1st century Calceus

[Peroni]

He has also did a terrible job with the latin. "caligum"? I had the mistaken impression that all of you Brits had mandatory latin education.

It is not anyone's grasp of Latin that is being discussed here surely? And, yes, you are very much mistaken. Latin is not taught in British schools much these days.

If we are to discuss authenticity.. How about the knitted socks worn with your 100% authentic caligae?? :wink:
http://www.geocities.com/legio_tricesim ... rFest.html

In reply Robin has said..
[quote]The “off the shelfâ€

[Nerva]

Robin's boot's are first class and an excellent blend of the authentic and the practical and remember, for all we know the roman soldier may well have been equipped with Wellington boot's, we just havent found them yet :wink:

I wonder what they used insted of velcro down the right hand boot :!:

Oh yes, a 'hemmed' tunica in the picture? Would that be accurate? I better stop knit picking before I send everyone to sleep but I'll just say one thing I know people will have no interest in - are you sure your Tunic COLOUR is right :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Neuraleanus]

And, yes, you are very much mistaken. Latin is not taught in British schools much these days.

Same in the USA unfortunately. For my own case, I am attempting to make up for that.

If we are to discuss authenticity.. How about the knitted socks worn with your 100% authentic caligae??

I only made the caligae, not the socks (that's my amicus Markus in the seg). Authenticity is a matter of degree. We need to learn how to do naalbinding.

[quote]Quote:
The “off the shelfâ€

[arklore70]

I own a pair of Robin's calcei and they are wonderfully comfortable, in fact I will say they they are even more comfortable than some of the jungle boots and regular combat boots that I have been issued over the years in military service, even after breaking them in. The boots are made to your feet, which I think goes a long way in getting a comfortable fit.

I took my pair to Lafe 43 AD and my feet stayed 100% dry the entire time, despite the rains and tromping through wet forest. The removable sheep skin liner also made sure my feet were warm. At the end of the event, my feet did not feel sore after wearing them for three and a half days like in past years.

I feel very confident that I could wear these boots in full kit for a 20 mile road march and not have any issues with my feet. They are built like a tank and even come with a one year warrantly; only my Albion blades come with that.

I have been maintaining the boots with extra virgin olive oil and nothing has gone rancid, though my wife has commented that my hands feel softer and look nicer with the extra olive oil being rubbed into my hands.

Cheers,

Mike

[Neuraleanus]

I was only commenting on the caligae.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I have a couple of his fell boots and am looking for a good excuse to test them out.
And a pair of Cezary's naalbinded socks for the larger pair!

[Nerva]

Omnes!

Lets remember what this post is all about, Martins Boots :!: I for one have to say Bloody Fantastic Work Martin you are a true Artisan :wink:

[arklore70]

Martin,
well said and I concur.

Martin's boot look absolutely fantastic.

Martin, any tricks of the trade to setting in those conical hobnails? I've not had a lot of luck getting them to set and clench in that pretty like.

Mike

[Martin Moser]

Thanks, guys :-) )

Martin, any tricks of the trade to setting in those conical hobnails? I've not had a lot of luck getting them to set and clench in that pretty like.

The main thing is to alter the shanks so that they taper all the way down, not just at the very end (like an ordinary nail). Here's a sketch to illustrate what I mean:



With parallel sides after the short tip has bent on the anvil, the bit still outside and between the sole and the head potentially becomes the weakest point of the shank, the rest being kind of reinforced by the leather of the sole. The nail of course has a tendency to bend at the weakest point when being hit a bit off center.
With the shank tapering all the way down, the weakest point practically always is in the lower half.

In the case of open shoes like caligae you could alternatively nail them on a piece of wood instead of an anvil so that initially no clenching occurs but the poitns penetrate the innermost sole. Then you place them on an anvil nailed sole downwards and carefully hammer the protruding tips over on the inside. Not possible with a closed boot of course.

Hope that helps a bit....

[Theodosius the Great]

Martin,

Would your boots be considered "high" calcei ?

I read somewhere that high calcei could be considered "perones", but I've never seen you use this particular term. The terminology, as you said on another thread, isn't standardized.

Your boots look very similar to the Praetorians' footwear from the Louvre relief, imo :



Great work,
Laudes awarded.

~Theo

[Martin Moser]

Hi Theo,

Would your boots be considered "high" calcei ?

Considering actual shoe finds from the 1st to 4th cent. AD I'd say that they would be high boots. We do have shoes on statues (emperors and gods e.g.) and in frescos that are higher, however.

I read somewhere that high calcei could be considered "perones", but I've never seen you use this particular term. The terminology, as you said on another thread, isn't standardized.

Or far from established with respect to the original usage. We simply know too little to allocate the different names (some of which also seem to change in their meaning of the course of the centuries) to the finds and depictions. I chose to stick with the somewhat reduced shoe vocabulary that has become more or less standard in modern literature for a acceptable though somewhat rough grouping of the finds.

Your boots look very similar to the Praetorians' footwear from the Louvre relief, imo :

Yes, there are several versions all very close with little, but interesting differences. You can see those on the Ara Pacis very nicely. Goette has written on what they signified in:

Goette, Hans Rupprecht: Muleus, Embas, Calceus. Ikonographische Studien zu römischem Schuhwerk.Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts 103, 1988. 401-64

Great work,
Laudes awarded.

Thanks :-) )

[Aemilianus]

Hello, here is a picture I took at the Deutsches Ledermuseum. I hope you will find it usefull. (Click on it to enlarge)

[Martin Moser]

Hi Aemilianus,

thanks for the picture!

[Theodosius the Great]

Yes, there are several versions all very close with little, but interesting differences.

Do any specific later patterns come to mind, Martin ? I'm thinking about perhaps the Flavian or Trajanic era.

If not, could you recommend a book which features a variety of calcei patterns ?

I checked out the link that Martin Ward provided on this thread (page 1) but I'm looking for a pattern that closely resembles your first century calcei.

Sorry this is a bit OT...

~Theo

[Martin Moser]

Do any specific later patterns come to mind, Martin ? I'm thinking about perhaps the Flavian or Trajanic era.
If not, could you recommend a book which features a variety of calcei patterns ?

Hm, that I think depends on what you are thinking about. The term calceus is used in modern literature mostly in the sense of "closed shoe made on a last", i.e. in a very wide meaning. Maybe I can suggest some shoes if you let me know what you are aiming at or what kind of impression you are thinking of.