like hearing the good and the bad you make it real, not everything come out perfect every time, for the cups I have read that food safe epoxy will work for hot liquids. Keep up the great work.
Project ideas. So, I recently made a leather dice tray for D&D. I used 7-8 oz veg tan, wet it and wet formed it into a metal pie plate then trimmed, sanded the top edge, carved the D&D logo and stained it. Turned out really nice. Next is a leather map of the region in our campaign and a set of bone dice…. Love your show and love when I get that little notification about your new vids
Interesting notes on Hoods; the Hoods on medevil cloaks were sometimes a separate article of clothing rather then an all in one; perhaps you need to design a hood to wear with the cloak separately, the advantage being that it is an independent article of clothing that won't respond or be pulled upon by the rest of the fabric. That way you can protect your head without necessarily adding extra complications to an all in one build and can overlap the articles to offer modular protection depending on the weather. Fantastic video and ultra insightful to cosplaying; I've been slowly putting together a Star Wars esk cosplay that I've been taking bits and pieces toward that! Thank you!
One of the most beautiful hoods I have seen was in an episode of Brother Cadfael Mysteries that a woman archer wore. It was woolen and dyed petal pink. In fact the whole series is a master class of costuming with the pieces showing genuine use and wear. You can find it on BBC. Issac Jacobi plays a monk herbalist who uses reason to solve Medieval murders.
Regarding the leather armor, they are usually intended to be worn over a gambeson which can also be worn as an 'outer' layer. A gambeson would be an exciting project to cover on the channel. Also for any armscyes, you can wet form the edges to roll slightly out to keep those edges from causing bruising or rubbing.
Wow, an honest to goodness REAL honest review! I love what you do here and have saved some of your design ideas for "future reference". And now you got down and dirty with TRUTH! You really DO have super powers! Thanks for the reviews. I'm all in with a carved wooden mug for hot /cold beverages. Gotta be a dense wood. Many options to dress it up. And yes, always seal your leather - and wool rocks for comfort, breathability, water fastness, style, and comfort. Wool felt rocks! Thanks again. God bless. Take care. And stay vigilant. Oh, and have fun!
Some thoughts regarding hot beverages: the best way to seal something like a drinking horn is going to probably be a food-grade epoxy specifically designed for withstanding boiling temps, or else a silicone or silicone-lined vessel (which can be any shape you like, but again check for food-grade and boiling temp resistance before going ahead with it). Silicone really is magical stuff if you select the correct grade and apply it correctly. In the Medieval word, hot drinks would be served in ceramic containers: ceramics will not break [easily] from thermal shock, and will not [usually] leach their contents into the beverage in question. Borosilicate glass will withstand the thermal shock, but isn't super "period". Unfortunately there aren't a lot of options here. Authenticity says "ceramics are your best bet". Also, while metals like copper won't shatter when exposed to sudden heat, their thermal conductivity make them unsuitable for drinking out of. Just sayin'.
Something you all mentioned at the end here, I think would be a GREAT episode - "leveling up our old projects!". Honestly, that would be very cool/useful.
With the belts, i would say go back and skive down the end that goes through the ring so its thinner and more flexible. With the dye leaking/bleeding, i would recommend sealing the pieces with a water proof resist of some sort. Theres so many to pick from i couldnt even begin to suggest the right option. Try making or using a cloak pin for the ruana cloak to help hold them in place better. You could always try to remake a few of these projects for a side by side comparison of how you started vs where youre at now. Most of all i want to see that viking bed build as well as a camp weekend only using the stuff youve made.
Wool is a solid choice for cloak material, it's less waterproof but retains 80% of its insulative properties when it's wet, so you won't be cold and it'll be more easily flexible than waxed cotton/canvas. The other downsides are that when wet, it stretches and gets heavy, and it can be quite itchy.
Wool is an excellent choice. If you don't mind being anachronistic, an application of Scotchguard gives wool much better wet weather performance. I live in Oregon and wear a long wool coat in the winter that I Scotchguarded and it's warm and sheds all but the heaviest downpours with ease.
@@rayneraccoon great to know, thanks! I don't imagine many people would complain, as it's not something you can immediately see that would break anyone's immersion.
This is such a great thing to do. Looking back on your work and honestly evaluating it is so valuable. I work with Scouts Canada and we have a mantra of Plan, Do, Review and we consider it an essential part of doing any kind of adventure.
Love the projects As someone that has worked in leather for a long time, do not trust a tie like that on the quiver knife! Someone can get hurt really bad or worse fighting with it. Food safe resin for the mug. Lining your armour can help with some of the issues you had, cloth, thin foam etc. (removable is an option). Hidden elastic / leather buckle straps are possible too. A Pack of moleskin is handy to keep with your kit. A fast way to pad something like a fastener that is chaffing, pinching or poking. Waxed linen or canvas can be a decent option for a light rain cover vs the leather one she mentioned. There are also older recipes if you want to DIY the cloth for the coating, wax & linseed oil etc. More than happy to trade war stories if you are ever curious about how the entertainment industry does something. I'm looking forward to seeing what your up to next :D
I'll second the epoxy resin for sealing - there are several that are completely inert such as the Apoxy Clay which you could even make an entire mug out of and be fine. Some of the liquid epoxy are definitely not recommended for food though.
Awesome video. Right up my ally! For those belts, I think they are salvageable. I had a similar experience when I was playing Robin Hood. The weight (thickness) of the leather is fighting against the width of the belt. They look like they are 2 inches plus wide right now, make them less wide, the ratio of thickness to width should even out and they should be usable. You guys should totally make cloak pins on the channel, it would help those ruana cloaks from unwrapping themselves. Wood mugs and kuksas when seasoned properly can hold hot liquid without needing to seal them at all. So a wood cup is now my preferred adventuring cup.
Regarding your Nutsack, a wooden bead or leather slider/keeper should be enough to keep the inner closed while also being quick enough to operate that it won't disrupt you too much with frequent use. Also, that sure is a very fine quiver, and you've discovered the fantasy fallacy of back-mounted weapons! Indeed, the trope of having your sword or arrows on your back is terribly impractical; true soldiers likely only have them there while travelling, they go on the hip when you're ready to rock and roll - well, strictly speaking, archers just jammed them in the ground or a bucket kinda situation depending on if they had time to set up, they weren't running around mid-melee preferentially. But where's the adventure in that!
Regarding back quivers specifically, I have used a 1970's expedition quiver (can hold 60 arrows in 3 "separate" sections) extensively, and it works well. The main reason why it performs much better than my newer "costume" quivers is that it has a separate chest strap, basically making it a 3 point securement system, as opposed to the standard 2 point system most quivers have these days. It's so effective that I added a strap to emulate this on my latest quiver, and it holds the quiver in place on my back right where I need it. And for reference, since I did the testing on this, my back quiver allows me to fire faster than an archer of similar skill level that is using a ground quiver. At last testing, he fired 20 arrows in the same amount of time that I fired 22, with similar scoring results. What I'd really like to see Skill Tree do is a backpack quiver with a pair of long knife/short sword sheaths built in, in the style idea of Legolas' equipment from the Lord of the Rings movies. I wonder how many pouches and or storage space could be added.
