Hi, I come from a reindeer herder family, and we've never waterproofed our hides. We just put it on a tarp of some kind, or more traditionally, we would put about of foot tall bed of twigs and very small branches (the finer the better but more work, of course) underneath and that would keep us warm in -40 to -50 degress. As long as you don't think of it as a rainjacket and more of a sleeping pad, you should be golden even without waxing it.
Long haired shampoo bar aficionado here! Top tips: Your bars will last a lot longer if you let them dry between use. I find they dry pretty quickly most places if you leave it sitting on the lid for a bit before you put in in the tin. Even if it is not bone dry, that will keep it from sitting in a pool of water at least. If you find your hair is waxy feeling after washing, use a vinegar rinse. That is what traditionally replaced conditioner with those. I use a small glug of apple cider vinegar in a measuring cup and then fill the rest with water, but you will need to play around with ratios to find what works for your hair and your local water supply. I don't find this to be any more fuss than modern shampoo and conditioners and I've grown my hair out to calf length now. Nothing fancy here, this is very easy to do, although you can of course make it fancier if you wish by making say rosemary-infused vinegar.
like with otter or bever mitts at least once a season you should brush the hide. Same type of brush you would brush your pet with. Not a whole lot and not very hard just enough to un matt it and remove any loose fur. And yes, you will get some loose fur it's normal. This gets out any dirt or other stuff that could cause it to rot. It also helps to fluff the fur which is what makes it so warm of an insulator.
I’ve brain tanned whitetail hides. Smoking the hide is the final step which gives the gold color. This also helps preserve the hide and gives it some moisture resistance. Must be done with cold smoke over a long period. Use punk wood over coals. Probably videos on it. Good luck!
Also knew, one of the best tools to have with you when you go camping is a hatchet. Chop wood, hammer things, skin animals, self-defenses, there is a lot you can do.
Nice axe. Axes are the ultimate tool for wood processing in the thick woods of the northern hemisphere. A knife is essential, but it can't do as much work as efficiently as an axe can. Plus throwing axes is super fun.
A machete is king in the tropics. But a machete cant fell a temperate or taiga tree, process it, and turn it into firewood or a usable lumber the way an axe can. If it could be used for such, it would have been.
I should add, nor can a falchion do what an axe can. A falchion is strong, but not as durable as an axe, as the thinner blade is prone to chipping, rolling, or bending if used to chop down trees.
I've also seen in some of the scholagladiatoria and Tod's Workshop videos that falshions are commonly thought of as being machetes but that they don't function at all the same. That falchions are very thin bladed slashers, not choppers, and to use one like a machete would destroy it. Perhaps this would mean rangers would develope their own new weapon types. Or an axe might just be the way to go.
@@LivingAnachronism I actually have a sword that would technically fit the multifunction bush weapon profile quite well. Devil's Edge out of Kult of Athena has what they call a "Single-Edged Qama", and it's about two feet long, hefty and built like a thick machete with a wicked stabbing tip on it. I've put it through a (broken and discarded) solid core oak door with minor dulling. It's also very affordable at around 70 USD.
Best way to tell if a piece of leather is chrome tanned is to look at edge of the piece. chrome tan will have a silverish white line in the center of it. veg tan/ brain tan will be a consistent color.
Olive oil soaps are definitely medieval era. I actually looked into this a lot because I wanted to start using hygiene items that were used in Medieval times. A popular type of soap that was used more often by the rich was Castile Soap. Castile soap is made from Olive oil. At my grocery store were only 2 brands of Castile soap. Kirk's Castile Soap (this stuff is awful imo, made from coconut oil not olive oil and extremely drying) and Dr. Bronners Castile Soap (this was much closer to medieval style recipes and also come in medieval era scents like Lavender, Peppermint and even unscented).
I keep telling my soap and candle shoppes to add some more masculine options for soaps, deodorants, etc. Not everything needs to be so fruity and froofroo.
@@texasbeast239 personally if there is a lavender option I always go with that. Lavender smells good, puts my mind at ease, and has the benefit of repelling insects. Not everyone likes that though...
Yes, you are 100% correct in assuming that the scant use metal in the hafting region of axes is all about conserving material! Steel was a precious commodity in ways we don't full appreciate today! You can really see this material conservatism again in the small size of anvils discovered in the Mastermyr find.
I picked up a reindeer hide like that while backpacking in Sweden. I used it as my bed mat for months afterwards. I can't remember how much it cost but I've never regretted it. I often pin it to my coat for added warm in the winter, works like a charm.
A mixture of boiled linseed oil, turpentine, and beeswax soaked into the leather waterproofs pretty good. You could also look into waterproofing products for shoes/boots for a more modern approach.
A full pelt is actually naturally waterproof! Also brain tan is much more durable. The chrome tan process actually eats away part of the hide during the process
A quick note on strikers vs knives: knives and strikers are generally tempered (both are hardened, but tempering is the process of carefully reheating the metal to remove some of the hardness and accompanying brittleness. Knives need more spring - thus more tempering - than a striker) differently so that, even if you can get sparks off of a knife, it will generally be fewer (and thus, less efficient) than using a purpose built striker. Also, you mentioned that the knife probably isn't wrought iron. That is actually a good thing. Wrought iron contains no carbon while steel does contain carbon. Carbon is what allows the steel to be hardened. A true wrought iron striker will not make sparks (though there are ways to introduce carbon into wrought iron to make a low grade steel) and a wrought iron knife will not hold an edge. Carbon steel is needed for both of these tools.
Very nicely explained. Just to further clarify, the idea with the knife as a striker probably comes from modern bushcraft. There a magnesium rod is often used with a knife to produce sparks. The difference is, with flint and steel, you use the flint to break of tiny steel flakes, which you see as the sparks flying off. With the magnesium rod your scraping of magnesium with the knife, so basically the opposite. That's why you could basically use everything with a sharp enough edge, while with flint and steel you need high carbon steel or there won't be sparks (which also is a method to detect the carbon content of steel)
Blacksmith here, for a striker you can water harden a fairly low quality low carbon steel and end up with something that's very hard but would be a poor choice for a blade but fine for a striker given that it just needs to hold a vaguely sharp edge and can be an extremely wide grind to overcome any brittleness
@@nearpath8785 I've only ever used spring steel and oil quenching. You now have me interested in trying lower carbon steel with a water quench. Can you use mild steel or does it need to have more carbon than that?
@@grbdevnull5611 mild steel would probably work fine for a water quench (I haven't had any reason to try that, but it should be a good candidate) just be careful with water quenches they won't start fires if you screw up but it's way more likely to snap or warp steels (except for W marked steel like W2 )
Hot damn that's an expensive pelt. Over here in Finland you can get rrally good deer,reindeer,fox or lamb pelts for like 40 euros each at any number of pagan faires as well as medieval festivals.
I'm an avid leather worker and the difference between brain and chrome tan is the brain is a little stiffer than chrome but not always sometimes it's the other way around but the smell is the true way to tell the brain has a natural smell and the chrome has a chemical smell
dont know about tanning with the hair on, but for buckskins, they would scrape the hair off brain tan and then sew a few pelts together so that you have a large sort of bag with one opening that is placed above a fire made from coniferous trees to capture the smoke inside the bag (the pitch and other things inside conifers add the brown color and some degree of water resistance to the hide)
I remember getting my first ancient style axe, a bearded 1H combat axe.... And the feel in the hand, it's enough to convert someone to being an axe person.
