lea-tooling-msg - 6/26/05 Leather tooling. decorating leather. NOTE: See also the files: leather-msg, leather-bib, leather2-bib, leather-dyeing-msg, lea-bladders-msg, lea-tanning-msg, tools-msg, tools-bib. ************************************************************************ NOTICE - This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday. This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter. The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors. Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s). Thank you, Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous Stefan at florilegium.org ************************************************************************ From: Ron Charlotte Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: CRAFTS: Leather Sources? Date: Tue, 18 Oct 94 21:11:25 -0500 Kate Jones writes: >Second: Are there any good resources out there on period leatherworking? >I'd like anything from what they made to how they made it to the tools >they used. Alas, I go to an engineering school and the art resources here >are limited, but if I have a title and author I can get my friend the >resource librarian to ILL them for me. Thank you! > >Rhian the Subtle I would recommend _Handtools of the Arts and Crafts_, by the Diagram Group It illustrates a huge variety of tools for both general and specialty leatherwork, and includes pictures of period examples of several. It's a good start. al Thaalibi -- An Crosire, Trimaris Ron Charlotte -- roncharlotte at delphi.com or afn03234 at freenet.ufl.edu Gainesville, FL From: beckum at aol.com (BECKUM) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Crafts: Leather Tooling Date: 4 May 1995 21:09:33 -0400 One other item of note. In the leather tooling that I do, I do not cut my designs into the leather, nor do I make muck use of stamps. I tool my leather with an awl when it is wet. It can produce texturing that is very deep and well defined, with out having to make cuts into the hide. I have been told by other SCA leather workers that it is a very period method of tooling leather, though the documentation they refered it escapes me again. Beckum From: cmhelm at artsci.wustl.EDU (Catherine Marie Helm) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: CRAFTS: Leather Date: 4 May 1995 17:47:12 -0400 I shouldn't be doing this... I should really be studying... I'm so tired of studying... In response to I. Marc Carlson's very nice post on leather decoration in "period," I would add the following as documentation for examples of painting on leather (other than the occational passing mention in someone's text). If you can find it, you can see very clearly that the tooled (blunt tooling, not cuir cisele') celtic knots on the very well-known Stonyhurst Bible binding were painted, Plate II of Waterer's _Leather and Craftsmanship_, Faber & Faber LTD., London, 1950. This photographic plate is the best photo of the Stonyhurst Bible I've found to date. Diehl does not include a photo plate of the Stonyhurst Bible but does confirm in her text that "the incised lines still show a trace of color." The Stonyhurst Bible is 7th C. Another good example of paint on leather is from Der Katalog des Deutsches Ledermuseums und Deutsches Schuhmuseums, color plate ("Tafel") III, (Universita:tsdruckerei, H. Stu:rtz AG, Wu:rzburg, 1967) < the colon symbols are for umlauts >. The item is a 14th C. leather cover, with figures of ladies and minnesingers cavorting about under four gothic arches. Tons 'o' paint! Unfortunately this reference is scarce to non-existent in the English-speaking world. Unlike the Waterer books, many of which sit on shelves in university libraries all over the place, German- language leather refs are hard to find, unless you're in Germany or Austria. I sure I could dig up more refs with pictures of paint on leather but I really should quit procrastinating. I had the two refs I just cited on my worktable in easy reach, since I had them out to take to the Known World A&S Collegium this past weekend (a really neat event! if you didn't go, you missed out). I have a brief bad idea, one which I can not even dream of pursuing for a few weeks. It goes like this: I have nifty leather refs and so do a few of my friends. However, we don't all have the same leather refs and so trading bibliographies is a good idea. Very often, just knowing a book exists is more than half the battle in tracking it down. I've been writing up various documentation bits on leather for a couple of years now, making what is essentially an annotated bibliography. If people have handy lists of their leather refs, could I interest anyone in swapping lists? (Replies should be sent directly to my email address - I do not read this or any other list/newsgroup with regularity as I am in the middle of studying for my comprehensive written test for PhD candidacy, which starts at the end of next week. I can not guarentee that I will answer email promptly until after the middle of May. Patience, please!) Ah *sigh*, back to the school books... Twcs the Procrastinator/cmhelm at artsci.wustl.edu From: IMC at vax2.utulsa.edu (I. Marc Carlson) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Crafts: Leather Tooling (Revised) Date: 4 May 1995 14:46:44 -0500 I've given this some revision, with the help of some comments by >. Any comments? Criticisms? added sources? After spending some time browsing through various sources, including Waterer's _Leather Craftsmanship_ last night, and his _Leather and the warrior_, the methods of leather "Tooling" or ornamentation appear to be: Applique This refers to the techniques of attaching other things to the surface of the leather, to decorate it. These can include paper-mache, other pieces of leather, decorative riveting, plaster/Gesso, etc. Combinations There are few instances of combining techniques such as Incising and Stamping, such as is done in much modern leatherworking, however, that should not be taken as a solid statement that such was not done. Items that use both include catalog nos. 22-23 in _Dress Accessories_, both belts. Cutting (or often referred to as Carving) Incising Taking a knife, or in modern tooling, a swivel knife, and inscribing a design into the surface of the leather. Note that a dull knife can leave a much larger "line" than a sharp one, and will not weaken the surface strength as much. This is *possibly* the most common method of ornamentation for leather during the Middle Ages. Numerous