@@markvaughan7530 I agree that a back quiver is dependent on strapping properly to make it successful. Also, a sword can be worn on the back. See Shadiversity. You can use a regular sword sheath if you have a witcher style sword (i.e. Arming sword blade length with long sword length hilt.) or you can use Shad's style of special sheath for long swords and great swords.
@@jackhartwig440 I've seen Shad's back scabbard, and for what it does, it's cool. I was suggesting a backpack type quiver with 2 short sword/fighting knife sheaths, much like the one Legolas uses in LOTR. It can be seen quite readily when he removes it to enter Meduseld in Edoras.
as someone who owns an across the back quiver and used it in medieval reenactment, i can fully recommend the attached waist belt. It keeps the quiver in position and prevents it bouncing around.
You could make yourself a kuksa to solve the hot drinks problem. Its a wooden cup thats traditionally carved from one block of wood. You can seal it with a food safe polymerizing oil (like tung oil) and it should hold up to hot drinks just fine. Would be a good project for a video too.
For SCA and Ren Faires, we usually would use (lead-free) metal tankards or ceramic mugs for hot liquids. With the metal often they’d have a leather outer sleeve and/or leather around the handle to keep from burning yourself. Everything else tended to not hold up over time.
I have a recommendation for your quiver. Adding as strap that will go under your arm from the front to the back can help stabilize and keep it on place on your body
As a traditional archer my quivers have either been off the belt or a little more modern backpack quiver that allowed me to pull arrows from the bottom instead of over my shoulder. What you have looks great and you may be able to solve your issue with some adjustments. I myself have never larped so the arrows themselves obviously are creating a different set of issues for you. Love your work.
2:42 you can also use baking soda to remove leather dye stains on unwanted spots, your self or say a carpet. I've used tooth paste that has the stuff in it (yes the arm and hammer tooth paste) and that works fine enough.
tip with waxed canvas, if its feeling pretty stiff in places just throw it in the dryer and keep an eye on it. The wax will soften and spread more evenly and penetrate further into the fabric as well
Since you've been to Pennsic, you should ask a SCA member how to seal your drink wear. Even if they don't have the perfect answer themselves, they will be able to put you in contact with someone who does.
For your light weight waxed cloak, try a cotton sheet. As to your belt problem, use latigo straps. Latigo is used in cinches to hold saddles and are tied.
I took my kids to a medieval fair this summer and having seen your video on the ruana cloak i decided in the last minute to make my own (the kids shouldn't have all the fun should they?). I made it from an old blue bedsheet nearly kept it the same size aswell, just shortend it slightly. I ended up making the hole for the head to large, but it worked out. I used a broach to keep the cloak from unravelling.
I have used a back quiver for over a decade now. The trick is to put your bow hand on the bottom of the quiver to stabilize/ position the arrows for easy grabbing. You can use this method to put the arrows back into the quiver as well.
for the armor, flaring the areas that will dig in out away from the body is what I would suggest, Chuck Dorsett from Weaver Leather's channel has an excellent tutorial on making armor as does the Prince Armory channel, were I to make leather armor, I'd go and rewatch a bunch of those to make sure I'm getting it down before I cut the leather.
the quiver is beautiful. you can keep the quiver but change the connection to a 3 strap that connects on your chest. The 3 straps keep it exactly where it needs to stay even when running or reaching back for an arrow.
for your armor, if you pull the thick leather of the chest in farther for comfort of movement, you can use a milled leather or chrome tan to fill the space between your arm and the thicker leather
For the belts. If you need the thicker, stiffer leather for hanging things but still want to tie it. Measure out what you need for the belt part then sew on a thinner leather for the tie. That way you get the best of both worlds.
For the belt warping; look at making a "hero belt". Its just a belt with a larger backing of leather and it looks really cool. Super super easy to make and they're a great way to flex your leather tooling skills :)
Thanks guys, this was great. I’ll probably be making some of this stuff at some point, the pouches and belts and such are used in old style bushcrafting.
For the armor, when I draft patterns I generally add an extra half inch to three quarter inch of ease along areas I know are going to swivel- like my shoulders, waist, and hips. I also generally cut my armscye wider and lower than I would for a standard shirt or dress to allow ease of motion, which is I think the issue you were having with your shoulder area. I love the going back and reviewing projects after you've field tested them! Gives us makers great tips on how things actually function.
for the mugs i wouls say to add a removable ceramic or sttel or plastic liner so you can clean it easily without damaging the main out side . but this also means you have to make it bigger or smaller and then use a winesac to continuously refill from
The first suggestion that comes to mind... dont use rings on your belts. They didnt exist in period, and the leather slowly slips over the day loosening your belt. especially if you hang things off it. Use actual buckles, and then fold the belt over the buckle like you do with the ring belt. Much more sturdy, and less prone to have your belt fall off in the middle of a fight.
There are several excellent living history suppliers that have a variety of belt buckles and tips based on archeological finds. They are very reasonably priced too. Just a few (I'm not affiliated) are Black Raven Armory, Vehi Mercatus, Viking Leathercrafts, and my favorite, Raymond's Quiet Press.
You could try magnets instead of some of the rivets for the buckles on the armour. The ones that you find on bags, particularly handbags, that have the alignment bit. I don't know how well this would work running around, but it would be easy to get on and look good.
New to the channel and found it cuz I’m into similar eclectic craftinesses. So awesome! I reckon I would try to make a glue from pine sap for your horn, but maybe you would run into the same problems.
First off, thanks for making this video. It's great to see how your items have faired! Regarding sealing a mug, if the mug was wood, I'm nearly positive Lindseed oil (NOT BOILED Lindseed oil) would do the trick. Another option would be to wet the inside, then hit it with a torch to seal it with fire.
Linseed oil that gets exposed to boiling water becomes boiled linseed oil more or less instantly, and in any case is not something you want to drink. Also, sealing anything with fire creates ash/ carbon, which is a carcinogen when ingested. These are not viable solutions for a drinking vessel, for health and safety reasons. In today's world we have safer ways of doing this.
I made the assassins cloak without the lining, the wool I used was boiled wool and it was resistant to water and managed to keep down with heavy gusts of wind all by itself without much issue.
When I'm out in the woods I drink my coffee from a kuksa. I made it from a birch burl after the tree fell into my neighbour's garden and I helped him cut it up. After reading many instructions I treated it with linseed oil, but later I heard that many manufacturers cook them in saltwater to seal the wood. The first few drinks may taste a bit salty but it seems Finnish people don't have a problem with salt. Have you ever tried salmiakki? You shouldn't fill hot or acidic beverages in a horn. No matter how it's sealed. The keratin gets softened and can crack. Best thing is to use earthenware or a wooden mug made out of one piece. They're best made from burls because that bulk of wood doesn't have straight grains that crack easily.