On the top of your ax the bridge area if it has a short 90° angle on it you can use it to strike your flint and it should produce Sparks to start a fire
Chrome tanned will have a slight blue purple hue because the chrome tanning dose chrome blue the fur will pull away and shed a bit more because it is chemically treated. Brain tanning is from the best way to tan in my opinion because you still smoke the skin to make it leather on the under side.
All right, you've convinced me. We sell darker grey reindeer hides at Tandy Leather and I can't keep my eyes and hands off them, and I've wondered what you'd think of them. This is divine confirmation. Also, that axe is gorgeous.
Hey Dawson! There was a Tandy stall at the faire and I was eyeing the hides there as well. They were more reddish, but this white one was just too gorgeous to turn from. Cheers mate!
I'm very new to your channel, but had I known you had no flint and steel I would have forged you one! I'm still somewhat armature but steel strikers are among my favorite things to make. Your striker looks like an old file, they make far better sparks than about any other steel when hardened properly, just watch that they dont rust, a light coat of oil just like you would on a knife will prevent it, though most people i know just let it rust slightly, it wont effect the use and it looks old Very nice tomahawk too, if I'm not mistaken it looks to be made from an old railroad spike, but theres a lot of steel on the edge so they likely forge welded a higher carbon steel onto it for better edge holding. This was commonly done historically as well leading to a "softer" more springy and durable head, but with an edge that will keep up for much more use.
When/If this one needs to be replaced, I'd love to have a hand forged striker from a fellow adventurer and supporter of the channel. That would be awesome! Thank you
@@LivingAnachronism Just let me know if your ever interested! They effectively never wear out though, one family in Siberia has used he same flint striker every day for decades while living off grid even. Different styles were used all over the world though, so if you ever want a specific locations style, just let me know. Personally I am a fan of Scottish style snail strikers, but everyone's got there own preferences. On that note though, if you ever get a chance to try on a great kilt you should. It might be a bit late historically for you but imo they are the best cloak for adventuring, you might like them!
brain tan is meant to be a very good way to tan because the hide will maintain it's warmth and breathability, the middle earth ranger forum members who do medieval camping seem to swear by it (for worn leather clothing anyway) where as chrome tan uses nasty chemicals that damage both the structure and properties of the leather, I think you made the right choice :) be careful with oiling it tho, that's OK for leather but (I'm far from an expert so I'm probably wrong) someone told me that if you oil hide with fur on it can loosen the leather fibers and the fur can start to come out, this was in the context of sheepskin though so do you're research olive oil soap is what I use for wet felting because it makes less bubbles, I have quite a lot of it on hand but I haven't ever used it to wash, maybe I should try it in the name of science LOL and that is one nice axe :)
Those are some great additions to your kit! I loved the blacksmith shop there, the spoon carver and the custom costume place, Emazanti, where really nice too. Cant wait to see some bush craft videos with the axe.
I generally use goat pelts or sheepskin. Not only are they cheaper (I find them for 60-70 USD), they also air out a little better. Not quite as comfy, but i've always slept better on hard surfaces 🍻
Loved your haul! I was going to ad my couple of cents...but anything I might have said has already been - and far better - by some of the folks commenting below. I will tell you though that I had some of the best times of my life during a couple of pre-1840s rendezvous in Sonoita, AZ back in the early 80s. And I still have both, my flint and steel (still in their original tin and leather pouch) and a knife I was gifted by a grizzled old craftsman, who along with his wife, took my then young and definitely wet-behind-the-ears self under their wings. I'm smiling as I'm typing this. Thank you for bringing up some wonderful memories for me! ♥ Hope your purchases bring you the kind of times that great memories are made of.
If you want to make your brain tanned hide more water tolerant, you will want to smoke it, then oil it. You want a cold very smoky fire (or hook up a series of pipes to a smoker). Use punky wood if you can (dry, dry rotted wood). You want the smoke to blow around the skin side of the hide without getting on the fur too much (the smoke will permanently discolor the fur). You should keep it in the smoke for at least half an hour, but don't let the smoke be hot enough to cook the hide! You want lots of pretty cold smoke. After the hide is smoked, rub the skin side down with mink oil. Let the hide sit over night, then buff off any excess mink oil in the morning to keep it from oil staining anything else it comes in contact with. Brain tanned hides will never be quite as water tolerant as chrome tanned pelts BUT they can become plenty durable and can be treated to put up with most abuse short of washing them. Time won't make your hide any more resilient, unless you use it as inside wall of your tent and regularly have smoky fires in there (which was done historically). When you aren't using your hide, you should ideally store it in a cedar chest. Assuming you don't have a cedar chest, you should soak small bits of wood in cedar oil and keep them in / around your hide (like folded up inside of it). There are lots of moths and beetles that love to eat hides, which will leave you with holes and hair falling out. If your hide feels damp after camping, you should hang it up inside to dry out. If your hide does get wet before you do any of these things, it isn't the end of the world. Let it dry to assess how it is doing. What you might see is that the area that got wet has become somewhat darker and stiffer. If that happens, then you will need to rewet the area and slowly restretch the hide (the search term you want is "breaking hides") as it dries, and dries completely. When you are done it should be white again and supple, if not then try again. If you leave the area wet too long then the hair will start to fall out of that area. Source: I tan rabbit hides as a hobby, mostly using brain / egg.
Awesome reply 😎 He may want to practice on some smaller game pelts before he tries on that reindeer hide. White-tailed deer pelts may be cheaper as well
@@motagrad2836 oh definitely! Starting with something like a rabbit would be a good bet, a decent rabbit hide tanned with brain, egg, allum or a combination can go for maybe $10-20 and would help him learn all of the steps without too much financial risk
It amuses me that the first item you mention is a reindeer pelt; it's exactly what I purchased last weekend for my orc character's sleeping kit :) You've made me start thinking about taking a series of stills that show my camp set up. We use cotton canvas bell tents at our LARP, so that's different to yours, nevertheless, it's prompted me to think about how I set dress my personal space. :) Also, the bit of the axe you were wondering about? I believe that's the neck; simply because many tools that have a thin bit between wide bits tends to be called necks.
Your new axe has a curvature that is very reminiscent of the francisca, a 6th century C.E. throwing axe used by the Franks. It is noted by some historical accounts that the design carried down in French culture from the Franks to the French fur traders and explorers in 16th and 17th century America and is believed by some to have even been the template for the tomahawk.
Welcome in, brothah, to the Cult o'tha Axe! Great call choosing a combo hand axe/hammer head. Very useful tool. Looking forward to seeing you experiment with different lanyard lengths, holds, etc. You want the lanyard to help you hold on, but not to absolutely hold onto you if you ever truly slip and loose your grip. That puppy needs to be free to fall away, rather than swinging back at you on the end of a cord!
Bravo! I save up all year around to splurge at our festivals here as well. We have four Rennaisance Festivals here in Missouri. Three of them within three and a half hours of eachother. We are quite spoiled.
Nice gear. I carry my tomahawk with the handel slid into the back of my belt. It works surprisingly well and is easy and fast to draw and slip back away. Id really recommend a bit or edge cover for it though in any case to protect you your gear and the cutting edge its self. Looking forward to more vids. Oh the belt im talking about is one i wear over other clothing. Not one i wear with modern pant loops. But a gear belt with kit pouches ect. Welcome to the 18th century. But as you know many of these tools and methods cross over several eras
I also carry my tomahawk slid into the back of my belt/sash. I agree it works quite well, and I prefer this method over a ring or leather frog where the haft is liable to bounce about against your leg.
