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Valkenburg/Castleford style caliga step by step
#16
This is an absolutely fantastic thread, when it is complete it should be added to the "How To " section. There have been a lot of good how to threads lately, Man! I love this site!
Juan Santell
Juan Santell, no Roman name yet. Picking a name is very important and something that should not be done hastily or without much thought.
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#17
Quote:This is an absolutely fantastic thread, when it is complete it should be added to the "How To " section.
It most certainly will be. We're adding from furthest date back to present date, but I think this is an exception.

Problem is every time I check here, Martin's added even more info.... :wink:

Thanks Martin Big Grin
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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#18
Quote:I cannot attest to the historicity of this way to close the back seam at the heel, as to my knowledge unfortunately none of the researchers so far bothered to explain or show/draw this in detail even though it is a crucial point in construction IMHO. I have written Carol van Driel-Murray on this matter and am waiting and hoping for an answer at the moment.)
I simply left the heel to back area open. I haven't seen any information to attest to which is more correct, an open or closed heel. None of the cutting patterns that I've seen show stitch holes about the heel.
Titus Licinius Neuraleanus
aka Lee Holeva
Conscribe te militem in legionibus, vide mundum, inveni terras externas, cognosce miros peregrinos, eviscera eos.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.legiotricesima.org">http://www.legiotricesima.org
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#19
Quote:
Quote:This is an absolutely fantastic thread, when it is complete it should be added to the "How To " section.
It most certainly will be. We're adding from furthest date back to present date, but I think this is an exception.

Problem is every time I check here, Martin's added even more info.... :wink:

Thanks Martin Big Grin

It's a brilliant site. Add a karma to Martin.

Now get to work on a set of equestrian boots! :wink:
Theodoros of Smyrna (Byzantine name)
aka Travis Lee Clark (21st C. American name)

Moderator, RAT

Rules for RAT:
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Oh! and the Toledo helmet .... oh hell, forget it. :? <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt=":?" title="Confused" />:?
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#20
Quote:I simply left the heel to back area open. I haven't seen any information to attest to which is more correct, an open or closed heel. None of the cutting patterns that I've seen show stitch holes about the heel.

I think that closing the heel completely is the correct way. I've looked through my sources again and while none shows anyhting 100% definite on the original finds, all at least indicate to me that it was closed, e.g.

[Image: Goepfrich_detail03.jpg]

Also see the by me often cited Cancelleria relief in connection with a find from Mainz I wrote about over at the Roman Military History & Archaeology -> Puzzouli(Puteoli) Relief thread ( http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=6794 ). That doesn't look to have been left open either.

Personal experience from walking a mountainous area for more than 10km (training for a march 2 years ago) w/full gear after days of heavy rainfalls and over muddy paths says close the heel section and everything else as well as you can. After an hour or so the leather straps invariably beginn to stretch and widen because of the wetness, even though the shoes were oiled and greased, and you start to slip around in them, making you glad for any hold you have. After drying the leather went back into place and original length remarkably well, btw.

That being said, I might still be wrong, however (still hoping and waiting for an answer from Carol van Driel-Murray to clear this up eventually)...
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#21
Thanks for the thumbs up, everyone! :-) )

Quote:Now get to work on a set of equestrian boots! :wink:

First I need to get some experience making shoes on a last, a vindolanda shoe w/ fishnet upper will be the next project. Maybe after that, depending on the sources I find (through you, maybe, Travis? ;-) ) )
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#22
Quote:Thanks for the thumbs up, everyone! :-) )

tlclark:2qrra7px Wrote:Now get to work on a set of equestrian boots! :wink:

First I need to get some experience making shoes on a last, a vindolanda shoe w/ fishnet upper will be the next project. Maybe after that, depending on the sources I find (through you, maybe, Travis? ;-) ) )

http://astro.temple.edu/~tlclark/lorica/parts.htm

scroll down.

I couldn't cut a pattern to save my life, but I can provide you with pictures.

Travis
Theodoros of Smyrna (Byzantine name)
aka Travis Lee Clark (21st C. American name)

Moderator, RAT

Rules for RAT:
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?Rules">http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?Rules for posting

Oh! and the Toledo helmet .... oh hell, forget it. :? <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt=":?" title="Confused" />:?
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#23
and I do like your methods, but, if you follow the Valkenburg pattern more strictly I do not think that you can attach the heel like you did.

On an another note, from where do you obtain your shoemaking supplies? I did a search of the net for shoemaker's pitch and drew a blank. Do you know of an on-line source?
Titus Licinius Neuraleanus
aka Lee Holeva
Conscribe te militem in legionibus, vide mundum, inveni terras externas, cognosce miros peregrinos, eviscera eos.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.legiotricesima.org">http://www.legiotricesima.org
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#24
Hi,

Quote:and I do like your methods, but, if you follow the Valkenburg pattern more strictly I do not think that you can attach the heel like you did.