I've made lots of leather mugs that I then sealed with Enviro-Tex Lite, a food-safe two part epoxy resin. It does a great job making things liquid-proof, and on something other than leather, is safe for hot beverages. (In a leather mug, too hot a liquid might cause the leather to buckle.)
With the quiver you just need to add another strap that goes from the bottom of the quiver around the other side of your body and attaches right around where your buckle is on the frount. The straps look should look like ad upside down Y from the front. It locks the quiver in place and makes it so you can adjust where the mouth of the quiver sits on your back. For the ring belts, the thickness of the leather looks fine, the issue you are having is with how wide they are, gernealy ring belts are more like an inch in width, I think if you cut it down narrower you would find it ties up much better. Great work though, your videos definitely inspire me to get out and make things!
I mentioned this on Kramer's video where you talked about the quiver issues, but there are a couple of things you can do if you want to keep it a back quiver. The first one is to make the strap wider where it joins the quiver and goes over the shoulder, then have it taper down in size. It's apparently a big issue when the strap is the same width. Looking at it the Tandy quiver pattern seems to have the design I mentioned if my explanation is unclear and you need a more visual example cause I'm not sure if I explained it well. The second is having another strap go from your quiver under your arm and reconnect to the strap in the front, making it more of a quiver harness. A third thing (which I didn't know until after talking to my dad who has experience in using a back quiver) is less a change in the quiver and more a change in how you draw an arrow from it. Apparently, bracing the bottom of the quiver with your elbow as you move to draw with your other arm will help in keeping it from running away from you as well. Also on cloaks: Using 100% wool would probably be the best idea, however, cheaper wools can be made from recycled wool which has the strands broken down and stripped of its natural lanolin which makes it itchy and removes its water resistance. Not sure if this would help with the itch factor (but a thin lining fabric would help with that), but using lanolin wax would help with restoring the waterproofing. It would also help with adding back the waterproofing which non-recycled wool can lose over time.
For the nut Sack try a piece of leather that slides up and down the string. That way when you tighten it the leather will slide up and be tight enough around the string that it wont (shouldnt) open up but you can easily open it with just one hand as you dig into it. Might help a bit. As for the Quiver HIGHLY suggest a Hip quiver attachment. Metal D ring type thing where you can swap it from a back quiver to a hip quiver. When traveling or not battle moments but you need it is out of the way on the back but in battle 100% hip will feel better for you
Great video! I'd love to see a quiver v2 with better ergonomics. As an archer, I struggle with this too. Check out the ancient greek quiver too, it's a cylinder with a cap - could be fun to engineer.
Also for your hood! Take a 2 inch piece of plastic canvas and sew it into the front hem of the hood edge, it gives you enough stability to hold it up out of your face without the "Assassin's creed" effect
Keep in mind that Shellac is ethanol solvable so i wouldn't drink any alchoholic beverages even cold out of a mug sealed with shellac. Pine pitch is probably also alcohol solvable, definitely solvent in rubbing alcohol.
Several of my canvas belts are a double D ring where the canvas goes through both loops, over the outer loop curve and back through and under the inner loop curve. The tension holds the belt together well enough I don't think about it, and its fast to loosen and tighten. Might be worth incorporating into your heavy leather belts that you don't want to buckle.
for the armor an armorer's hook could help it's just a wire hook used to grab the buckle so you can thread the hole side through the buckle but yeah always measure twice the length to give yourself room
Floating cloak: Insert a length of thick heavy cord rope and stitch it inside the bottom edge of the cloak. It will always hang heavy even in wind (running around).
Back quivers work better/stay in one place when you have a second strap that goes from the cross body strap to the bottom of the quiver on the other side of your body. But side quivers attached to the belt are more convenient to use than even a well positioned back quiver.
I know this is a bit late, but the leather you used for the Ranger Gloves is called 'chrome tan' and it isn't able to be dyed without it leeching back out...uh....seemingly forever. (My first piece was a collar for my fiance and I made this mistake...3 months of daily use and her neck stayed brown the entire time.) Veg tan will take dye, and hold it for life**, especially with a good finish applied (tan kote, resolene, etc.). Genuine leather is the particle board of leather and chrome tan is the cheapest tanning process, so it's incredibly cheap, but you kinda have to take whatever color it is unless you're up for looking like an Umpa Loompa ;). **Depending on brand and product line you might get a very little amount of dye rubbing off on the first couple of uses, but nothing that would turn your entire hand orange.
The quiver you could add another strap to go around your waist or find a way to hook it to your belt. Then you can still wear it on your back. I made one for the sca group I was with. I have a strap two straps on it. One to go around me and one to go over my shoulder. I still want to use it for larping. But can't find a group close to me
mug for hot fluids? blacksmith one out of metal. those are very usefull cuz they dont break and you can put them directly on the fire to cook or clean water, to make tea/coffe or actually cook food (canned stuff if needed) with style. scout approved. little side usage: you can transport very fragile stuff in it like raw eggs. just put em in some cloth and stuff it in the mug... if something hits or falls on your stuff you can be sure that the stuff inside the mug is fine, espechially if you add one of these small hatches that closes the opening like a typical german styled stein. also prevents stuff from falling into your drink and keeps a little bit of the heat inside
for hot liquid most people would probably have a pottery cup wrapped in leather to protect it or wood carved out of a single solid piece of wood although copper and pewter tin cups are also ridiculously old as well
I tried making a lighter weight quiver and arrows, because when they lean to one side like that, it can really strain the muscles, over time. Also, if you can't reach your arrows, it's because the weight is causing them to slide backwards and downwards behind you. Add a belt to the shoulder strap, to keep the arrows within reach, over your shoulder. Consider matching the weight on the other side of your body, for added comfort.
For the sealing of the horn mug, either food grade epoxy which doesn't need any reapplying or Salad Bowl Finish, which would need to be inspected about once a year for wear
Y'all need a penannular brooch for the ruana and a second strap for the quiver that attaches to the buckle and goes under the other arm, like Legolas has.
If you want to seal a wooden mug, one method you can use is to simply give it several coats of raw or boiled linseed oil. Its not suitable for any last minute projects, because it can take a couple of days to dry completely, but when it is dry it is durable, tasteless and completely non-toxic. Just make sure to give the cup a few coats with adequate drying time and be aware that it will make it more yellow. You could also use the finnish method, but I don't reccomend that for anyone with weak hearts and/or livers. And even if you do have healthy organs, don't use it for anything bigger than a small kuksa. For those who are curious, the finnish method is to fill the cup with black coffee, then drink it. Then fill it with whiskey and drink that. Then repeat until you black out and wake up in a ditch somewhere. And then do that two or three times in total for good luck.