Axe enthusiast here. I have tried a few methods of axe carrying, tucked into the belt directly works fine, but can be uncomfortable . Ring frogs are extremely quick to draw from, but the axe will sway a lot when walking and have the potential to just turn upside down and fall out. Leather frogs inversely, offer great retention but can snag and bind on the draw, perhaps leaving a Ranger tugging franticly when their axe is needed most. My favorite design is a simple strip of leather with 2 slits to pass your belt through, which makes a small loop outside the belt to pass the axe handle through. this is comfortable to wear, provides stable carry, excellent retention and a fairly quick draw. I got the idea from another RUclips video, which I unfortunately can no longer find. but if you're interested in this design I would gladly share a picture of the 2 which I've made.
Also, not to be critical, but I noticed that the grain orientation for your Beautiful axe is perpendicular to that which would be ideal. When the grain is in the same direction as the force of the impact, the handle lasts much longer than otherwise. When the grain is perpendicular to the force of the impact, the repeated blows weaken the integrity of the structure, in that the layers will eventually separate and the handle will break. Whenever I shop for wooden handled tools, be they hammers, axes, shovels or any other, I always check for proper grain orientation/alignment and avoid any not close to perfect. I hope this advice helps!!! I'm learning much from you and am attempting to pay it forward...Stay safe, well and happy!!!
Going back to your Cloaks vid for just a moment. There is another historical cloak you may want to look into. The Great Plaid or Great Kilt. Scottish Highlanders would use this thing for everything from rain cover to a full on backpack based on how it was worn. Fandabi dozi does a really well made video on the great kilt as well as a whole series on historical gear of the Scottish Highlanders. Well worth checking out.
1-to treat the pelt rub in ( 40% bees wax , 18% boiled linseed oil, 20% Vaseline or other petroleum jelly ,10% flax oil food grade , 10% paraffin , 2% finely powdered black tea, 1% finely powdered copper ) until you can not get more to absorb in and then in a month rub in more. 2-I use a ring carry for my tomahawk ( I can replace a haft in the field with no tools, unlike with a wedge halfted axe ) but I also use a leather blade guard so I dont cut things l don't want to like myself and also carry a small stone to resharpen the tomahawk 3-soap is a highly underrated thing to carry in the woods but in addition to improving your moral it is also important for keeping you healthy and cleaning wounds and would also have been a valuable trade item ( and no natural plants containing soaps are not even close to as good nor are they readily available at most times or year or in most places )
Excellent! My husband and I acted, worked and played at Ren Faires for many years. We always talked about doing videos such as yours but the technology wasn't there... we're old ha! Well done indeed!
I think all your new addition to your kit are pretty cool and the two things I like the most are the knife and the ax. The knife is simple not a whole lot of frills and the ax look awesome. Something I noticed when you had it where you could see the bottom of the head it looks like it has marks on it that I'm guessing came from the blacksmithing process which I think actually adds character. I definitely enjoyed the video and can't wait till the next one.
🎩Hi. Nice stuff. One thing I would recommend about the flint is try to get some that is a lot darker in colour. The darker it is the better it is. Also if you can get loads. You will be amazed how much you get through trying to get your technique correct. And raid everyone’s wardrobes for old cotton tea shirts. They make excellent char cloth. And get some good correct mushrooms for a bit of more variation. Once you start learning how to start fire this way, it can become quite addictive. Ie. Can I do it in the wind, rain etc. Refer to the dwarves in the hobbit failing in the goblin cave mouth.
I've made soap a couple of times ... my olive oil soap didn't turn out great, but I still use it. Making soap that is kind to skin is fairly modern ... it needs precise amounts of high grade lye. In medieval times, while they had soap, it was less predictable and harsher. They made lye from boiling wood ash, which is an inconsistent process, and often made a very harsh soap, usually used for laundry. Most people continued to use other cleansing methods, or the very, very rare soap that did turn out gentle. [For more on this, Snappy Dragon has an excellent video: "Why medieval people didn't wash their hair, and how it stayed clean"] But this isn't history, it's anachronism, and we can use modern methods to make soap the medievals would have wanted to make, if they had the know-how.
my kiddos and I do a lot of camping with leather while doing reenactments.. what my family usually does is a wool blanket underneath. we camp with lots of rain and cold weather and we have never had any issues.
i prefer the use of the leather frog because while bow hunting using a ring frog the ring and axe head will clang together and then scare of whatever animal you are hunting.
@@LivingAnachronism I didn't have that exact issue, although my axe kinda just fit a thin perfect niche for ring frogs... I can see where that can also be an issue though. I just got really frustrated with it when going historical hunting and the clang of the ring and axe would scare off a dear. So I personally switched to a leather frog and I've loved it ever since.
I recently got a faux fur rug, thanks to your channel, which I will never use for that purpose. It's white with brown tips of fake hair on a leather base. Needless to say it's beautiful, but I will only have it on the foot of my bed as an asthetic piece too look at. And hopefully it will "never" get dirty. Occasionally I allow my lab to jump on the bed, but I will dutifully remove the rug before he hops up.
Tandy Leather sells pelts/furs. Online shops do too. And cute little independent shops in Montana and Wyoming. Note Dave Canterbury doesn't recommend fleece in rainy conditions because they don't dry well.
Really cool! Just found your channel today. I have subscribed and have been binge watching videos today. I have always been fascinated by the “old ways.” I look forward to seeing more of your videos! 🤠👍🏻
This video gets me so excited. I'm so keen to start my own medieval kit. So far I've not acquired much but it's a start. Everything I don't have the means to make at home I buy at medieval and fantasy festivals in my area. The next one is a fundraising event to get our South African HEMA club to compete abroad. So amped for it.
Someone else may have mentioned this but I couldn't find it. The knife appears to be a "Nesmuck" style of knife (lived in the late 1800 to 1910's) so think frontiersman, trapper or/and woodsman. If you go looking on the internet for references and "Sears," "George Washington Sears," or possibly "Horace Kephart" show up too, you are looking in the right place.
I have always wanted to go to a Ren fest!!! I have never had the chance to go because there are never any near me within two miles. It has my people. One day I hope to go!!!
I have a striker like the top right one in the pic that was based on a migration era find in Bavaria. I bought it at the museum store of the actual grave and the fire making kit was on display. So your thought process is correct.
Hi Kramer, my name is Tim. Just wondering where you hail from? I ask because I live in CT and noticed your haul came from the CT Ren Faire. I really dig your channel and don't larp but definitely dress, collect, and practice sword craft
That is a nice axe! I've made both a sheath to protect the axe blade, so it can be worn on the belt with a leather loop or metal ring, and a full length frop that loops onto the belt. I'll post a short video to show them off. I, too, have recently gotten flint and steel to make a more authentic fire kit. Haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm looking forward to trying it out.
That bit of the axe you weren't sire about is called the "neck". Think of an axe head by human anatomy. On an human and on an axe you have the cheek on the sides, above the beard, which is in front of the shoulder. What connects someones shoulder to their beard(AKA jaw)? The neck!
@@LivingAnachronism No prop. I only know because I'm one for diving down rabbit holes when I get curious about something. I went on an axe binge about 6-7 months ago lol. Though it bugs me that I misspelled "sure" as "sire" lol. Too late to change it now or I lose my precious heart.... yeees... my precious.
I prefer to carry my axe in the fold of my bedroll. It's protected from the elements, easy to access, and (historically) was carried in this fashion for longer trips on foot. Cheers!