examples can be found in _Knives and Scabbards_, _Shoes and Pattens_, etc. Carving Technically, this is the technique of undercutting the leather surface and making it physically stand out from the general surface of the leather. Cutout Creating designed by punching holes in the leather. There are examples of this in _Shoes and Pattens_, as well as the various fields on the burial shield of the Black Prince (shown in _Leather and the Warrior_). Sgraffio or Scraping Scraping away parts of the surface to create an overall effect. There are examples of this in _Shoes and Pattens_ and _Leather and the Warrior_. Impressing Stamping or Punching Using a hammer and unheated metal "Irons" to create a pattern, or set a single image. There are a few examples of examples of these in _Knives and Scabbards_, most often to create a repeating motif of a single design element. Blind Stamping Impressing by means of heated metal stamps, touched to the leather. This is the method of ornamentation used on books, and other items using very thin leathers. Creasing or Veining. This is referred to a single or double line, often used to create a decorative border edge on leather. It is done with either heated metal irons, or by friction with wooden tools. It is essentially similar to blind stamping in that it uses heated metal to create a design. Cuerro Gofrado Rather like "Blind Stamping", this rather lays the leather atop a heated metal design, and pressed down onto it, creating a multilayered effect. It seems to have not been common beyond Spain and Italy. Poker Work/Pyrogravure This also uses a heated tool, but rather than to impress the design into the surface, to burn the surface with a very hot metal, in much the same way as a Branding Iron or a Running Iron works. Gold Stamping. This is a means of imbedding gold leaf patterns into the surface of the leather. Modelling Creating a bas relief in the leather using a number of techniques, including carving. There is a 13th C piece from a Dublin dig that shows evidence of this, although it may have been done with simple impression and molding, as well, or a combination of techniques. Molding or Moulding May include molds and/or countermolds to create the design. It would appear that many molds for Bottels, etc. rather than having the leather go around the mold, often have the leather pressed inTO the mold. Painting. There are few examples of painting on leather that have survived, but these include a Roman Scutum (_Leather and the Warrior_), the Scabbard of St. Maurice, c.1200-500 (_Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight_), a number of painted artifacts housed at the Cloisters, in NYC, etc. "Mihi Satis Apparet Propter Diarmuit Ui Dhuinn Se Ipsum Appetenda Sapientia" University of Northkeep -- St. Dunstan Northkeepshire, Ansteorra (I. Marc Carlson/IMC at vax2.utulsa.edu) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca From: Madoc Subject: Re: CRAFTS: Leather Tooling Date: Thu, 4 May 1995 15:33:04 GMT Organization: Hewlett-Packard priest at vaxsar.vassar.edu wrote: > > Greeting from Thora Sharptooth! > > In categorizing types of leatherwork, Diarmuit (IMC at vax2.utulsa.edu) wrote: > > > Combination - Using both Cutting and stamping in combination to make a design. > > This is used in most forms of modern leather tooling, but I > > cannot recall any such forms in the period examples we have seen. > > Catalogue numbers 22-23 in _Dress Accessories_, both belts, are both stamped > and incised. (I am assuming that "incised work" falls under your category of > "cutting.") > > > Moulding - A design that has been engraved on a piece of wood can be pressed > > into a piece of leather stretched over the form. Many period > > leather bottles were made in this fashion, as well as a number > > of examples of materials shown in Waterer's books. It is my > > suspicion that the "Arms of Henry VIII" found on the bracer > > recovered from the Mary Rose, is an example of this, but I may > > be in error, since all I can see are photos. There is a bit > > of decorated leather found in a Dublin sewer that was either > > done like this, or embossed (my opinion). > > In my opinion, the Dublin piece (thirteenth century) could just as easily have > been a combination of stamped work and embossing. The basic design (animals > and vegetation) would have been laid out and rough worked by pressing or > modeling, then the background would be stamped with a small round stamp befire > the main design is finished. My opinion is based partly on the fact that my > husband's leatherwork is done almost exclusively by pressing into wet leather > to raise an area of decoration, and the end result looks much like the main > design of that piece. Additionally, the background dots in the piece appear to > have been worked in rows; they follow the rough lines of the main design rather > than being the smooth all-over pelleted background I would expect from wood > carving. (Granted, that is based on my understanding of Viking Age > woodcarving, which is somewhat earlier.) > ...................... What about burning (poker-art) ??? On light leather you can burn, using a soldering iron with a sharp tip, a series of dots and lines that are black. They last for a very long time and you can create some very complicated designs (including some of the really difficult ones from the book of kells) This method of decoration is authentic for the period 800-1100 (see sheaths in the Yorvik viking centre) and probably before and after those dates. madoc From: priest at vaxsar.vassar.edu Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: CRAFTS: Leather Tooling Date: 5 May 95 22:48:06 +1000 Organization: Vassar College Greeting from Thora Sharptooth! I'd like to add my voice to that of al Thaalibi, who wrote: > Madoc (NASH_JOHN/HPBRIT_C6 at hpcpbla.bri.hp.com) wrote: > Deleted stuff > > : What about burning (poker-art) ??? > > : On light leather you can burn, using a soldering iron with a > : sharp tip, a series of dots and lines that are black. > : They last for a very long time and you can create some very > : complicated designs (including some of the really difficult ones > : from the book of kells) > > : This method of decoration is authentic for the period 800-1100 > : (see sheaths in the Yorvik viking centre) and probably before and > : after those dates. > > Could I please, pretty please have the source of your information. What he said! In _Anglo-Scandinavian