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Avete,
Does anyone know how to mold leather and then boil it into a desired shape ?
Is the process something like this (below) :
Wet a leather piece on both sides and press it against what ever you're using as a mold. Use a sponge to impress the image.
Let it stay on a few hours until dried
Then dip in boiled water ?
Would that work ? How would the Romans have done it ?
Jaime
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Hey Jaime
There are no Roman recipes or descriptions. We have no idea if they used it or not. All the evidence is circumstantial and not direct, but I think they must have.
Basically you boil leather in oil, wax or water until it is plastic and moldable and then press or stretch it over a mold. You have to secure to the mold somehow while the leather cools and cures. Depending on the temperature, medium or method it could be anyway from leather hard to rock hard.
Here's one recipe.
http://www.amtgard-eh.com/library/howtocuir.html
I've never done this mind you, but I've read a lot about it. I think that between Christmas and New year's I am going to try to do something small, maybe a tongue pteruge or shoulder harness in this method, just as a test before I tackle the larger lorica, which scares the heck out of me.
Does anyone know where there are affordable good quality supplies for vegetable tanned leather? I am a total neophyte at this.
Travis
Theodoros of Smyrna (Byzantine name)
aka Travis Lee Clark (21st C. American name)
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You might want to checkout
www.armourarchive.org There are several folks over there that are very knowledgeable about this subject.
"...quemadmodum gladius neminem occidit, occidentis telum est."
a.k.a. Paul M.