The addition of the 18th century gear to the ranger kit makes me think of the Jägers from Assassin's Creed III. Pain in my ass, they were, but they looked spiffy in-game at least.
The brooches are definitely bronze. Pure copper is much redder in color. Also, it oxidizes if you breathe on it and is soft enough to be annoying if you want to make something that will take physical strain.
Congratulations on getting 10.2K subscribers! And this was a really fun video, especially at 12:32 to 12:38. What on Earth was happening here? XD The pelt is beautiful and from what you were saying about it, it tempts me to get one for myself. As for the axe, that was by far my favorite item you recently got. Not much of an axe guy myself, but the look of the one you got looks great. The way you were handling that axe, I couldn't help imagining what you'd use the axe for, especially during your camping/hiking trips. As an example you can cut some branches off of some trees and get them down into shape before moving on to your knife to carve something nice and/or useful for your home or adventures.
At that moment I was realizing that I had no idea how the axe weighed, knowing people might ask for that info, realizing I hadn't planned, then realizing I might not be able to weigh it. And I left it in cuz it made me laugh ;)
Just recently discovered your channel. I enjoyed the first video so much, that I went back and watched all of your other videos and I really enjoyed them. Very unique topic covered in an entertaining manner. I'm looking forward to the next one. In the mean time, I'll be making a cloak. It seems you sold me on that! Thanks for all your hard work.
Congratulations on getting proper firemaking gear- we expect you to practice and use it to light candles from now on. ;>) Definitely use the steel that came with it to make sparks- doing so with a knife is possible but is hard on it. As for treating that hide, I cannot strongly enough recommend Sno-Seal. It's mostly beeswax and will make the surface you apply it to waterproof. Be aware that it will stiffen and darken the leather, and should be refreshed every six months to a year. Just warm it and the leather up, rub it in and let it cool, then wipe any excess off. It's good on boots and shoes, belts, bags, hats and gloves and pretty much any leather product you don't want to absorb or be penetrated by water. Mink oil is also a good waterproofer but will make leather more supple and soft. If you sleep on it that can make it *less* comfortable. Both products have modern petroleum-based or silicone oil additives to keep them from going rancid or moldy and easier to apply, but both are odorless once ready for use. If you want to make your own I go along with those who suggest boiled linseed oil mixed with beeswax. Beware of the linseed oil component heating up as it "sets"- it polymerizes the way epoxy does and gets hot as it does. Make sure you let cool air circulate over the hide for a few days- that's how long it can take linseed oil to fully set. (I AM NOT AFFILIATED WITH EITHER PRODUCT) Love that axe- a great all-around outdoors tool/weapon. I'd take the polish off that knife blade to make it look more "period". Wrap the blade in paper towel and dampen with vinegar, let sit for an hour or three then rinse with water and dry. That slightly etches the steel and roughens the surface but shouldn't make it rust (stainless steels are rust *resistant*, not rust proof). Thanks for sharing the haul. Reminds me I need to find some stuff of my own...
Aye, a solid iron axe head was the most common and most representative of what people used back then, so it will give Kramer more of the FULL experience, with regular sharpening. But a steel bit insert would hold the edge longer, for a bit of a more premium tool. My fave D&D character is said to have a many-notched axe, so by my interpretation that means I probably need to stick with a solid iron blade, keep the ol' whetstone close, and live with the fact that it's ne'er going to be as nice as a steel-edged chopper. And I'll call that "character".
Been loving every video you have made. I’m pretty sure I have watched every video so far you have made❤️. Came from shad and 100% stayed for the content, keep up the great work.
I have read that using scented olive oil was used for cleaning or at least to make one smell nicer, but I don't think I have ever read about a soap based on olive oil.
Can you do a video walking through the construction of your green tunic that you wear in this? You've mentioned the blanket you used as a base before, but I don't know how you did the lacings etc - are the eye holes there taken from boots? How are they attached to the fabric?
The eye holes are grommets that you can get at a fabric store and attached using a grommet setter. I may eventually replace them or make a new tunic with a more "period" style than the modern grommets. I show off that tunic a bit more in my first Q&A video, that might answer some more of your questions in the mean time
Love to see you had fun! Those brooches totally look like they're made of bronze and not brass. I have a bronze belt and 3 bronze little rings for braids and the look beautiful when new and beautiful when they get old and start to look darker. For me, I'm an axe person, but I'm starting to like sword a bit haha
The proper archaeological term is "copper alloy" which covers everything from copper with tiny traces of other elements to brasses and bronzes. Aging anything with copper in it is easy- use ammonia or something with sulfur to get various brown and green colors, though the green tends to wear off easily. Ammonia fuming works great and the brown sticks better.
If you're ever in the market for another axe I'm a fairly small blacksmith but the majority of my commissions are bearded axes but I can do most styles, I can provide some examples of my works if you'd like
Just treat it like a leather jacket with leather conditioner. That hide probably wasn’t smoke either for how white it is. Smoking helps water proof but more importantly helps to kill off bacteria which will help the longevity of your hide.
super easy axe carry tool. take a scrap of leather. 4x6cm should do the trick. on 1 end make a hole that the top of the handle fits into. on the other stab your knife thru twice. badabing badaboom you got an axe holstering device.
My 19 year old daughter is taking blacksmithing at our local Community College. I MUST show her this axe.
Hi, I come from a reindeer herder family, and we've never waterproofed our hides. We just put it on a tarp of some kind, or more traditionally, we would put about of foot tall bed of twigs and very small branches (the finer the better but more work, of course) underneath and that would keep us warm in -40 to -50 degress. As long as you don't think of it as a rainjacket and more of a sleeping pad, you should be golden even without waxing it.
Long haired shampoo bar aficionado here! Top tips: Your bars will last a lot longer if you let them dry between use. I find they dry pretty quickly most places if you leave it sitting on the lid for a bit before you put in in the tin. Even if it is not bone dry, that will keep it from sitting in a pool of water at least. If you find your hair is waxy feeling after washing, use a vinegar rinse. That is what traditionally replaced conditioner with those. I use a small glug of apple cider vinegar in a measuring cup and then fill the rest with water, but you will need to play around with ratios to find what works for your hair and your local water supply. I don't find this to be any more fuss than modern shampoo and conditioners and I've grown my hair out to calf length now. Nothing fancy here, this is very easy to do, although you can of course make it fancier if you wish by making say rosemary-infused vinegar.
like with otter or bever mitts at least once a season you should brush the hide. Same type of brush you would brush your pet with. Not a whole lot and not very hard just enough to un matt it and remove any loose fur. And yes, you will get some loose fur it's normal. This gets out any dirt or other stuff that could cause it to rot. It also helps to fluff the fur which is what makes it so warm of an insulator.
I’ve brain tanned whitetail hides. Smoking the hide is the final step which gives the gold color. This also helps preserve the hide and gives it some moisture resistance. Must be done with cold smoke over a long period. Use punk wood over coals. Probably videos on it. Good luck!
Also knew, one of the best tools to have with you when you go camping is a hatchet. Chop wood, hammer things, skin animals, self-defenses, there is a lot you can do.
Nice axe. Axes are the ultimate tool for wood processing in the thick woods of the northern hemisphere. A knife is essential, but it can't do as much work as efficiently as an axe can.
Plus throwing axes is super fun.
A machete is king in the tropics. But a machete cant fell a temperate or taiga tree, process it, and turn it into firewood or a usable lumber the way an axe can. If it could be used for such, it would have been.
I should add, nor can a falchion do what an axe can. A falchion is strong, but not as durable as an axe, as the thinner blade is prone to chipping, rolling, or bending if used to chop down trees.