Finds from Lloyds Bank, Pavement, and Other Sites_, which has write-ups on two leather sheaths from Jorvik, Dominic Tweddle refers to the decoration as "incised" (p. 142). These are the two sheaths that are also written up in the exhibition catalogue _The Vikings in England and in Their Danish Homeland_ (p. 119); no mention is made of burning there either. Are there other sheaths from Jorvik? **************************************************************************** Carolyn Priest-Dorman Thora Sharptooth Poughkeepsie, NY Frosted Hills ("where's that?") priest at vassar.edu East Kingdom Gules, three square weaver's tablets in bend Or **************************************************************************** From: afn03234 at usenet.freenet.ufl.edu (Ronald L. Charlotte) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: CRAFTS: Leather Tooling Date: 4 May 1995 23:10:40 GMT I. Marc Carlson (IMC at vax2.utulsa.edu) wrote: : Leather tooling can be divided into ... specific categories: : "Stamping" - Taking stamps and whacking them with hammers to make impressions : in the leather. We have several cases (as shown in Knives : and Scabbards) of this. : "Cutting" - Taking a knife (or in modern terms a swivel knife) and inscribing : the design into the surface. Note that a dull knife will not : necessarily cut through the skin of the leather. There are : also examples of this in Knives and Scabbards. : Combination - Using both Cutting and stamping in combination to make a design. : This is used in most forms of modern leather tooling, but I : cannot recall any such forms in the period examples we have seen. : Note however, with a few of these objects, it is possible that : Stamping was erased by the swelling of the leather in humidity. : There is an Elizabethan example of Cutting that is vaguely : reminiscent of the modern "American Floral" designs that *could* : be such a case (Citation forgotten). I think that someone has already discussed the pieces in _Dress Accessories_ using this combination of techniques. In _Leather as Art and Craft_ by Thelma Newman (ISBN 0 517 505754), there is very clear photo of a leather covered box from 15th C. Italy (currently in the Metropolitin Museum of Art) that has a overall design that could pass for the modern tooling style with ease. It is quite possible for such tooling to be done only using stamping tools, but the edges of such work are usually not as sharply defined as the cut and tooled work. : Embossing - This is done by pressing a hot metal stamp onto the leather. It : is most often found on thin leathers, such as book bindings (and : is the main reason that if a saddlemaker starts talking to a : bookbinder about leather tooling, they will soon get confused). : Moulding - A design that has been engraved on a piece of wood can be pressed : into a piece of leather stretched over the form. Many period : leather bottles were made in this fashion, as well as a number : of examples of materials shown in Waterer's books. It is my : suspicion that the "Arms of Henry VIII" found on the bracer : recovered from the Mary Rose, is an example of this, but I may : be in error, since all I can see are photos. There is a bit : of decorated leather found in a Dublin sewer that was either : done like this, or embossed (my opinion). : Painting - I believe we have some items that indicate that they were painted, : but no examples of actual painted artifacts survive. Well, there is the reference in Cennini's _The Craftsman's Handbook_ concerning making helms and crests of leather. In this case, the leather was to be gesso coated and treated as any other material. There are an few of the surviving leather tapestries described in _Spainish Leather_ by Waterer that either show traces of paint, or were described in inventories as having been painted. Paint is a tough one, the acidic content of veg tanned leather doesn't seem to be very friendly to a lot of the pigments and mediums used in period, especially over long time spans. The stuff preserved in buried conditions that saved the leather itself seemed to be even more so. Now, dying the leather was done, but so far all of the references and recipes I've seen have been limited to green, red, blue, black and brown. They also seemed to think in terms of dying whole hides and skins, frequently in concert with the tannage or tawing process. Judging from bookbindings, leather tapestries, and some of the nicer items described in inventories, they used gold, silver, and tin leaf on many items, and often faked up the tin to resemble gold or silver. Well, that's enough from me for now. -- al Thaalibi -- An Crosaire, Trimaris Ron Charlotte -- Gainesville, FL afn03234 at freenet.ufl.edu or roncharlotte at delphi.com From: priest at vaxsar.vassar.edu Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: CRAFTS: Leather Tooling Date: 5 May 95 07:51:23 +1000 Organization: Vassar College Greeting From Thora Sharptooth! Al Thaalibi (afn03234 at usenet.freenet.ufl.edu) wrote: > Now, dying the leather was done, but so far all of the references and > recipes I've seen have been limited to green, red, blue, black and > brown. The _Plictho_ (16th century Italy) also has a recipe for dyeing leather yellow. And the _Mappae Clavicula_ (Carolingian period) has a recipe for purple. *************************************************************************** Carolyn Priest-Dorman Thora Sharptooth Poughkeepsie, NY Frosted Hills ("where's that?") priest at vassar.edu East Kingdom Gules, three square weaver's tablets in bend Or *************************************************************************** From: IMC at vax2.utulsa.edu (I. Marc Carlson) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Crafts: Leather Tooling Date: 5 May 1995 08:27:53 -0500 > >One other item of note. In the leather tooling that I do, I do not cut my >designs into the leather, nor do I make muck use of stamps. I tool my >leather with an awl when it is wet. It is my understanding that most leather is worked while wet, since working it dry (at least with incision or stamping) you don't get a lasting impression, or as lasting an impression at least. I believe the terms for this are Casing (or just being uniformly wet), and Samming (or having been soaking for a day or so). I am informed by the person who taught me to work leather that the best way he'd found to Samm leather was to soak it, wrap it in plastic and stick it in the refrigerator for a day or so. This