So you guys stumbled on a fundamental engineering philosophy, elegance in simplicity. Granted a lot of your work is very aesthetically pleasing. However to maximize functional ability and durability in any system (jacket, backpack, folding vanity), reducing complexity will accomplish those goals. The best process is no process. The best part is no part. Often engineers and designers will go with "easier" route to build something. Building highly functionable, durable and reliable systems with minimal parts and processes takes a tremendous amount of skill and forethought. For example, I was recently watching one of your videos (I've watched MANY). The one I was interested in was the coffee alchemist box. Overall pretty interesting design. However one thing I would have done differently is to replace the hinges with much stronger hinges. I would've added a thin metal band to go the length of the box, then replace the beefier hinges then go through the wood with through bolts and a lock nut. I know it sounds like I'm going kind of against what I was saying with simplicity, however, your maximizing your structural integrity of the entire system. Then I would've used simple locking hinges for the inside. That would serve two purposes. One keep the box opening all the way. Two Keep the box from closing. So just my little tip is think about simplifying the process while also maintaining or increasing the strength of the system. Over all, love your content great ideas!
One other thing, with old mugs, ones made out of unglazed earthenware, often people just accepted that there was gonna be some leakage lol Not the ideal answer but, that's just how it was dealt with. Ofc there are many ways to seal pottery and mugs but that's a whole another process.
I believe there are a few videos that solve some issues with back quivers. There was a reason majority used side quivers and that is of course because of falling arrows or hard to reach arrows. I think people added another strap to the main one that wrapped around the opposite way under the other arm and back onto the quiver which kept it essentially harnessed to the body. This means that the quiver does not move as much and can make it somewhat easier to grab as it's held firmer in place on your back. I think there's other stuff people did to the overall design of it too so if you really want a back quiver there are some solutions to making it more easy to use. Obviously I recommend other ways to carry your quiver but it's not impossible to make a back quiver function better with some of the other really nice designs that solve your issues. Also for cloaks of any kind I always recommend a brooch of some sort. They used them all the time so if you're going to spend a whole day in the rain then just pin that baby.
Personally, for the cups, I'd cheat/go the safe route and use a stainless steel cup as an insert. A pack of 4 6oz cups on Amazon will run you $7 while 4 12oz cups would run $15-ish. Safter, more transportable, never fails.
For the cloak: if the wrap keeps falling down, one word: brooch. It’s what they did historically, it’s super easy, and it looks great
Ooh yeah a nice pennanular is a fun project for a guy with a forge!
@@Taurusus Or even if you don't have a forge, there's a few metals you can choose that are soft enough to work cold. I believe copper, or thin mild steel may work.
@@Taurusus I married a blacksmith and he has made me four!
Just wanted to write something similar. The historic brooches for that purpose are called fibular and if you find the right shop there are extremly cool designs, far better than the simple horse shoe like viking stuff.
@@Wepwawet..wait_what Ah, way to think ahead!
You can use a food safe epoxy resin to seal the mugs. I know a vendor that does this for their drinking horns at my local medieval faire. They advertise they are for drinking coffee and dishwasher safe.
What medieval faire do you go to?
Uh.... I'd maybe look into that. Some of those resins they say are dishwasher safe really arent.
That's a really good point, If you know a good food safe epoxy, could you share?
I came here to say this. My epoxy-lined horns from Longship Luxury Goods (now defunct I think, or else drastically changed under new ownership since the original artist/owner's passing) are decades old and still going strong. Of course they don't go in the dishwasher, so I can't speak to that issue.
@@carinhuber2570 Never put anything made of horn in the dishwasher, no matter what you seal it with. It will eventually cause it to swell from the moist heat and crack open. Food grade epoxy is the best choice to make it stand up to coffee, tee, and mulled wine. BTW Revolutionary reenactors buy a special brick tea that is grated and then brewed. It was the majority of the tea that was thrown in the Boston Harbor. Since it was sealed in kegs the Rebels were able to salvage it from the bay and still use it. Smoke and Fire used to sell it.
Something to consider before your next LARP -> wear your gear all day, as you would be equipped around the house (or out for a walk/etc). It is a really good way to get a feel for how well your gear fits, what works and doesn't work.
Can’t wait for the 5 part episode of him learning to cooper, so he can make a 2 liter cask. From making the metal rings, to shaping the staves on a woodhorse. And additionally, making a little chest to horde leather supplies.
Will start with woodworking a stump to make a base for his anvil for a surface to make such things
18:00 Belts: First, its not the thickness (weight) of the leather that is the problem. One issue is the belt width to ring diameter ratio that is really important to make these belts work right. You can (and should, if hanging stuff off it, or using it for retention around armor) use thick leather. 3.5 mm thick is common. The ring diameter should be around 1.5 times or greater the strap width.
Secondly, vegetaned leather is specifically stiff, and is "moldable". As it absorbs sweat or rain, and with applied pressure, it will deform (even long after being finished). So, you should avoid the "belt straps" that you can often buy from leather shops, or cutting your own from vegetan. Its great for modern clasp belts with a keeper, where the tongue is fed through belt loops. Any leather crafter on youtube will tell you "use vegtan for belts. It doesn't stretch." But.. urr.. all things stretch. And when you are sweating gallons and your belt is sweat wet, its going to lock that shape in when it dries out. Vegtan is not good for ring belts (IMO). The best you can do with a vegetan belt is keep it well oiled and just hand work it a LOT back and forth, making tight rolls inside and outside. keep the outside surface waxed or oiled. EVENTUALLY it will be in that perfect space between pliable and not yet brittle ;)
Instead, what you want is Latigo leather, or chrome tanned (From most "floppy" [supple] to least: chrome, latigo, vegetan). You actually WANT that springiness/stretchiness in a ring belt. It helps to "lock" the belt around the ring and is much more pliable around the waist. Unfortunately it can be difficult to find latigo or chrome tanned leather in shops that isn't already dyed (often grotesquely ;) When you find it in a "natural" color you'll know because it is already lightly dyed. Even sans dye, its a darker color than vegetan. Latigo has the characteristics of being much more pliable than vegetan yet super durable as well as naturally water resistant. It does not deform even when wet (at least not in a way that locks in when it dries again). It "self heals" cuts, scrapes, and stress deformation very well. Super "floppy" which is how you want the tongue of the belt to hang below the ring. The downside is that you cant stamp it or carve it (at all. It wont "take" the stamp). Thus why its almost always pre-dyed in the shops. Which is fine, as the dye is much more uniform direct from the tanner. The best you can do is paint it with leather paints, or add embellishments like studs, conches, belt tips, etc. Avoid the chrome tanned leather with a super sheen (almost rubbery) top surface. it will be too stiff. Look for an unglazed top surface, flat, not glossy. its a natural skin feel.
Use elasticized shoelaces for your breastplate. No one will be able to tell at a distance and it will fit snugly every time. (I have a tactical vest, and that's what I use to lace it up.)
That is an AMAZING idea! Thank you!
Shit, that's perfect for a project I'm working on now!
Having broken the leather laces no less than three times on my bracers, I'm happy to report I've switched to paracord.