I've also seen in some of the scholagladiatoria and Tod's Workshop videos that falshions are commonly thought of as being machetes but that they don't function at all the same. That falchions are very thin bladed slashers, not choppers, and to use one like a machete would destroy it. Perhaps this would mean rangers would develope their own new weapon types. Or an axe might just be the way to go.
@@LivingAnachronism I actually have a sword that would technically fit the multifunction bush weapon profile quite well. Devil's Edge out of Kult of Athena has what they call a "Single-Edged Qama", and it's about two feet long, hefty and built like a thick machete with a wicked stabbing tip on it. I've put it through a (broken and discarded) solid core oak door with minor dulling. It's also very affordable at around 70 USD.
@@someguy3861 I really like the aesthetic of that in addition to the practicality, thank you so much for sharing!
Best way to tell if a piece of leather is chrome tanned is to look at edge of the piece. chrome tan will have a silverish white line in the center of it. veg tan/ brain tan will be a consistent color.
This is a little bit true. But I'm too lazy to explain in what way you're wrong, unless you ask me...
I have regained energy. The best way to check is to lick it. If your saliva immediately seeps into the leather, and forms a dark spot, it's veg tan
Olive oil soaps are definitely medieval era. I actually looked into this a lot because I wanted to start using hygiene items that were used in Medieval times. A popular type of soap that was used more often by the rich was Castile Soap. Castile soap is made from Olive oil. At my grocery store were only 2 brands of Castile soap. Kirk's Castile Soap (this stuff is awful imo, made from coconut oil not olive oil and extremely drying) and Dr. Bronners Castile Soap (this was much closer to medieval style recipes and also come in medieval era scents like Lavender, Peppermint and even unscented).
I keep telling my soap and candle shoppes to add some more masculine options for soaps, deodorants, etc. Not everything needs to be so fruity and froofroo.
@@texasbeast239 personally if there is a lavender option I always go with that. Lavender smells good, puts my mind at ease, and has the benefit of repelling insects. Not everyone likes that though...
I love Dr. Bronners, good company. I think the soaps I bought this time are lavender and tea tree. Pine and sandalwood would be great though.
@@LivingAnachronism manly scents.
Yes, you are 100% correct in assuming that the scant use metal in the hafting region of axes is all about conserving material! Steel was a precious commodity in ways we don't full appreciate today! You can really see this material conservatism again in the small size of anvils discovered in the Mastermyr find.
I picked up a reindeer hide like that while backpacking in Sweden. I used it as my bed mat for months afterwards. I can't remember how much it cost but I've never regretted it. I often pin it to my coat for added warm in the winter, works like a charm.
And its so aesthetic
A mixture of boiled linseed oil, turpentine, and beeswax soaked into the leather waterproofs pretty good. You could also look into waterproofing products for shoes/boots for a more modern approach.
Do not use linseed oil on leather. It will harden it. A mistake made by people with no experience.
A full pelt is actually naturally waterproof! Also brain tan is much more durable. The chrome tan process actually eats away part of the hide during the process
A quick note on strikers vs knives: knives and strikers are generally tempered (both are hardened, but tempering is the process of carefully reheating the metal to remove some of the hardness and accompanying brittleness. Knives need more spring - thus more tempering - than a striker) differently so that, even if you can get sparks off of a knife, it will generally be fewer (and thus, less efficient) than using a purpose built striker.
Also, you mentioned that the knife probably isn't wrought iron. That is actually a good thing. Wrought iron contains no carbon while steel does contain carbon. Carbon is what allows the steel to be hardened. A true wrought iron striker will not make sparks (though there are ways to introduce carbon into wrought iron to make a low grade steel) and a wrought iron knife will not hold an edge. Carbon steel is needed for both of these tools.
Thank you for the clarification!
Very nicely explained.
Just to further clarify, the idea with the knife as a striker probably comes from modern bushcraft. There a magnesium rod is often used with a knife to produce sparks.
The difference is, with flint and steel, you use the flint to break of tiny steel flakes, which you see as the sparks flying off.
With the magnesium rod your scraping of magnesium with the knife, so basically the opposite. That's why you could basically use everything with a sharp enough edge, while with flint and steel you need high carbon steel or there won't be sparks (which also is a method to detect the carbon content of steel)
Blacksmith here, for a striker you can water harden a fairly low quality low carbon steel and end up with something that's very hard but would be a poor choice for a blade but fine for a striker given that it just needs to hold a vaguely sharp edge and can be an extremely wide grind to overcome any brittleness
@@nearpath8785 I've only ever used spring steel and oil quenching. You now have me interested in trying lower carbon steel with a water quench. Can you use mild steel or does it need to have more carbon than that?
@@grbdevnull5611 mild steel would probably work fine for a water quench (I haven't had any reason to try that, but it should be a good candidate) just be careful with water quenches they won't start fires if you screw up but it's way more likely to snap or warp steels (except for W marked steel like W2 )
Hot damn that's an expensive pelt. Over here in Finland you can get rrally good deer,reindeer,fox or lamb pelts for like 40 euros each at any number of pagan faires as well as medieval festivals.
I love that knife I got a similar utensil set recently! Awesome haul thanks for sharing
I'm an avid leather worker and the difference between brain and chrome tan is the brain is a little stiffer than chrome but not always sometimes it's the other way around but the smell is the true way to tell the brain has a natural smell and the chrome has a chemical smell
dont know about tanning with the hair on, but for buckskins, they would scrape the hair off brain tan and then sew a few pelts together so that you have a large sort of bag with one opening that is placed above a fire made from coniferous trees to capture the smoke inside the bag (the pitch and other things inside conifers add the brown color and some degree of water resistance to the hide)
I remember getting my first ancient style axe, a bearded 1H combat axe.... And the feel in the hand, it's enough to convert someone to being an axe person.
Definitely agree. The weight just feels like it wants to chop, and you think "how on earth would someone actually stand against this and survive?"
On the top of your ax the bridge area if it has a short 90° angle on it you can use it to strike your flint and it should produce Sparks to start a fire
Right when i'm home from work. Thanks for the content!~
Hey! For the historic validity of olive oil based hand soaps, I believe those were being produced in Aleppo as far back as the 8th century AD.
Chrome tanned will have a slight blue purple hue because the chrome tanning dose chrome blue the fur will pull away and shed a bit more because it is chemically treated. Brain tanning is from the best way to tan in my opinion because you still smoke the skin to make it leather on the under side.
All right, you've convinced me. We sell darker grey reindeer hides at Tandy Leather and I can't keep my eyes and hands off them, and I've wondered what you'd think of them. This is divine confirmation. Also, that axe is gorgeous.
Hey Dawson! There was a Tandy stall at the faire and I was eyeing the hides there as well. They were more reddish, but this white one was just too gorgeous to turn from. Cheers mate!
I'm very new to your channel, but had I known you had no flint and steel I would have forged you one! I'm still somewhat armature but steel strikers are among my favorite things to make. Your striker looks like an old file, they make far better sparks than about any other steel when hardened properly, just watch that they dont rust, a light coat of oil just like you would on a knife will prevent it, though most people i know just let it rust slightly, it wont effect the use and it looks old
Very nice tomahawk too, if I'm not mistaken it looks to be made from an old railroad spike, but theres a lot of steel on the edge so they likely forge welded a higher carbon steel onto it for better edge holding. This was commonly done historically as well leading to a "softer" more springy and durable head, but with an edge that will keep up for much more use.