leaves the leather in an extremely plastic condition. I have no documentation to support the belief that leather was worked wet in period, other than the lasting impressions we've got to look at. "Mihi Satis Apparet Propter Diarmuit Ui Dhuinn Se Ipsum Appetenda Sapientia" University of Northkeep -- St. Dunstan Northkeepshire, Ansteorra (I. Marc Carlson/IMC at vax2.utulsa.edu) From: beckum at aol.com (BECKUM) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Crafts: Leather Tooling Date: 4 May 1995 21:09:33 -0400 One other item of note. In the leather tooling that I do, I do not cut my designs into the leather, nor do I make muck use of stamps. I tool my leather with an awl when it is wet. It can produce texturing that is very deep and well defined, with out having to make cuts into the hide. I have been told by other SCA leather workers that it is a very period method of tooling leather, though the documentation they refered it escapes me again. Beckum From: cmhelm at artsci.wustl.EDU (Catherine Marie Helm) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: CRAFTS: Leather Date: 4 May 1995 17:47:12 -0400 I shouldn't be doing this... I should really be studying... I'm so tired of studying... In response to I. Marc Carlson's very nice post on leather decoration in "period," I would add the following as documentation for examples of painting on leather (other than the occational passing mention in someone's text). If you can find it, you can see very clearly that the tooled (blunt tooling, not cuir cisele') celtic knots on the very well-known Stonyhurst Bible binding were painted, Plate II of Waterer's _Leather and Craftsmanship_, Faber & Faber LTD., London, 1950. This photographic plate is the best photo of the Stonyhurst Bible I've found to date. Diehl does not include a photo plate of the Stonyhurst Bible but does confirm in her text that "the incised lines still show a trace of color." The Stonyhurst Bible is 7th C. Another good example of paint on leather is from Der Katalog des Deutsches Ledermuseums und Deutsches Schuhmuseums, color plate ("Tafel") III, (Universita:tsdruckerei, H. Stu:rtz AG, Wu:rzburg, 1967) < the colon symbols are for umlauts >. The item is a 14th C. leather cover, with figures of ladies and minnesingers cavorting about under four gothic arches. Tons 'o' paint! Unfortunately this reference is scarce to non-existent in the English-speaking world. Unlike the Waterer books, many of which sit on shelves in university libraries all over the place, German- language leather refs are hard to find, unless you're in Germany or Austria. I sure I could dig up more refs with pictures of paint on leather but I really should quit procrastinating. I had the two refs I just cited on my worktable in easy reach, since I had them out to take to the Known World A&S Collegium this past weekend (a really neat event! if you didn't go, you missed out). I have a brief bad idea, one which I can not even dream of pursuing for a few weeks. It goes like this: I have nifty leather refs and so do a few of my friends. However, we don't all have the same leather refs and so trading bibliographies is a good idea. Very often, just knowing a book exists is more than half the battle in tracking it down. I've been writing up various documentation bits on leather for a couple of years now, making what is essentially an annotated bibliography. If people have handy lists of their leather refs, could I interest anyone in swapping lists? (Replies should be sent directly to my email address - I do not read this or any other list/newsgroup with regularity as I am in the middle of studying for my comprehensive written test for PhD candidacy, which starts at the end of next week. I can not guarentee that I will answer email promptly until after the middle of May. Patience, please!) Ah *sigh*, back to the school books... Twcs the Procrastinator/cmhelm at artsci.wustl.edu From: IMC at vax2.utulsa.edu (I. Marc Carlson) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Crafts: Leather Tooling (Revised) Date: 4 May 1995 14:46:44 -0500 I've given this some revision, with the help of some comments by >. Any comments? Criticisms? added sources? After spending some time browsing through various sources, including Waterer's _Leather Craftsmanship_ last night, and his _Leather and the warrior_, the methods of leather "Tooling" or ornamentation appear to be: Applique This refers to the techniques of attaching other things to the surface of the leather, to decorate it. These can include paper-mache, other pieces of leather, decorative riveting, plaster/Gesso, etc. Combinations There are few instances of combining techniques such as Incising and Stamping, such as is done in much modern leatherworking, however, that should not be taken as a solid statement that such was not done. Items that use both include catalog nos. 22-23 in _Dress Accessories_, both belts. Cutting (or often referred to as Carving) Incising Taking a knife, or in modern tooling, a swivel knife, and inscribing a design into the surface of the leather. Note that a dull knife can leave a much larger "line" than a sharp one, and will not weaken the surface strength as much. This is *possibly* the most common method of ornamentation for leather during the Middle Ages. Numerous examples can be found in _Knives and Scabbards_, _Shoes and Pattens_, etc. Carving Technically, this is the technique of undercutting the leather surface and making it physically stand out from the general surface of the leather. Cutout Creating designed by punching holes in the leather. There are examples of this in _Shoes and Pattens_, as well as the various fields on the burial shield of the Black Prince (shown in _Leather and the Warrior_). Sgraffio or Scraping Scraping away parts of the surface to create an overall effect. There are examples of this in _Shoes and Pattens_ and _Leather and the Warrior_. Impressing Stamping or Punching Using a hammer and unheated metal "Irons" to create a pattern, or set a single image. There are a few examples of examples of these in _Knives and Scabbards_, most often to create a repeating motif of a single design element. Blind Stamping Impressing by means of heated metal stamps, touched to the leather. This is the method of ornamentation used on books, and other items using very thin leathers. Creasing or Veining. This is referred to a single or double line, often used to create a decorative border edge on leather. It is done