The lighter felted wool material can be used as a cloak material without a liner. To make it have the weight and drape so it’s not a bother, take a tip from historic cosplay: Add coins or a chain inside the bottom hem (depending on the material, it might be needed in the seam allowances, as well).
Great video! I really enjoy seeing how the things you’ve made actually held up in a LARP environment and hearing all the beginner lessons you learned. So helpful!
another thing that works well is split shot fishing wieghts plus if your playing a pirate or pistolier char , its emergency " ammo" lol
It is great to see the lessons learned from actual use. This should be a regular feature of the channel.
I was the guy that came up and asked(pointing to the assassin cloak) "hey did you learn to make that from a certain RUclips channel?" And kit is like "no... but I made it on a RUclips channel" my reaction was !!!!!
A 60k subscriber channel that feels like a 2 million subscriber channel, in the best way. High production value and incredibly charismatic hosts!
The extra space in the armor is called "ease" in garment construction terms.
Bless you, such a rarity with crafty channels to see followups!
Were I to be uncharitable, I'd suggest it's because _some_ channels take shortcuts in builds and don't make actually functional pieces... perish the thought!
I hoped for a field test review of the backpack of exceptional expansion.
I was looking for the staff of navigation and restoration :')
The nutsack is actually a medieval design with double closure and all. I created one similar to that one and i use it as a sporran. It is good as a daily use bag, you just need to acclimate yourself to the inner being the primary closure instead of the outer.
Hey! As a suggestion, you could wear your arrows as a bundle weaved in a sash around your hip. You would twist the bundle of arrows in to the sash you already wearing.
Another option could be a wooden quiver which is used in Koshiya Kumiyumi.
I hope this is of any use to you and thank you for all the ideas you are providing. It is also a delight to watch you two conversing. Love from Germany.
It IS good idea! I be we can riff off of that and make something that works😁
Do you have a vid showing how it works?
@@Sylvaantye ruclips.net/video/asDy55cRVds/видео.html I made a short video about what I was talking about. I hope it is useful!
Following along with your quiver was my second leather project I ever made. I shoot my bow off my horse and accounted for it bouncing around a lot. I added the second strap that you were talking about. It makes a world of difference. It keeps the arrows right where you need them to be. Also would recommend swapping the buckle to the other strap so the slack is hanging down it will look neater
As with the rest of your builds I really like hearing the good and the bad you make it real, not everything come out perfect every time, for the cups I have read that food safe epoxy will work for hot liquids. Keep up the great work.
Project ideas. So, I recently made a leather dice tray for D&D. I used 7-8 oz veg tan, wet it and wet formed it into a metal pie plate then trimmed, sanded the top edge, carved the D&D logo and stained it. Turned out really nice. Next is a leather map of the region in our campaign and a set of bone dice…. Love your show and love when I get that little notification about your new vids
Interesting notes on Hoods; the Hoods on medevil cloaks were sometimes a separate article of clothing rather then an all in one; perhaps you need to design a hood to wear with the cloak separately, the advantage being that it is an independent article of clothing that won't respond or be pulled upon by the rest of the fabric. That way you can protect your head without necessarily adding extra complications to an all in one build and can overlap the articles to offer modular protection depending on the weather.
Fantastic video and ultra insightful to cosplaying; I've been slowly putting together a Star Wars esk cosplay that I've been taking bits and pieces toward that! Thank you!
One of the most beautiful hoods I have seen was in an episode of Brother Cadfael Mysteries that a woman archer wore. It was woolen and dyed petal pink. In fact the whole series is a master class of costuming with the pieces showing genuine use and wear. You can find it on BBC. Issac Jacobi plays a monk herbalist who uses reason to solve Medieval murders.
@@leekestner1554 The actors name who plays Cadfael is Derek Jacobi
@@mikebass3721 Thank you, I was having an ADHD moment.
Regarding the leather armor, they are usually intended to be worn over a gambeson which can also be worn as an 'outer' layer. A gambeson would be an exciting project to cover on the channel. Also for any armscyes, you can wet form the edges to roll slightly out to keep those edges from causing bruising or rubbing.
Wow, an honest to goodness REAL honest review! I love what you do here and have saved some of your design ideas for "future reference". And now you got down and dirty with TRUTH! You really DO have super powers!
Thanks for the reviews.
I'm all in with a carved wooden mug for hot /cold beverages. Gotta be a dense wood. Many options to dress it up.
And yes, always seal your leather - and wool rocks for comfort, breathability, water fastness, style, and comfort. Wool felt rocks!
Thanks again.
God bless.
Take care.
And stay vigilant.
Oh, and have fun!
Would love to see the water bottle Maddie made, carrying water is so often over looked but super important
Some thoughts regarding hot beverages: the best way to seal something like a drinking horn is going to probably be a food-grade epoxy specifically designed for withstanding boiling temps, or else a silicone or silicone-lined vessel (which can be any shape you like, but again check for food-grade and boiling temp resistance before going ahead with it). Silicone really is magical stuff if you select the correct grade and apply it correctly.
In the Medieval word, hot drinks would be served in ceramic containers: ceramics will not break [easily] from thermal shock, and will not [usually] leach their contents into the beverage in question. Borosilicate glass will withstand the thermal shock, but isn't super "period". Unfortunately there aren't a lot of options here. Authenticity says "ceramics are your best bet". Also, while metals like copper won't shatter when exposed to sudden heat, their thermal conductivity make them unsuitable for drinking out of. Just sayin'.
Something you all mentioned at the end here, I think would be a GREAT episode - "leveling up our old projects!". Honestly, that would be very cool/useful.
With the belts, i would say go back and skive down the end that goes through the ring so its thinner and more flexible.
With the dye leaking/bleeding, i would recommend sealing the pieces with a water proof resist of some sort. Theres so many to pick from i couldnt even begin to suggest the right option.
Try making or using a cloak pin for the ruana cloak to help hold them in place better.
You could always try to remake a few of these projects for a side by side comparison of how you started vs where youre at now.
Most of all i want to see that viking bed build as well as a camp weekend only using the stuff youve made.
Would love to see how some of the mugs and cups and other foodwere hold up over time... And how to wash them! Especially that leather water bottle!
Wool is a solid choice for cloak material, it's less waterproof but retains 80% of its insulative properties when it's wet, so you won't be cold and it'll be more easily flexible than waxed cotton/canvas. The other downsides are that when wet, it stretches and gets heavy, and it can be quite itchy.
Wool is an excellent choice. If you don't mind being anachronistic, an application of Scotchguard gives wool much better wet weather performance. I live in Oregon and wear a long wool coat in the winter that I Scotchguarded and it's warm and sheds all but the heaviest downpours with ease.
@@rayneraccoon great to know, thanks! I don't imagine many people would complain, as it's not something you can immediately see that would break anyone's immersion.
This is such a great thing to do. Looking back on your work and honestly evaluating it is so valuable.