Triple-0 (000) steel wool can be used to remove rust before oiling. I have used that to clean up a table saw to before sealing with paste wax
When/If this one needs to be replaced, I'd love to have a hand forged striker from a fellow adventurer and supporter of the channel. That would be awesome! Thank you
@@LivingAnachronism Just let me know if your ever interested! They effectively never wear out though, one family in Siberia has used he same flint striker every day for decades while living off grid even. Different styles were used all over the world though, so if you ever want a specific locations style, just let me know. Personally I am a fan of Scottish style snail strikers, but everyone's got there own preferences.
On that note though, if you ever get a chance to try on a great kilt you should. It might be a bit late historically for you but imo they are the best cloak for adventuring, you might like them!
brain tan is meant to be a very good way to tan because the hide will maintain it's warmth and breathability, the middle earth ranger forum members who do medieval camping seem to swear by it (for worn leather clothing anyway) where as chrome tan uses nasty chemicals that damage both the structure and properties of the leather, I think you made the right choice :)
be careful with oiling it tho, that's OK for leather but (I'm far from an expert so I'm probably wrong) someone told me that if you oil hide with fur on it can loosen the leather fibers and the fur can start to come out, this was in the context of sheepskin though so do you're research
olive oil soap is what I use for wet felting because it makes less bubbles, I have quite a lot of it on hand but I haven't ever used it to wash, maybe I should try it in the name of science LOL
and that is one nice axe :)
Those are some great additions to your kit! I loved the blacksmith shop there, the spoon carver and the custom costume place, Emazanti, where really nice too. Cant wait to see some bush craft videos with the axe.
I generally use goat pelts or sheepskin. Not only are they cheaper (I find them for 60-70 USD), they also air out a little better. Not quite as comfy, but i've always slept better on hard surfaces 🍻
Loved your haul! I was going to ad my couple of cents...but anything I might have said has already been - and far better - by some of the folks commenting below. I will tell you though that I had some of the best times of my life during a couple of pre-1840s rendezvous in Sonoita, AZ back in the early 80s. And I still have both, my flint and steel (still in their original tin and leather pouch) and a knife I was gifted by a grizzled old craftsman, who along with his wife, took my then young and definitely wet-behind-the-ears self under their wings.
I'm smiling as I'm typing this. Thank you for bringing up some wonderful memories for me! ♥
Hope your purchases bring you the kind of times that great memories are made of.
If you want to make your brain tanned hide more water tolerant, you will want to smoke it, then oil it. You want a cold very smoky fire (or hook up a series of pipes to a smoker). Use punky wood if you can (dry, dry rotted wood). You want the smoke to blow around the skin side of the hide without getting on the fur too much (the smoke will permanently discolor the fur). You should keep it in the smoke for at least half an hour, but don't let the smoke be hot enough to cook the hide! You want lots of pretty cold smoke. After the hide is smoked, rub the skin side down with mink oil. Let the hide sit over night, then buff off any excess mink oil in the morning to keep it from oil staining anything else it comes in contact with.
Brain tanned hides will never be quite as water tolerant as chrome tanned pelts BUT they can become plenty durable and can be treated to put up with most abuse short of washing them. Time won't make your hide any more resilient, unless you use it as inside wall of your tent and regularly have smoky fires in there (which was done historically). When you aren't using your hide, you should ideally store it in a cedar chest. Assuming you don't have a cedar chest, you should soak small bits of wood in cedar oil and keep them in / around your hide (like folded up inside of it). There are lots of moths and beetles that love to eat hides, which will leave you with holes and hair falling out. If your hide feels damp after camping, you should hang it up inside to dry out.
If your hide does get wet before you do any of these things, it isn't the end of the world. Let it dry to assess how it is doing. What you might see is that the area that got wet has become somewhat darker and stiffer. If that happens, then you will need to rewet the area and slowly restretch the hide (the search term you want is "breaking hides") as it dries, and dries completely. When you are done it should be white again and supple, if not then try again. If you leave the area wet too long then the hair will start to fall out of that area.
Source: I tan rabbit hides as a hobby, mostly using brain / egg.
Awesome reply 😎
He may want to practice on some smaller game pelts before he tries on that reindeer hide. White-tailed deer pelts may be cheaper as well
@@motagrad2836 oh definitely! Starting with something like a rabbit would be a good bet, a decent rabbit hide tanned with brain, egg, allum or a combination can go for maybe $10-20 and would help him learn all of the steps without too much financial risk
Thank you for this. As has been said, I will DEFINITELY want to practice on some less expensive items first!
It amuses me that the first item you mention is a reindeer pelt; it's exactly what I purchased last weekend for my orc character's sleeping kit :) You've made me start thinking about taking a series of stills that show my camp set up. We use cotton canvas bell tents at our LARP, so that's different to yours, nevertheless, it's prompted me to think about how I set dress my personal space. :)
Also, the bit of the axe you were wondering about? I believe that's the neck; simply because many tools that have a thin bit between wide bits tends to be called necks.
Your new axe has a curvature that is very reminiscent of the francisca, a 6th century C.E. throwing axe used by the Franks. It is noted by some historical accounts that the design carried down in French culture from the Franks to the French fur traders and explorers in 16th and 17th century America and is believed by some to have even been the template for the tomahawk.
Welcome in, brothah, to the Cult o'tha Axe!
Great call choosing a combo hand axe/hammer head. Very useful tool.
Looking forward to seeing you experiment with different lanyard lengths, holds, etc. You want the lanyard to help you hold on, but not to absolutely hold onto you if you ever truly slip and loose your grip. That puppy needs to be free to fall away, rather than swinging back at you on the end of a cord!
Bravo!
I save up all year around to splurge at our festivals here as well. We have four Rennaisance Festivals here in Missouri. Three of them within three and a half hours of eachother. We are quite spoiled.
Jealous!
Nice gear. I carry my tomahawk with the handel slid into the back of my belt. It works surprisingly well and is easy and fast to draw and slip back away. Id really recommend a bit or edge cover for it though in any case to protect you your gear and the cutting edge its self. Looking forward to more vids.
Oh the belt im talking about is one i wear over other clothing. Not one i wear with modern pant loops. But a gear belt with kit pouches ect.
Welcome to the 18th century. But as you know many of these tools and methods cross over several eras
I also carry my tomahawk slid into the back of my belt/sash. I agree it works quite well, and I prefer this method over a ring or leather frog where the haft is liable to bounce about against your leg.
That axe looks great. The smith did a good job on that one.
He's an excellent craftsman and a really nice guy. I believe this was either the first or second axe he made!
Axe enthusiast here. I have tried a few methods of axe carrying, tucked into the belt directly works fine, but can be uncomfortable . Ring frogs are extremely quick to draw from, but the axe will sway a lot when walking and have the potential to just turn upside down and fall out. Leather frogs inversely, offer great retention but can snag and bind on the draw, perhaps leaving a Ranger tugging franticly when their axe is needed most. My favorite design is a simple strip of leather with 2 slits to pass your belt through, which makes a small loop outside the belt to pass the axe handle through. this is comfortable to wear, provides stable carry, excellent retention and a fairly quick draw. I got the idea from another RUclips video, which I unfortunately can no longer find. but if you're interested in this design I would gladly share a picture of the 2 which I've made.
My email is in the about section, I'd love to see the design you are talking about!
@@LivingAnachronism I have sent you an email. Hope this is useful!