with either heated metal irons, or by friction with wooden tools. It is essentially similar to blind stamping in that it uses heated metal to create a design. Cuerro Gofrado Rather like "Blind Stamping", this rather lays the leather atop a heated metal design, and pressed down onto it, creating a multilayered effect. It seems to have not been common beyond Spain and Italy. Poker Work/Pyrogravure This also uses a heated tool, but rather than to impress the design into the surface, to burn the surface with a very hot metal, in much the same way as a Branding Iron or a Running Iron works. Gold Stamping. This is a means of imbedding gold leaf patterns into the surface of the leather. Modelling Creating a bas relief in the leather using a number of techniques, including carving. There is a 13th C piece from a Dublin dig that shows evidence of this, although it may have been done with simple impression and molding, as well, or a combination of techniques. Molding or Moulding May include molds and/or countermolds to create the design. It would appear that many molds for Bottels, etc. rather than having the leather go around the mold, often have the leather pressed inTO the mold. Painting. There are few examples of painting on leather that have survived, but these include a Roman Scutum (_Leather and the Warrior_), the Scabbard of St. Maurice, c.1200-500 (_Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight_), a number of painted artifacts housed at the Cloisters, in NYC, etc. "Mihi Satis Apparet Propter Diarmuit Ui Dhuinn Se Ipsum Appetenda Sapientia" University of Northkeep -- St. Dunstan Northkeepshire, Ansteorra (I. Marc Carlson/IMC at vax2.utulsa.edu) Date: Mon, 8 Sep 1997 21:59:28 -0500 (CDT) From: Martha Lee Nichols To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG Subject: RE: ANST - new noncombatant topic I have seen articles in European museums made of leather dating from the 9th century that is referred to as embossed patterns. After as close examination as the museum will let you, I am convinced that the techniques and tools (although of a different material) used produced what we call today carved leather. The satchels for the Book of Kells and other bibles at Trinity College contain intricate designs that would put the modern artisan to shame. I saw floral patterns very similar if not identical to those used on a western saddle (you can find these patterns in embroidery, too). At York I saw knife sheaths at the Jorvik site that were carved, modeled, and dyed. The team of archeologists had reproduced this item to show what it would have looked like 1000 yrs. ago. Cadwallader Date: Mon, 08 Sep 1997 02:51:18 -0500 To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG From: Gunnora Hallakarva Subject: RE: ANST - new noncombatant topic Sael og heil, Master Cadwallader! Cadwallader said: >In answer to Ulrica and Marthe (my Lady) problems in A&S competions or >displays. It seems that alot of artisans get lost in the suffle or >treated in offending manner. I will claim to have been among this group >before and AFTER I was made a Laurel. As a 3rd generation saddlemaker >this means I grew up working with leather. I have to win a competetion >which is not a big deal but have been told it was not period by a expert >seamtress or some other non-qualified judge or person. I may not be reading your explanation here as you meant it, but you seem to be saying that you have lots of modern experience in leatherwork, and in some competition somebody who may or may not have been qualified thought your entry was done in a non-period way but despite this you won the competition? Or maybe didn't win the competition but should have? OK, as a leatherworker with lots of modern experience in saddlemaking and other modern leatherworking techniques, I have a whole bunch of technique under my belt as well. However, having done lots and lots of research into what medieval leatherwork was like, I've been forced to conclude that it was very different in many ways. Our tooling techniques were used in period, however when you see a source referring to "tooling" in a medieval contect, they mean hot tooling with gold leaf, which is a very different discipline. Medieval design-embossing into leather was termed "stamping" or "figuring" and normally the tools were made of hardwoods. Occasionally I will make my own stamps in hardwood or bone, and I would be quite impressed with other leather-working artisans who did so as well. However I have seen very few medieval examples of leather tooled as we do in a modern context. Normally the type of design is not figural but is composed of simple non-embossed cuts using patterns of small concentric circles and zig-zags and cross hatching etc. Other design techniques often involve cutwork where sections of pattern are cut completely away leaving a hole in the leather. So right there someone who had not done lots of leather research might conclude that because straight cuts or hot tooling techniques were all that they had ever seen documented that figural carving did not exist at all, which is of course not true. Another area to consider is the design. Complex relief sculpture in leather is not something that I have seen in examples of period leatherwork. I have seen simple figural design, but not elaborate stuff. Not to say it is not out there somewhere, but unless a display had documentation explaining an example in period, I would tend to suggest to the artisan that they consider looking into researching some actual period examples of leatherwork in the styles I have described above. Gunnora Hallakarva Herskerinde Date: Sun, 23 Nov 1997 10:49:34 -0500 From: Becky Needham To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu Subject: Re: Leather Book Binding > My Lady wife has determined on making with her household a book of hours. > She has requested of me that I make a suitable book binding. I have > determined that the most appropriate would be a tooled and raised cover > out of dark red goatskin. While I have done the sort of tooling required > before, I have not done the sort of raised work that is needed. I am going > through my books on this but would appreciate and advice or guidance. I > am also wondering as to the availableity of red goatskin. Are there any > differences in working it from cowskin? I am slso trying to determin the > nature and sources for the appropriate pigments to use in highlighting the > tooling. As you might imagin