I work with Scouts Canada and we have a mantra of Plan, Do, Review and we consider it an essential part of doing any kind of adventure.
Love the projects
As someone that has worked in leather for a long time, do not trust a tie like that on the quiver knife! Someone can get hurt really bad or worse fighting with it.
Food safe resin for the mug. Lining your armour can help with some of the issues you had, cloth, thin foam etc. (removable is an option). Hidden elastic / leather buckle straps are possible too. A Pack of moleskin is handy to keep with your kit. A fast way to pad something like a fastener that is chaffing, pinching or poking. Waxed linen or canvas can be a decent option for a light rain cover vs the leather one she mentioned. There are also older recipes if you want to DIY the cloth for the coating, wax & linseed oil etc. More than happy to trade war stories if you are ever curious about how the entertainment industry does something. I'm looking forward to seeing what your up to next :D
I'll second the epoxy resin for sealing - there are several that are completely inert such as the Apoxy Clay which you could even make an entire mug out of and be fine. Some of the liquid epoxy are definitely not recommended for food though.
I would love videos showing you guys taking old projects and showing how to improve/maintain them 😁
Awesome video. Right up my ally! For those belts, I think they are salvageable. I had a similar experience when I was playing Robin Hood. The weight (thickness) of the leather is fighting against the width of the belt. They look like they are 2 inches plus wide right now, make them less wide, the ratio of thickness to width should even out and they should be usable. You guys should totally make cloak pins on the channel, it would help those ruana cloaks from unwrapping themselves. Wood mugs and kuksas when seasoned properly can hold hot liquid without needing to seal them at all. So a wood cup is now my preferred adventuring cup.
Regarding your Nutsack, a wooden bead or leather slider/keeper should be enough to keep the inner closed while also being quick enough to operate that it won't disrupt you too much with frequent use. Also, that sure is a very fine quiver, and you've discovered the fantasy fallacy of back-mounted weapons! Indeed, the trope of having your sword or arrows on your back is terribly impractical; true soldiers likely only have them there while travelling, they go on the hip when you're ready to rock and roll - well, strictly speaking, archers just jammed them in the ground or a bucket kinda situation depending on if they had time to set up, they weren't running around mid-melee preferentially. But where's the adventure in that!
Regarding back quivers specifically, I have used a 1970's expedition quiver (can hold 60 arrows in 3 "separate" sections) extensively, and it works well. The main reason why it performs much better than my newer "costume" quivers is that it has a separate chest strap, basically making it a 3 point securement system, as opposed to the standard 2 point system most quivers have these days. It's so effective that I added a strap to emulate this on my latest quiver, and it holds the quiver in place on my back right where I need it. And for reference, since I did the testing on this, my back quiver allows me to fire faster than an archer of similar skill level that is using a ground quiver. At last testing, he fired 20 arrows in the same amount of time that I fired 22, with similar scoring results. What I'd really like to see Skill Tree do is a backpack quiver with a pair of long knife/short sword sheaths built in, in the style idea of Legolas' equipment from the Lord of the Rings movies. I wonder how many pouches and or storage space could be added.
@@markvaughan7530 I agree that a back quiver is dependent on strapping properly to make it successful. Also, a sword can be worn on the back. See Shadiversity. You can use a regular sword sheath if you have a witcher style sword (i.e. Arming sword blade length with long sword length hilt.) or you can use Shad's style of special sheath for long swords and great swords.
@@jackhartwig440 I've seen Shad's back scabbard, and for what it does, it's cool. I was suggesting a backpack type quiver with 2 short sword/fighting knife sheaths, much like the one Legolas uses in LOTR. It can be seen quite readily when he removes it to enter Meduseld in Edoras.
as someone who owns an across the back quiver and used it in medieval reenactment, i can fully recommend the attached waist belt. It keeps the quiver in position and prevents it bouncing around.
Use MAX CLR it's a food safe epoxy finish cleared for hot liquids.
If you have access to a Potter's kiln, and your mug material is heat-stable, you probably could glaze it with a clear glaze.
Horn is the same material as hair. It burns.
You could make yourself a kuksa to solve the hot drinks problem. Its a wooden cup thats traditionally carved from one block of wood. You can seal it with a food safe polymerizing oil (like tung oil) and it should hold up to hot drinks just fine. Would be a good project for a video too.
For SCA and Ren Faires, we usually would use (lead-free) metal tankards or ceramic mugs for hot liquids. With the metal often they’d have a leather outer sleeve and/or leather around the handle to keep from burning yourself. Everything else tended to not hold up over time.
I have a recommendation for your quiver. Adding as strap that will go under your arm from the front to the back can help stabilize and keep it on place on your body
As a traditional archer my quivers have either been off the belt or a little more modern backpack quiver that allowed me to pull arrows from the bottom instead of over my shoulder. What you have looks great and you may be able to solve your issue with some adjustments. I myself have never larped so the arrows themselves obviously are creating a different set of issues for you. Love your work.
2:42 you can also use baking soda to remove leather dye stains on unwanted spots, your self or say a carpet. I've used tooth paste that has the stuff in it
(yes the arm and hammer tooth paste) and that works fine enough.
tip with waxed canvas, if its feeling pretty stiff in places just throw it in the dryer and keep an eye on it. The wax will soften and spread more evenly and penetrate further into the fabric as well
Since you've been to Pennsic, you should ask a SCA member how to seal your drink wear. Even if they don't have the perfect answer themselves, they will be able to put you in contact with someone who does.
For your light weight waxed cloak, try a cotton sheet. As to your belt problem, use latigo straps. Latigo is used in cinches to hold saddles and are tied.
I took my kids to a medieval fair this summer and having seen your video on the ruana cloak i decided in the last minute to make my own (the kids shouldn't have all the fun should they?). I made it from an old blue bedsheet nearly kept it the same size aswell, just shortend it slightly. I ended up making the hole for the head to large, but it worked out. I used a broach to keep the cloak from unravelling.
I have used a back quiver for over a decade now. The trick is to put your bow hand on the bottom of the quiver to stabilize/ position the arrows for easy grabbing.
You can use this method to put the arrows back into the quiver as well.
for the armor, flaring the areas that will dig in out away from the body is what I would suggest, Chuck Dorsett from Weaver Leather's channel has an excellent tutorial on making armor as does the Prince Armory channel, were I to make leather armor, I'd go and rewatch a bunch of those to make sure I'm getting it down before I cut the leather.
the quiver is beautiful. you can keep the quiver but change the connection to a 3 strap that connects on your chest. The 3 straps keep it exactly where it needs to stay even when running or reaching back for an arrow.
for your armor, if you pull the thick leather of the chest in farther for comfort of movement, you can use a milled leather or chrome tan to fill the space between your arm and the thicker leather
This video came just in time for me, I literally picked up the material for 3 of these projects that I was going to try and make this weekend.