Also, not to be critical, but I noticed that the grain orientation for your Beautiful axe is perpendicular to that which would be ideal. When the grain is in the same direction as the force of the impact, the handle lasts much longer than otherwise. When the grain is perpendicular to the force of the impact, the repeated blows weaken the integrity of the structure, in that the layers will eventually separate and the handle will break. Whenever I shop for wooden handled tools, be they hammers, axes, shovels or any other, I always check for proper grain orientation/alignment and avoid any not close to perfect. I hope this advice helps!!! I'm learning much from you and am attempting to pay it forward...Stay safe, well and happy!!!
Thank you for this advice, this is very very good to know. Both for safety now, and for any new/replacements for the future. Cheers!
I just can't get over how good your chanel is doing I'm so happy more people get to see your amazing videos
Thanks Trent! I remember your name from back when I first started :)
Going back to your Cloaks vid for just a moment. There is another historical cloak you may want to look into. The Great Plaid or Great Kilt. Scottish Highlanders would use this thing for everything from rain cover to a full on backpack based on how it was worn. Fandabi dozi does a really well made video on the great kilt as well as a whole series on historical gear of the Scottish Highlanders. Well worth checking out.
From my research, brain tan is always a superior process, though usually more expensive, because it's much more labor intensive.
1-to treat the pelt rub in ( 40% bees wax , 18% boiled linseed oil, 20% Vaseline or other petroleum jelly ,10% flax oil food grade , 10% paraffin , 2% finely powdered black tea, 1% finely powdered copper ) until you can not get more to absorb in and then in a month rub in more.
2-I use a ring carry for my tomahawk ( I can replace a haft in the field with no tools, unlike with a wedge halfted axe ) but I also use a leather blade guard so I dont cut things l don't want to like myself and also carry a small stone to resharpen the tomahawk
3-soap is a highly underrated thing to carry in the woods but in addition to improving your moral it is also important for keeping you healthy and cleaning wounds and would also have been a valuable trade item ( and no natural plants containing soaps are not even close to as good nor are they readily available at most times or year or in most places )
On 1. You mean on the underside (skin side) of the reindeer pelt and NOT on the fur side, right?
@@cauldron1951 yea I dont think there is any point in doing the furr
Excellent! My husband and I acted, worked and played at Ren Faires for many years. We always talked about doing videos such as yours but the technology wasn't there... we're old ha! Well done indeed!
I think all your new addition to your kit are pretty cool and the two things I like the most are the knife and the ax. The knife is simple not a whole lot of frills and the ax look awesome. Something I noticed when you had it where you could see the bottom of the head it looks like it has marks on it that I'm guessing came from the blacksmithing process which I think actually adds character. I definitely enjoyed the video and can't wait till the next one.
🎩Hi. Nice stuff. One thing I would recommend about the flint is try to get some that is a lot darker in colour. The darker it is the better it is. Also if you can get loads. You will be amazed how much you get through trying to get your technique correct. And raid everyone’s wardrobes for old cotton tea shirts. They make excellent char cloth. And get some good correct mushrooms for a bit of more variation. Once you start learning how to start fire this way, it can become quite addictive. Ie. Can I do it in the wind, rain etc. Refer to the dwarves in the hobbit failing in the goblin cave mouth.
Grats on 10k+ subs
That was great information on the items. It will help me a great deal!!!
I've made soap a couple of times ... my olive oil soap didn't turn out great, but I still use it.
Making soap that is kind to skin is fairly modern ... it needs precise amounts of high grade lye. In medieval times, while they had soap, it was less predictable and harsher. They made lye from boiling wood ash, which is an inconsistent process, and often made a very harsh soap, usually used for laundry. Most people continued to use other cleansing methods, or the very, very rare soap that did turn out gentle. [For more on this, Snappy Dragon has an excellent video: "Why medieval people didn't wash their hair, and how it stayed clean"]
But this isn't history, it's anachronism, and we can use modern methods to make soap the medievals would have wanted to make, if they had the know-how.
my kiddos and I do a lot of camping with leather while doing reenactments.. what my family usually does is a wool blanket underneath. we camp with lots of rain and cold weather and we have never had any issues.
i prefer the use of the leather frog because while bow hunting using a ring frog the ring and axe head will clang together and then scare of whatever animal you are hunting.
I think a leather frog helps keep the axe orientated how you want it too. While a ring might allow it to spin
@@LivingAnachronism I didn't have that exact issue, although my axe kinda just fit a thin perfect niche for ring frogs... I can see where that can also be an issue though. I just got really frustrated with it when going historical hunting and the clang of the ring and axe would scare off a dear. So I personally switched to a leather frog and I've loved it ever since.
Looks like a great list of purchases! Reminds me i need to find a brooch for my LARP kit, and the axe is so beautiful! :)
I recently got a faux fur rug, thanks to your channel, which I will never use for that purpose. It's white with brown tips of fake hair on a leather base. Needless to say it's beautiful, but I will only have it on the foot of my bed as an asthetic piece too look at. And hopefully it will "never" get dirty. Occasionally I allow my lab to jump on the bed, but I will dutifully remove the rug before he hops up.
Tandy Leather sells pelts/furs. Online shops do too. And cute little independent shops in Montana and Wyoming.
Note Dave Canterbury doesn't recommend fleece in rainy conditions because they don't dry well.
Really cool! Just found your channel today. I have subscribed and have been binge watching videos today. I have always been fascinated by the “old ways.” I look forward to seeing more of your videos! 🤠👍🏻
This video gets me so excited. I'm so keen to start my own medieval kit. So far I've not acquired much but it's a start. Everything I don't have the means to make at home I buy at medieval and fantasy festivals in my area. The next one is a fundraising event to get our South African HEMA club to compete abroad. So amped for it.
Someone else may have mentioned this but I couldn't find it. The knife appears to be a "Nesmuck" style of knife (lived in the late 1800 to 1910's) so think frontiersman, trapper or/and woodsman. If you go looking on the internet for references and "Sears," "George Washington Sears," or possibly "Horace Kephart" show up too, you are looking in the right place.
The knife axe thing made me laugh! Hey, good to see you got so many nice things!
I have always wanted to go to a Ren fest!!! I have never had the chance to go because there are never any near me within two miles. It has my people. One day I hope to go!!!
I have a striker like the top right one in the pic that was based on a migration era find in Bavaria. I bought it at the museum store of the actual grave and the fire making kit was on display. So your thought process is correct.
That axe looks good I can tell the haft fits well and is easy to fix if it loosens great find I am envious brother.👏
Hi Kramer, my name is Tim. Just wondering where you hail from? I ask because I live in CT and noticed your haul came from the CT Ren Faire. I really dig your channel and don't larp but definitely dress, collect, and practice sword craft
That is a nice axe!
I've made both a sheath to protect the axe blade, so it can be worn on the belt with a leather loop or metal ring, and a full length frop that loops onto the belt. I'll post a short video to show them off.
I, too, have recently gotten flint and steel to make a more authentic fire kit. Haven't gotten around to it yet. I'm looking forward to trying it out.
That bit of the axe you weren't sire about is called the "neck".
Think of an axe head by human anatomy. On an human and on an axe you have the cheek on the sides, above the beard, which is in front of the shoulder.
What connects someones shoulder to their beard(AKA jaw)? The neck!
Good way to remember, thanks Krulty!
@@LivingAnachronism No prop. I only know because I'm one for diving down rabbit holes when I get curious about something. I went on an axe binge about 6-7 months ago lol.
Though it bugs me that I misspelled "sure" as "sire" lol. Too late to change it now or I lose my precious heart.... yeees... my precious.
