How practical is it to make things?

[M. Demetrius]

I guess I don't get the uneasiness about men sewing...all military institutions issue sewing kits to recruits, don't they? I sew cloth and leather, and it's not that hard once you get the first few stitches down and learn to control stitch length and proper tension. It's not very exciting, though, hundreds or even thousands of stitches in a garment (consider the cross strapping on a loculus, heh) or article of gear. But done correctly, hand stitching is every bit as good as machine stitching, just slower to do.

Tailors are men, aren't they? :lol:

[Decimus Aurelius Varus]

I started with caligae. Hobnails can be ordered online, leather is fairly cheap to get, and there are plenty of instructional aids around. Just get enough leather for 2 pairs because if you have never worked with leather, you will probably mess up more than once...
The balteus is not too hard to assemble. Leather, plates, buckle, danglium and leather straps. Good Luck.

[Matt Lukes]

And often enough you can get the more 'advanced' elements from a supplier meaning you don't necessarily have to restrict yourself to simpler pieces. Also there are lots of people around who've picked up the techniques for this and that and any of us are usually more than happy to help people out :wink:

[Iulia Cassia Vegetia]

I would never try to make anything out of metal or anything like that, but a lot of other stuff seems way over priced (like 70 dollar tunics, 90 dollar belts, etc...), do you think I could make some of this stuff myself?
I'm pretty sure a tunic would be easy, but some of the other things seem a bit more complicated, do you think I should try anyways?

Most wholeheartedly, I'd say YES!! I started The Venetian Cat Studio because someone asked me if I could make some Samian Ware and amphoras for them since there weren't any historically accurate pottery reproductions in the USA. And I never knew just how much I LOVED doing historical reproduction pottery until I just "did it". Now I even do Greek and Celtic, but I digress...

Under Richard Campbell's post, there is a link for Legio XX, and there, Matt Amt has all kinds of clear, easy-to-understand instructions. And best of all he's historically accurate.

Good luck and have fun!

[Servio Caro (Javier Sánc]

I also have decided to join!

I'd like to do a celtic shield this summer, and to customize my phrigian helmet adding two feather holders and a crest.

I'm making a list for the tools I sould need, so any advice is welcome

[Spurius]

I think that with anything you make yourself, the old saying "Practice makes perfect" is good advice.

The first time I tried to sew anything together, it was not pretty. But over time the skills gets better. A good friend of mine showed me how to make simple bronze/brass buckles, and it's not as complicated as it seems before you see someone actually making it.

Some day I hope to try making some armor.

[Rutilia]

I just takes a bit of practice is all. I made my first segmentata back in 1981 while at Camp LeJeune. My first buckles were only a few months ago and were far easier than I expected. Caligae and the rest of it as well. Now I'm after making a hand for our signum, among other things.

Start small, work up, have patience, ask a lot of questions of those around who may know such things, and don't get discouraged.

Rutilia

[Servio Caro (Javier Sánc]

Thank you very much for your kind words! Tomorrow I will have some free time to visit some ironmongers. I will see some prices and tools I should need to start, over all an electric saw to cut the wood

[jkaler48]

A big piece of tree log at least 2 foot across with a round hole in the middle
to use for "dishing" metal

A wood splitting wedge to pound in to the log to use as a raising tool.

I have found these two very useful for metal working.

An anvil or short piece of railroad track is useful also.

A bunch of different size hammers are useful.
Somehow you just feel when it is time to switch to a larger or smaller
hammer. Something I think better learned by doing than learned from a book.

OH yes EYE and EAR protection - and tolerant neighbors!