For the belts. If you need the thicker, stiffer leather for hanging things but still want to tie it. Measure out what you need for the belt part then sew on a thinner leather for the tie. That way you get the best of both worlds.
For the belt warping; look at making a "hero belt". Its just a belt with a larger backing of leather and it looks really cool. Super super easy to make and they're a great way to flex your leather tooling skills :)
Thanks guys, this was great. I’ll probably be making some of this stuff at some point, the pouches and belts and such are used in old style bushcrafting.
Regarding the ruana cloak Duck fabric is a good choice because its a lighter tarp like fabric designed for being waxed
For the armor, when I draft patterns I generally add an extra half inch to three quarter inch of ease along areas I know are going to swivel- like my shoulders, waist, and hips. I also generally cut my armscye wider and lower than I would for a standard shirt or dress to allow ease of motion, which is I think the issue you were having with your shoulder area.
I love the going back and reviewing projects after you've field tested them! Gives us makers great tips on how things actually function.
for the mugs i wouls say to add a removable ceramic or sttel or plastic liner so you can clean it easily without damaging the main out side . but this also means you have to make it bigger or smaller and then use a winesac to continuously refill from
12:14 buy old wool blankets to line your cloaks with. or add the wool inside the liner as a middle layer
23:16 Tin Cup. just sayin.
The first suggestion that comes to mind... dont use rings on your belts. They didnt exist in period, and the leather slowly slips over the day loosening your belt. especially if you hang things off it. Use actual buckles, and then fold the belt over the buckle like you do with the ring belt. Much more sturdy, and less prone to have your belt fall off in the middle of a fight.
There are several excellent living history suppliers that have a variety of belt buckles and tips based on archeological finds. They are very reasonably priced too. Just a few (I'm not affiliated) are Black Raven Armory, Vehi Mercatus, Viking Leathercrafts, and my favorite, Raymond's Quiet Press.
@@luvnotvideos big ups on Raymonds quiet press. High quality reproductions of period finds.
You could try magnets instead of some of the rivets for the buckles on the armour. The ones that you find on bags, particularly handbags, that have the alignment bit. I don't know how well this would work running around, but it would be easy to get on and look good.
for the tent you should make poles using the same method as your wanders staff minus all the fancy decorations.
New to the channel and found it cuz I’m into similar eclectic craftinesses. So awesome!
I reckon I would try to make a glue from pine sap for your horn, but maybe you would run into the same problems.
First off, thanks for making this video. It's great to see how your items have faired!
Regarding sealing a mug, if the mug was wood, I'm nearly positive Lindseed oil (NOT BOILED Lindseed oil) would do the trick. Another option would be to wet the inside, then hit it with a torch to seal it with fire.
Linseed oil that gets exposed to boiling water becomes boiled linseed oil more or less instantly, and in any case is not something you want to drink. Also, sealing anything with fire creates ash/ carbon, which is a carcinogen when ingested. These are not viable solutions for a drinking vessel, for health and safety reasons. In today's world we have safer ways of doing this.
the quiver you can make a "Y" style harness. it will lock in down and you can run without it bouncing allover the place.
I made the assassins cloak without the lining, the wool I used was boiled wool and it was resistant to water and managed to keep down with heavy gusts of wind all by itself without much issue.
For the quiver the addition of a third strap would help hold it in place a lot better.
When I'm out in the woods I drink my coffee from a kuksa. I made it from a birch burl after the tree fell into my neighbour's garden and I helped him cut it up. After reading many instructions I treated it with linseed oil, but later I heard that many manufacturers cook them in saltwater to seal the wood. The first few drinks may taste a bit salty but it seems Finnish people don't have a problem with salt. Have you ever tried salmiakki?
You shouldn't fill hot or acidic beverages in a horn. No matter how it's sealed. The keratin gets softened and can crack.
Best thing is to use earthenware or a wooden mug made out of one piece. They're best made from burls because that bulk of wood doesn't have straight grains that crack easily.
cloaks use wool felt helps in rain and stays warm
they usually had layers on with other materials also they had softer leather underneath to keep the main armor from digging into them
I've made lots of leather mugs that I then sealed with Enviro-Tex Lite, a food-safe two part epoxy resin. It does a great job making things liquid-proof, and on something other than leather, is safe for hot beverages. (In a leather mug, too hot a liquid might cause the leather to buckle.)
With the quiver you just need to add another strap that goes from the bottom of the quiver around the other side of your body and attaches right around where your buckle is on the frount. The straps look should look like ad upside down Y from the front. It locks the quiver in place and makes it so you can adjust where the mouth of the quiver sits on your back.
For the ring belts, the thickness of the leather looks fine, the issue you are having is with how wide they are, gernealy ring belts are more like an inch in width, I think if you cut it down narrower you would find it ties up much better.
Great work though, your videos definitely inspire me to get out and make things!
I mentioned this on Kramer's video where you talked about the quiver issues, but there are a couple of things you can do if you want to keep it a back quiver. The first one is to make the strap wider where it joins the quiver and goes over the shoulder, then have it taper down in size. It's apparently a big issue when the strap is the same width. Looking at it the Tandy quiver pattern seems to have the design I mentioned if my explanation is unclear and you need a more visual example cause I'm not sure if I explained it well. The second is having another strap go from your quiver under your arm and reconnect to the strap in the front, making it more of a quiver harness. A third thing (which I didn't know until after talking to my dad who has experience in using a back quiver) is less a change in the quiver and more a change in how you draw an arrow from it. Apparently, bracing the bottom of the quiver with your elbow as you move to draw with your other arm will help in keeping it from running away from you as well.
Also on cloaks: Using 100% wool would probably be the best idea, however, cheaper wools can be made from recycled wool which has the strands broken down and stripped of its natural lanolin which makes it itchy and removes its water resistance. Not sure if this would help with the itch factor (but a thin lining fabric would help with that), but using lanolin wax would help with restoring the waterproofing. It would also help with adding back the waterproofing which non-recycled wool can lose over time.
For the nut Sack try a piece of leather that slides up and down the string. That way when you tighten it the leather will slide up and be tight enough around the string that it wont (shouldnt) open up but you can easily open it with just one hand as you dig into it. Might help a bit.
As for the Quiver HIGHLY suggest a Hip quiver attachment. Metal D ring type thing where you can swap it from a back quiver to a hip quiver. When traveling or not battle moments but you need it is out of the way on the back but in battle 100% hip will feel better for you
Can you make a medieval/LARP mess kit?
And a smaller medievaltype backpscking camping stove
Great video! I'd love to see a quiver v2 with better ergonomics. As an archer, I struggle with this too. Check out the ancient greek quiver too, it's a cylinder with a cap - could be fun to engineer.
Love the ending!!! Thanks for the follow up!
Also for your hood! Take a 2 inch piece of plastic canvas and sew it into the front hem of the hood edge, it gives you enough stability to hold it up out of your face without the "Assassin's creed" effect
Keep in mind that Shellac is ethanol solvable so i wouldn't drink any alchoholic beverages even cold out of a mug sealed with shellac. Pine pitch is probably also alcohol solvable, definitely solvent in rubbing alcohol.
psst: "Soluble"
For ring belts, make them thinner if you are using thicker leather. There's less deformation around 1-1.5 inches.