I prefer to carry my axe in the fold of my bedroll. It's protected from the elements, easy to access, and (historically) was carried in this fashion for longer trips on foot. Cheers!
The addition of the 18th century gear to the ranger kit makes me think of the Jägers from Assassin's Creed III. Pain in my ass, they were, but they looked spiffy in-game at least.
The brooches are definitely bronze. Pure copper is much redder in color. Also, it oxidizes if you breathe on it and is soft enough to be annoying if you want to make something that will take physical strain.
just got my henley from amazon!
good pick it feels great and looks great too
Congratulations on getting 10.2K subscribers! And this was a really fun video, especially at 12:32 to 12:38. What on Earth was happening here? XD
The pelt is beautiful and from what you were saying about it, it tempts me to get one for myself. As for the axe, that was by far my favorite item you recently got. Not much of an axe guy myself, but the look of the one you got looks great. The way you were handling that axe, I couldn't help imagining what you'd use the axe for, especially during your camping/hiking trips. As an example you can cut some branches off of some trees and get them down into shape before moving on to your knife to carve something nice and/or useful for your home or adventures.
The way the beard and handle are designed it might work a bit like a chisel for shaping wood
At that moment I was realizing that I had no idea how the axe weighed, knowing people might ask for that info, realizing I hadn't planned, then realizing I might not be able to weigh it. And I left it in cuz it made me laugh ;)
Just recently discovered your channel. I enjoyed the first video so much, that I went back and watched all of your other videos and I really enjoyed them. Very unique topic covered in an entertaining manner. I'm looking forward to the next one. In the mean time, I'll be making a cloak. It seems you sold me on that! Thanks for all your hard work.
Thanks Grant!
This video has me excited for this month! My gf and I are trying to get to a different Ren Faire each weekend!
So glad I found your channel. None of your videos since I subscribed have been a letdown. Keep up the great work!
This is a very cool video. I was actually at that faire and went again a few weeks ago.
My buddy bought some soap from that stall.
Deer hair tends to be hollow, so is brittle and will fall out. More durable pelts would be sheep, buffalo, wolf and rabbit.
Lovely video once again. Really enjoyed listening to your talk about these new items, and your passion behind them :)
For chrome tan you will see a white line in a cut section. If I remember correctly
Upgrades People, Upgrades.
Congratulations on getting proper firemaking gear- we expect you to practice and use it to light candles from now on. ;>) Definitely use the steel that came with it to make sparks- doing so with a knife is possible but is hard on it.
As for treating that hide, I cannot strongly enough recommend Sno-Seal. It's mostly beeswax and will make the surface you apply it to waterproof. Be aware that it will stiffen and darken the leather, and should be refreshed every six months to a year. Just warm it and the leather up, rub it in and let it cool, then wipe any excess off. It's good on boots and shoes, belts, bags, hats and gloves and pretty much any leather product you don't want to absorb or be penetrated by water.
Mink oil is also a good waterproofer but will make leather more supple and soft. If you sleep on it that can make it *less* comfortable.
Both products have modern petroleum-based or silicone oil additives to keep them from going rancid or moldy and easier to apply, but both are odorless once ready for use. If you want to make your own I go along with those who suggest boiled linseed oil mixed with beeswax. Beware of the linseed oil component heating up as it "sets"- it polymerizes the way epoxy does and gets hot as it does. Make sure you let cool air circulate over the hide for a few days- that's how long it can take linseed oil to fully set.
(I AM NOT AFFILIATED WITH EITHER PRODUCT)
Love that axe- a great all-around outdoors tool/weapon.
I'd take the polish off that knife blade to make it look more "period". Wrap the blade in paper towel and dampen with vinegar, let sit for an hour or three then rinse with water and dry. That slightly etches the steel and roughens the surface but shouldn't make it rust (stainless steels are rust *resistant*, not rust proof).
Thanks for sharing the haul. Reminds me I need to find some stuff of my own...
Great tips, might even make etching the knife a video!
I hope for your self that the axe has a steel edge or else you have to sharpen it a lot more
Aye, a solid iron axe head was the most common and most representative of what people used back then, so it will give Kramer more of the FULL experience, with regular sharpening.
But a steel bit insert would hold the edge longer, for a bit of a more premium tool.
My fave D&D character is said to have a many-notched axe, so by my interpretation that means I probably need to stick with a solid iron blade, keep the ol' whetstone close, and live with the fact that it's ne'er going to be as nice as a steel-edged chopper. And I'll call that "character".
Wow, I'm glad I've been keeping the pelts from the deer I hunt, seeing as how fucking expensive it can be to buy one.
Considering that Gondor is roughly the geographic position of the mediterranean area, I'd say there definitely is olive oil soap in middle earth ;)
I really like that axe
👌 Good soap.
Awesome kit!
Thanks Josh!
Try silicone on the skin side of the pelt. I find reindeer hides shed a lot because the individual hairs are hollow, so they tend to break.
I love the new gear! I bet you’re itching for an adventure!
I am!
Been loving every video you have made. I’m pretty sure I have watched every video so far you have made❤️. Came from shad and 100% stayed for the content, keep up the great work.
Thank you!
I just stumbled on to you and I do enjoy your adventures spirit and I did enjoy this video
You could just wrap some soft leather or cordage around the handle of the knife to make it look other than 18th century.
I have read that using scented olive oil was used for cleaning or at least to make one smell nicer, but I don't think I have ever read about a soap based on olive oil.
Can you do a video walking through the construction of your green tunic that you wear in this?
You've mentioned the blanket you used as a base before, but I don't know how you did the lacings etc - are the eye holes there taken from boots? How are they attached to the fabric?
The eye holes are grommets that you can get at a fabric store and attached using a grommet setter. I may eventually replace them or make a new tunic with a more "period" style than the modern grommets. I show off that tunic a bit more in my first Q&A video, that might answer some more of your questions in the mean time
Love to see you had fun! Those brooches totally look like they're made of bronze and not brass. I have a bronze belt and 3 bronze little rings for braids and the look beautiful when new and beautiful when they get old and start to look darker. For me, I'm an axe person, but I'm starting to like sword a bit haha
The proper archaeological term is "copper alloy" which covers everything from copper with tiny traces of other elements to brasses and bronzes.
Aging anything with copper in it is easy- use ammonia or something with sulfur to get various brown and green colors, though the green tends to wear off easily. Ammonia fuming works great and the brown sticks better.
If you're ever in the market for another axe I'm a fairly small blacksmith but the majority of my commissions are bearded axes but I can do most styles, I can provide some examples of my works if you'd like
My email is in the about section of the channel, let's keep in touch
Just treat it like a leather jacket with leather conditioner. That hide probably wasn’t smoke either for how white it is. Smoking helps water proof but more importantly helps to kill off bacteria which will help the longevity of your hide.
super easy axe carry tool. take a scrap of leather. 4x6cm should do the trick. on 1 end make a hole that the top of the handle fits into. on the other stab your knife thru twice. badabing badaboom you got an axe holstering device.
If your looking for a less expensive pelt, perhaps to go under the raindeer one.
IKEA is a decent place to get sheep or cow, at a discount price.
Great kit at CTRF! I've got some info on a 15th century axe sheath style on my channel that might work for your axe.
I'll be sure to check it out!
Mink oil is good for about every type of leather it may make it a little darker tho
Checkout recipes for Tinpants....worn by lumberjacks....water proofs and toughen up material....test on leather first!!!
Another great video bro
It’s goood to know your in New England if your ever up in carver you should check out king Richards fare