Experiments in Leather

I decided to try and build some elbows from some of the leather scraps I picked up at Tandy a few months ago, using the plans from Duke Cariodoc's The Perfect Armor Improved. My results were less than spectacular, but it was a learning experience and the only failed experiment is one in which you did not learn something.

I began with the elbow patter HG Cariadoc published.

Simple, right?

Well, easier said than done.

I cut two mirror images of the pattern from my leather (5-7 oz vegetable tanned bellies), which I had soaked in water before cutting.  Then I attempted to following HG Cariadoc's instructions. 

First hiccup -- someone lost the thermometer!  The process requires that you heat the water to 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius).  So, I "eyeballed" it to see what I could do.  After all, our ancestors didn't have mercury thermometers in the 14th Century, right?

After heating the two pieces (separately) for what I thought was the right time at the right temperature, I took each piece out and tried sandwiching the piece in two bowls, each of which has a diameter of about 6.5 inches.  

As I had feared, the process left major folds and creases in the leather, which I attempted to smooth out with my fingers. 

The resulting pieces look like this:

 

The piece on the left shrank more than the piece on the right, and is thicker and harder. Both pieces are not in the optimum shape for an elbow cop because there was too much leather that needed to be removed or folded to create the right shape.  

So, what have I learned? 

1. Water temperature (and immersion time) is very important in getting a consistent product.

2. Modifications must be made to the pattern or process to obtain a "cop" shape for the elbows.

For the next step in the experiment, I am going to try softening the larger cop in water, then removing a gusset of material on the front and rear of the cop and riveting or  bolting it together.  Then I will try  re-hardening it in 180 degree water with a thermometer!  

Hopefully, this will give me the desired shape and size. If so, I am considering reinforcing the cop with plastic to add some extra protection, followed by adding a strap that will ride in the fold of my elbow, holding the cop on. I also intend to experiment with baking wet leather in the oven at 200 degrees and liberally basting the leather with hot rabbit glue or other organic glue to more accurately reproduce what is believed to be the period procedure (or at least, one of them) for creating cour boulli. (See excellent articles here, here and here).

My fantasy is that, once I have a good pattern and consistent procedure down, I can turn the cops out fairly easily and create new loaner/new fighter gear for our Barony. 

And remember, do as I say, not as I do -- "Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!"  

Spring Conditioning in Summer

I started conditioning for Legacy of the Lions tonight. Instead of coming home, putting my bike in the garage, and sitting down with a cold beer (St. Arnold's Summer Pils), I changed clothes and went walking with my old "Heavy Hands" weights. Then when I got home from walking I showered and had that Summer Pils. 

Okay, maybe not a radical change, but exercise is exercise!  :-)

Tomorrow, I'll add distance and keep upping the burn (so to speak).  Although in this part of the Ansteorran summer, it is more like upping the sweat. 

I'm really more interested in cardio, right now.  And the hand weights do help tone the upper body.  My biggest fear is that I'll get in armor, get all adrenalized, and push too hard, straining a tendon or something.  I didn't realise when I was a young-buck-sword-jock that it would be the joints that suffered the most as I got older.

Of course, I'm carrying about 60 pounds less fat around than I was "back in the day." 

This is me today: 

 

Me back then -- circa 1985 (on theleft in the herald's tabard):

Yeah, that guy:

Okay, back down, Harrison; it was joke!  Dont' sic your copyright lawyer goons on me!

Me today:  

My professional self.  Or this:


Me at our (former) office:

Or this, the motorcyclist me:

 Or my favorit, the Scout Leader of three sons me:

Old Tired Squire Returns!

THESE ARE THE VOYAGES OF THE STAR SHIP ENTERPRISE...

(Cut!!  Wrong promo!!!  From the top!)

=========================================

These are the annals of Lord Leif Wadason, Old Tired Squire of Sir Karl der Gaenger of Ansteorra.  Follow Leif as he attempts to rejoin the fighters of the Ansteorran heavy list and regain the fighting prowess of his youth.  (Or something like that).

Can he do it?  Can the wisdom of age overcome the frailties of the body and the inevitable toll of time? Follow, and find out!

Leif


DISCLAIMER:


This blog may contain humor, attempted humor, poorly attempted humor, sarcasm, irony and other things difficult for the weak of mind or stomach.  It also contains ME!  Be forewarned.


This blog will NOT contain modern politics, current events, or anything regarding Casey Anthony, Barack Obama, Justin Beiber, Lady GaGa or any other modern annoyances.  "If that's what you're looking for, they've got what you're looking for" here -- www.Twitter.com

Also, this is not my legal blog because Leif is not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice!  Lee, however, is licensed as an attorney in the mundane State of Texas and can be found here:  @bizlawyertexas