Honest self reflection is a good skill to learn. Keep leveling up!
doing Ren Faire in the 1990's I loved my kinsale cloak made from velvet & fur ... it kept me warm and cozy.
Several of my canvas belts are a double D ring where the canvas goes through both loops, over the outer loop curve and back through and under the inner loop curve. The tension holds the belt together well enough I don't think about it, and its fast to loosen and tighten. Might be worth incorporating into your heavy leather belts that you don't want to buckle.
for the armor an armorer's hook could help it's just a wire hook used to grab the buckle so you can thread the hole side through the buckle but yeah always measure twice the length to give yourself room
Floating cloak: Insert a length of thick heavy cord rope and stitch it inside the bottom edge of the cloak. It will always hang heavy even in wind (running around).
Back quivers work better/stay in one place when you have a second strap that goes from the cross body strap to the bottom of the quiver on the other side of your body. But side quivers attached to the belt are more convenient to use than even a well positioned back quiver.
I know this is a bit late, but the leather you used for the Ranger Gloves is called 'chrome tan' and it isn't able to be dyed without it leeching back out...uh....seemingly forever.
(My first piece was a collar for my fiance and I made this mistake...3 months of daily use and her neck stayed brown the entire time.)
Veg tan will take dye, and hold it for life**, especially with a good finish applied (tan kote, resolene, etc.).
Genuine leather is the particle board of leather and chrome tan is the cheapest tanning process, so it's incredibly cheap, but you kinda have to take whatever color it is unless you're up for looking like an Umpa Loompa ;).
**Depending on brand and product line you might get a very little amount of dye rubbing off on the first couple of uses, but nothing that would turn your entire hand orange.
The quiver you could add another strap to go around your waist or find a way to hook it to your belt. Then you can still wear it on your back. I made one for the sca group I was with. I have a strap two straps on it. One to go around me and one to go over my shoulder. I still want to use it for larping. But can't find a group close to me
mug for hot fluids? blacksmith one out of metal. those are very usefull cuz they dont break and you can put them directly on the fire to cook or clean water, to make tea/coffe or actually cook food (canned stuff if needed) with style. scout approved. little side usage: you can transport very fragile stuff in it like raw eggs. just put em in some cloth and stuff it in the mug... if something hits or falls on your stuff you can be sure that the stuff inside the mug is fine, espechially if you add one of these small hatches that closes the opening like a typical german styled stein. also prevents stuff from falling into your drink and keeps a little bit of the heat inside
for hot liquid most people would probably have a pottery cup wrapped in leather to protect it or wood carved out of a single solid piece of wood although copper and pewter tin cups are also ridiculously old as well
I tried making a lighter weight quiver and arrows, because when they lean to one side like that, it can really strain the muscles, over time. Also, if you can't reach your arrows, it's because the weight is causing them to slide backwards and downwards behind you. Add a belt to the shoulder strap, to keep the arrows within reach, over your shoulder. Consider matching the weight on the other side of your body, for added comfort.
Thinking about things with the quiver, you might be able to make a shoulder pad piece to make it work and hold it in position.
Great stuff guys - please continue to do your great work - many of us out here really love your enthusiasm..
For the quiver, look at three-point harnesses. That's what I use for my quiver
For the sealing of the horn mug, either food grade epoxy which doesn't need any reapplying or Salad Bowl Finish, which would need to be inspected about once a year for wear
Y'all need a penannular brooch for the ruana and a second strap for the quiver that attaches to the buckle and goes under the other arm, like Legolas has.
If you want to seal a wooden mug, one method you can use is to simply give it several coats of raw or boiled linseed oil. Its not suitable for any last minute projects, because it can take a couple of days to dry completely, but when it is dry it is durable, tasteless and completely non-toxic. Just make sure to give the cup a few coats with adequate drying time and be aware that it will make it more yellow.
You could also use the finnish method, but I don't reccomend that for anyone with weak hearts and/or livers. And even if you do have healthy organs, don't use it for anything bigger than a small kuksa.
For those who are curious, the finnish method is to fill the cup with black coffee, then drink it. Then fill it with whiskey and drink that. Then repeat until you black out and wake up in a ditch somewhere. And then do that two or three times in total for good luck.
For your mugs use of food grade resin should be able to seal it up that way it fixes the hot liquid problem
I thoroughly appreciate this type of video. So much fun watching you build each one of these but this video was uber helpful
So you guys stumbled on a fundamental engineering philosophy, elegance in simplicity.
Granted a lot of your work is very aesthetically pleasing.
However to maximize functional ability and durability in any system (jacket, backpack, folding vanity), reducing complexity will accomplish those goals.
The best process is no process. The best part is no part.
Often engineers and designers will go with "easier" route to build something.
Building highly functionable, durable and reliable systems with minimal parts and processes takes a tremendous amount of skill and forethought.
For example, I was recently watching one of your videos (I've watched MANY). The one I was interested in was the coffee alchemist box.
Overall pretty interesting design.
However one thing I would have done differently is to replace the hinges with much stronger hinges. I would've added a thin metal band to go the length of the box, then replace the beefier hinges then go through the wood with through bolts and a lock nut.
I know it sounds like I'm going kind of against what I was saying with simplicity, however, your maximizing your structural integrity of the entire system.
Then I would've used simple locking hinges for the inside. That would serve two purposes.
One keep the box opening all the way. Two Keep the box from closing.
So just my little tip is think about simplifying the process while also maintaining or increasing the strength of the system.
Over all, love your content great ideas!
One other thing, with old mugs, ones made out of unglazed earthenware, often people just accepted that there was gonna be some leakage lol
Not the ideal answer but, that's just how it was dealt with.
Ofc there are many ways to seal pottery and mugs but that's a whole another process.
I believe there are a few videos that solve some issues with back quivers. There was a reason majority used side quivers and that is of course because of falling arrows or hard to reach arrows.
I think people added another strap to the main one that wrapped around the opposite way under the other arm and back onto the quiver which kept it essentially harnessed to the body. This means that the quiver does not move as much and can make it somewhat easier to grab as it's held firmer in place on your back. I think there's other stuff people did to the overall design of it too so if you really want a back quiver there are some solutions to making it more easy to use.
Obviously I recommend other ways to carry your quiver but it's not impossible to make a back quiver function better with some of the other really nice designs that solve your issues.
Also for cloaks of any kind I always recommend a brooch of some sort. They used them all the time so if you're going to spend a whole day in the rain then just pin that baby.
Personally, for the cups, I'd cheat/go the safe route and use a stainless steel cup as an insert. A pack of 4 6oz cups on Amazon will run you $7 while 4 12oz cups would run $15-ish. Safter, more transportable, never fails.