this is to recreate an original piece so the > requirements are questions than need be asked and I am sure have answers > somewhere. > > Charles O'Connor > jphughes at raven.cc.ukans.edu Milord, I used to work for Tandy Leather and my late father taught me to tool - although we used the cut and tool method. He learned in Germany during the Occupation from a man who could tool rings around most anyone. One of the first things I was taught was that you do pigmentation after tooling. Dad wasn't into period dyes, and I haven't pursued that knowledge yet, so I can't help you there. I can, however, tell you about tooling goat. It's a little more delicate to tool, being thinner and less tough, but it works out well. I tooled a pouch for a friend on either 1 oz or 1 1/2 oz goat and it held up well, though if I remember correctly, it was stolen from him. As far as the raised work, I know the theory, but have not done it. When you come to a section that is to be raised, make a small cut at the very edge of the most unobtrusive, but fairly strong place - not in a corner, for example as what you will do will definitely change the shape of a corner - and insert a type of spoon tool for that purpose and wriggle it around will you have hollowed it by flattening the fibers inside enough to permit stuffing. Cotton balls wouldn't work for period, but tiny "confetti" bits of cloth would work, I would think. Glue the cut shut. Make sure it's dry and then go on to the next part to be raised. You'll probably want to research period glues, also. You might try tracking down the earliest manuals dealing with leather or try something on period armorers. Kay Staniland, in "Embroiderers," lists one as doing embroidery, so maybe they did leatherworking, too. I don't know if it's period or not, but I always use carnuba wax on my finished pieces. It keeps them supple and gives a subtle glowing shine. Yours in Service, Bet Date: Sun, 23 Nov 1997 12:04:32 -0600 From: Sinclair To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu Subject: Re: Leather Book Binding One way to get a raised pattern in anything made of leather is to use a technique called plug embossing. (The Black Prince's shield was made using this technique, and the one it replaced, which may nor may not have been the original, also was made the same way.) Plug embossing is simple to do, and yields interesting results. There are books avaiable from Tandy's, among others on this, but basically it is as follows: First carve/emboss around what you want to appear raised. Then take some waxed paper or the translucent material used to transfer patterns. Draw the object slightly smaller than the outline you have just embossed. (I try to draw it the same width as the thickness of the leather.) Transfer this image to a piece of scrap leather, cut it out and skiv the edges. You don't have to be that critical, or neat. Soak the leather you are going to emboss until no air bubble rise. (App. 20 minutes) Now take something rounded, such as a leather working spoon, ball styles, etc, place the leather upside down on something resilant, like a sponge or your leg, and push out the leather within the confines of the object you intend to emboss. (The plug can be multiple layers thick, but the thicker you make it the more the leather will have to be pushed out.) When the app. depth is reached, glue the leather plug you prepared earlier into place with leather weld, hide glue, etc. Now, re-emboss the object from the right side, putting whatever details you like into it. You can use about anything for a plug, but I prefer something that does not give and will hold up, so I use scrap leather. The plug must be beveled or the leather will tear at the edge of the object you are embossing. And, the object should be lined so that the plug rests on something behind. A book would be about ideal for this. I have made belt pouches and am relatively pleased with the results. Sinclair From: hrjones at uclink.berkeley.edu (Heather Rose Jones) Newsgroups: rec.org.sca Subject: Re: Documentation sources for leatherwork Date: 20 Jan 1997 18:43:21 GMT Organization: University of California, Berkeley Rikki Mitman (esmitman at ghgcorp.com) wrote: : My lord is doing some beautiful tooled leatherwork, which he would like : to enter in A&S competitions. He is at a loss for sources of : documentation on the subject. Can anyone suggest some good reading? There are a number of photographs of extant period tooled-leather items in John Waterer's "Leather in Life, Art and Industry (London: Faber and Faber Ltd., 1946). In general, I have found it less satisfactory to try to document techniques _after_ making an item than to do research in advance of the project. Simply documenting the technique(s) of leather tooling side-steps the question of what sorts of designs were used at what times by what cultures on what sorts of items. Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn Date: Sat, 28 Jun 1997 20:34:25 -0400 (EDT) From: EowynA at aol.com To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu Subject: Tooled Leather I noted a wistfull sounding desire about finding sources for tooled leather in the thread on Tawed leather. When Iwas at the Jorvik Viking Center in York, England, I was fascinated by the several carved leather knife sheaths they had on display. Both were dated tenth century. One had a knotwork design, the other various diamond shapes. Baroness Eowyn Amberdrake, O.L., O. Pel. Caid Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997 23:52:31 -0800 From: fspfw at aurora.alaska.edu (Patrick and April Woolery) To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu Subject: Re: Tooled Leather For some great pictures (drawings and photos) of leather sheaths with stamping and carving, take a look at the following book: _Knives and Scabbards: Medieval finds from Excavations in London_ by J. Cowgill, M. de Neergaard, and N. Griffiths, published by Her Majesty's Stationary Office, ISBN 0-11-290440-8. There is an entire chapter on the decoration of the scabbards, in which the authors say that "engraving" and stamping were both used. Most libraries will have at least one book on leatherworking, which should include the basics of tooling. -Nataliia Tomasovna Date: Mon, 30 Jun 1997 20:59:26 -0500 From: theodelinda at webtv.net (linda webb) To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu Subject: Re: Tooled Leather In addition to the Museum of London books on