10-16-2014, 08:03 AM
Hi Dan, thanks for commenting and clearing up the issue a little bit. The addition of wax was the idea of the leather craftsman I was working with, I have found no historical basis for such decision. The reality is however different from your description - with my level of english and craftmanship, I doubt I can describe this well, but I will try 
The leather is not impregnated in the real sense - the wax does not go through the whole leather thickness, but is sort of baked on top. I remember the craftsman called it "ironing" as if it was applied using an iron. The resulting effect is that the weapon should slide to the side of the tube instead of penetrating it. The only exception are the scales - they are boiled in was and are really sturdy. At each place of the scaled "belt", at least two scales overlap themselves. The thickness of each is over 50mm. The craftsman claimed that he tried this against bronze arrows during the test and they never got through.
But I have actually never tested it - it would be a shame to ruin the Spolas this way. The way you describe it sounds logical to me, so he might have been just exagerrating.
The leather is not impregnated in the real sense - the wax does not go through the whole leather thickness, but is sort of baked on top. I remember the craftsman called it "ironing" as if it was applied using an iron. The resulting effect is that the weapon should slide to the side of the tube instead of penetrating it. The only exception are the scales - they are boiled in was and are really sturdy. At each place of the scaled "belt", at least two scales overlap themselves. The thickness of each is over 50mm. The craftsman claimed that he tried this against bronze arrows during the test and they never got through.
But I have actually never tested it - it would be a shame to ruin the Spolas this way. The way you describe it sounds logical to me, so he might have been just exagerrating.
Juraj "Lýsandros" Skupy
Dierarchos
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In the old times, people were much closer to each other. The firing range of their weapons simply wasnt long enough
Dierarchos
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In the old times, people were much closer to each other. The firing range of their weapons simply wasnt long enough