Thanks and you may be right there, honestly I can't say. Funnily it was that very pattern that gave me the idea, because of those lower, pointed downwards, and therefore when sewn together and pushed in, pointing inwards tips. It is also hard to tell how much of that pattern is taken over from the originals 1:1 and how much is conjectural or the authors own interpretative design as she only lets us know that the pattern is "based on examples from Valkenburg and Castleford". (Footwear in the North-Western Provinces of the Roman Empire. Carol van Driel-Murray. in Goubitz/Van Driel-Murray/Groenman-van Wateringe: Stepping Through Time. Archeological Footwear from Prehistoric Times until 1800, Zwolle 2001. p.362)

Apart from that, and I probably should have pointed this out at the very beginning, both because of the source (see above) and my methods and material this cannot be termed a true reconstruction to the last detail. I try to minimize compromises, but that's a learning process for me just as well. (Oh, nothing to do with your post(s), Neuraleanus, great to have a second opinion on this stuff! Just felt I should point this out to everybody.)

Quote:On an another note, from where do you obtain your shoemaking supplies? I did a search of the net for shoemaker's pitch and drew a blank. Do you know of an on-line source?

Not readily available. I buy the stuff locally, but I'll see what I can find on the net here in Germany. Alternatively, I can buy stuff for you and send it to you, if you want me to ...
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#25
After closing the back seam I chose to apply a seam protection. This was not always done, but is known from a number of finds. Here is the piece of leather I prepared for that, already pierced every 6mm to take up the 3mm broad band of leather I cut from a piece of alum-tanned and therefore white leather to make for a nice color contrast. The widening at the lower end will go in between the middle and lower sole for extra stability

[Image: Nahtschutz02.jpg]

After piercing the caliga leather at the same distance as the protective strip I laced the white leather band through both layers. Note that you do not need 3mm wide cuts for the leather band to go through, a somewhat larger hole pierced with an ordinary (or if you have one, flat) awl works just as well.

[Image: Nahtschutz03.jpg]

Here is the finished back. The white leather strips end inward, where the can be tied and sewn down to keep them in place. Instead of the (in my case white) leather parchment can also be used.

[Image: Nahtschutz04.jpg]

After oiling, the light brown protective leather will be almost the same color as the caliga leather.

Time needed to prepare leather parts and thread the strip through: ca. 2h 30 min
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#26
Preparing the lower sole for sewing: This time I chose to go with the method found with many originals, that is using a tunnel stitch. After cutting out the lower sole I prepared it for stitching by making the holes. This works best with a bent awl, as available from leather working supply shops. As you can see I first tried it out somewhere in the middle. Before doing so, I soaked the sole in warm water for a couple hours to soften it, as the sole leather I am using (4-5 mm thick, most originals range from 3-5 mm) is very, very hard.

[Image: Tunnelstich01.jpg]

[Image: Tunnelstich02.jpg]

I managed to only tear out one of those holes, pretty good for a first try. Another method that I have practised until now and somewhat easier, is to cut in the sole from the side to a depth of about 10 mm and then sew through the upper of the 2 resulting sections. This has not been found with any originals, though, AFAIK. Here's a picture what this looks like after sewing:

[Image: Sohlennaht05.jpg]
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#27
Sewing the middle to the lower sole: I again used one of those flexible steel needles for that, as explained with the back seam above. Probably a real pig's bristle would even work better as flexibility is the most important thing for getting through those curved holes

[Image: Sohlennaht03.jpg]

Here's a look from the side, before pulling tight the yarn, compared to a sketch from Göpfrich's Lederfunde aus Mainz:

[Image: Sohlennaht01.jpg]

[Image: Mainz_06.jpg]
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#28
Yup, it's gonna be a while still before this one goes in the 'How-To's' Big Grin
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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#29
for making the holes for tunnel stitches. I have to get myself one of those. That should save me a few needles.
Titus Licinius Neuraleanus
aka Lee Holeva
Conscribe te militem in legionibus, vide mundum, inveni terras externas, cognosce miros peregrinos, eviscera eos.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.legiotricesima.org">http://www.legiotricesima.org
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#30
Quote:[Image: BackSeam05.jpg]
Ummos, now you've got me wondering whether I mis-interpreted the drawing of the back seam shown in the stepping in time book. I took their description as being a pair of simple reinforced double running stitches. This construction certainty works, but what you did could be made to look identical. You've got me thinking about starting work on another pair of caligae.
Titus Licinius Neuraleanus
aka Lee Holeva
Conscribe te militem in legionibus, vide mundum, inveni terras externas, cognosce miros peregrinos, eviscera eos.
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.legiotricesima.org">http://www.legiotricesima.org
Reply


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