knives and scabbards and equestrian equipment, the same series has one on dress accessories, which includes tooled and stamped leather belts and pouches. This book also is produced by HMSO, and may be out, or going out of print--the title is _Dress Accessories_! In addition, the Museum of Leather work in Offenbach, Germany has excellent catalogs of their collection, which includes many SCA-period examples of tooled leather items. I listed the address for this museum some time ago on the list,and I believe it can be located under the heading "Leather" on the Citation Index to this list, which is at http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Studios/5160/index.html In general, my leather working friends tell me that when they say tooled, they mean both using small decorative stamps to make a design, and the more elaborate method of incising a pattern, then using a variety of small tools to raise and lower parts of the pattern so that there is a design in relief. Both methods are used in various places in our period, along with simply incising the pattern but not adding relief effects. If you wonder what kind of patterns the Spanish brought to America with their tooling equipment, look at some of the traditional "Western" floral patterns--notice a faint Renaissance flavor in some of them? Based on the examples I have seen in the Leather Museum books, period leatherworkers did not seem to worry about being overly extravagant in their designs. Many of them bear a marked resemblence to other decorative work in wood, stone, and ivory. Both the Museum of London books and the catalogs from the Leather Museum in Offenbach (which is a suburb of Frankfort if you're going to Europe any time soon) are worth looking over. The Leather Museum books are supposed to be available in English, but I've only seen them in German. They aren't expensive, although ordering them from Germany is bound to be a pain. However, don't let the language issue deter you--they are full of pictures which are each worth at least 1000 words! Date: Wed, 23 Jul 1997 20:31:50 -0500 From: theodelinda at webtv.net (linda webb) To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu Subject: Re: leather notebooks Hand-tooling leather means that the pattern is transferred to the leather and then relief is added by means of small hand tools (with either a plain or textured surface) which press the leather down, a tiny little area at a time. Extra detail may be added by using fancy patterned stamps--we have a tiny circular one, for example, that we've used to mark the eyes of various critters, to put mail on figures of knights and so on. Strictly speaking, in the dictionary sense, this can be called embossing. However, when you see a late Victorian chair with an embossed leather seat, or a catalog listing for replacement seats in the home-renovation catalogs, they refer to a process which uses a big muckin' machine with the pattern cut into a plate to press the whole design in at once--probably rather like the old-fashioned Gutenberg-style presses, at least in its earlier forms, although the method is probably a lot more sophisticated now Since it uses a machine, I call it a mechanical process. Hand-tooling uses small tools and a hammer, and has nothing to enhance the force of the leatherworker's muscle-power, while the press would at least use the force of the screw to increase the strength of the pressure. A mechanical engineer, which I am not, could explain why the screw increases the force. There's probably even a formula for it somewhere, so you can calculate how much its' increased. I suppose a semantic case could be made for calling any tool, whether powered by muscle or anything else a machine, but I tend to think of a hand-saw as a plain old tool, but a power tool as a machine, to borrow an example from the woodworkers' shop. However, it will have to be debated without my help, as I am going to North Carolina to buy beads and gems and pearls. Date: Thu, 24 Jul 1997 06:16:45 -0400 From: Margo Lynn Hablutzel To: A&S List Subject: Tooling v. Embossing Leather One more note (I get digest, for forgive me if someone said this, it wasn't in #144): Embossing uses a form to press the leather, and is usually done with a thin enough leather that if it is wetted and pressed over the form, it will dry in the shape given. Tooling often involves cutting the leather on the pattern lines and pressing it back from there, so you need a thicker leather. The same methods used to emboss leather are also used on fabrics such as denim, cotton fleece, and even T-shirts. --- Morgan Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 15:55:14 -0400 From: rmhowe To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu Subject: Re: pinking pipes? Anna Troy wrote: > Does anybody out there know where you can buy pipes to make pinking > (different shaped holes in leather)All I've been able to find are the > usuall round shape if you can't buy other shapes does anybody know how > you'd go about making your own pipes? I want to make a pair of "Cathedral > window" shoes you see. > > Anna de Byxe Usually when I want an odd size leather / rubber washer punch I just pick up an odd size of tubing in the shop cut it to about 5" and grind a nice edge on it on a belt / disc sander or grinder. Sometimes this is precluded by flattening it in a vise, or with a hammer. I suppose if I wanted a Cathedral Window,(shape with three or four semicircles conjoined?), I should simply grind away a further part of the pipe to make a semicircle. I've made a number this way from different types of tubing including electrical conduit, stainless steel tubing, old lamp stems, etc. After the grinding I break the wire edge inside with a round file and maybe hone it a bit on a stone. I have a couple of those antique pinking irons. Fairly large. One is semicircular with many semi-circles in its length, the other is a straight zig-zag pattern. My understanding is that they were used mostly by coffin makers wishing to dress up the fabric linings. Magnus Date: Fri, 23 Oct 1998 07:41:48 PDT From: "T Cardy" To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu Subject: Re: pinking pipes? >Greetings...I bet you could get a local smith to make something like that for >you. A friend of mine wanted to do the pinked doublet in Arnold and coerced a >swordsmith to make her the needed punches. Happy hunting, Thea Try calling around to a few local tack shops and ask where they get their leather and supplies. If you can find their suppliers ask if they sell small "Clicker" toolings. ("decorative hand punch" might also work) A clicker tool is a metal die that is used to cut out pieces for saddlery and other leather construction requiring the same pieces over and over again. Some larger tools can only be used with a hydraulic press (called a "Clicker" ) and others can be used by hand. Tandy and the leather factory do not carry these tools. You can also keep an eye for a Magazine called the "Leather Journal" which has a fairly extensive listing of leahter suppliers all across the US and Canada. Tim Van Vlear Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1999 11:58:47 -0500 From: "Gregory Stapleton" To: Subject: RE: Working with leather A few references, _Medieval Finds from London series: Knives and Scabards_, HMSO Press. Shows dozens and dozens of examples of leather that is "carved" or decorated using stamps or a combination of both. Also, the grave goods of the Black Prince, in particular his shield, show some interesting three-dimensional work using "padding" underneath the leather to help create the raised surface design elements. _Medieval Finds from London series: Shoes and Pattens_, HMSO Press. Shows leather shoes decorated by carving, scraping, pinking and cutouts using a "cookie cutter" type of stamp. Gawain Kilgore Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1999 14:06:39 -0800 (PST) From: sion warwick To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu Subject: RE: Working with leather also, the Dress Accessories issue from the Medieval Finds...Series has some stamped leather belts. And I believe the Horse and Its Equipment from the same series has some worked leather pieces, though I'm not sure (I have them all and forget what I've seen in which book). Ioan verch David Date: Fri, 26 Mar 1999 07:49:19 -0800 (PST) From: Ioan verch David To: northshield , sca arts Subject: interesting leather documentation I found a really nice example of stamped/tooled leather that many leather-working types may not know of. Its a cylindrical case for the "Verre des huit pretres" (an Islamic glass mounted on a French silver-gilt base). If I can get my hands on a scanner, I will try to put in on the web, but here's the citation. Secular Goldsmiths' Work in Medieval France: A History R.W. Lightbrown, F.S.A. published by The Society of Antiquaries, dist. by Thames and Hudson Ltd, 1978 ISBN 0 500 99027 1 The leather case is on Plate XLVI, Leather case, French, Late 13th c. I'm not on the leather mailing list so feel free to pass this along. Also, I am curious as to whether anyone who has a chance to check this out thinks that the leather is incised as part of the tooling. Its hard to tell from the photo. Also, if its cited anywhere else, I would greatly appreciate info on where. It looks like it is currently owned by the V&A, although its listed as "formerly in the Musee de Douai". Ioan verch David From: "C. L. Ward" Date: June 6, 2004 5:11:53 PM CDT To: SCA-Laurels , Ansteorra-Laurels , Ansteorra Cc: Subject: [Ansteorra] Leather and Leatherworking in Anglo-Scandinavian and Medieval York I just got my copy of a book that is fantastic for folks interested in early-period leatherwork... Mould, Quita, Ian Carlisle, and Ester Cameron. Craft Industry and Everyday Life: Leather and Leatherworking in Anglo-Scandinavian and Medieval York. The Archaeology of York: The Small Finds 17/16. York: York Archaeological Trust. 2003. Available from Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1902771362/thevikinganswerl *WOW* Particularly interesting is specific information on leather decorating techniques. Viking Age leatherwork was not tooled like modern "Western" or "Spanish" tooling. Designs were embossed with a blunt tool, but not cut then bevelled - you could achieve a similar result using a modern leather modelling tool. Occasionally stamps were used, but they were generally simple geometrics and repeated over and over to get a line or a solid area fill effect - think small triangles, for instance. Also interesting was the silk embroidery down the top of the vamp of several shoes, and Penelope Walton Rogers has a good analysis of the stich types and threads used both for decoration and construction of the shoes. And, needless to say, there are line drawings of the flat profile of the shoes and sheaths discussed, plus lots of other fantastically wonderful stuff. If you're am leatherworker, this is a worthwhile $50 investment. I found that I could get the book slightly cheaper from Amazon.com than direct from YAT, because Amazon only charges me the cost of shipping from their warehouse (base price was the same). ::GUNNVOR:: Table of Contents ================= General Introduction 3185 Introduction to the sites and their dating by R.A. Hall, N.F. Pearson and R. Finlayson 3187 The nature of the assemblages 3203 Conservation of the Leatherwork by J.A. Spriggs 3213 Craft and Industry 3222 The surviving evidence 3222 The leatherworking trades 3222 Current documentary knowledge by Lisa Liddy 3222 The street-name evidence by Gillian Fellows-Jensen 3226 The physical evidence 3227 Environmental evidence by Allan Hall and Harry Kenward 3230 The osteological evidence by T.P. O'Connor 3231 The leatherworking tools recovered by Patrick Ottaway and Carole A. Morris 3235 The waste leather with a contribution by Ailsa Mainman 3245 The craft of the leatherworker 3256 The shoe-maker 3256 Shoe construction with a contribution by Penelope Walton Rogers 3256 The sheath- and scabbard-maker 3261 Decorative techniques employed on leather 3262 Teeth marks 3264 Types of leather used 3265 Conclusion Everyday Life 3268 Introduction 3268 Shoes Constructions 3268 Anglo-Scandinavian styles 3274 Medieval styles 3312 Sizes Decoration with a contribution by Penelope Walton Rogers 3340 Refurbishment and repair 3346 Foot pathologies 3351 Sheaths and scabbards with a contribution by John A. Goodall 3354 Other leather objects 3392 Wealth and status reflected in the leather from York 3415 The Wider Picture 3418 Anglo-Scandinavian ~d medieval leather found at York 3418 Comparable assemblages from elsewhere in Britain 3426 Possible cultural influences 3428 International relations by Carol van Driel-Murray 3431 The significance of the York assemblage by R.A. Hall 3436 Catalogue Appendix: Quantifications of shoes of each style 3533 Edited by Mark S. Harris lea-tooling-msg Page 21 of 21