Bargercompascuum Drawstring Pouch

[James B.]

Do you mean the dark stripes? For those you have to wet the leather with water and then stamp/incise/impress the decoration on the surface. With thin leather you have to take care not to use too much force or you will damage or cut through. I feel this technique works best when the leather is not soaking wet but about halfways dry.

I just wanted to add that what Martin says here is the exact advice a professional leather worker I know gave me. He said soak the leather for 1 minute then let it start to dry before you tool it. While tooling if it dries out too much use a damp sponge to slightly wet the area down again.

I started making one of these pouches last night and after reading the thread again I though I should comment on the tooling tips Martin gave.

[Martin Moser]

I just wanted to add that what Martin says here is the exact advice a professional leather worker I know gave me. He said soak the leather for 1 minute then let it start to dry before you tool it. While tooling if it dries out too much use a damp sponge to slightly wet the area down again.

I started making one of these pouches last night and after reading the thread again I though I should comment on the tooling tips Martin gave.

James,

many thanks for the feedback! I found this out when I tried to impress the lines when the leather was still quite wet and when done thought the lines too weak. By the time I redid them, the leather was halfways dry and I realized that that must be the ideal condition for this kind of decoration ...

Btw, if you have any kind of question on the details of the pouch, don't hesitate to ask. Of course, I suppose that bags like that will have been a quite common thing, so there's no need really to reproduce every last detail of the find if you don't feel like.

Please let us see the result once you're finished!

[James B.]

I will post an image when I am done for you Martin.

I did thick lines on mine instead of two thin ones side by side, I am using a red linen to stitch it, and I did not put any breaks in my hole reinforcement but it should look about the same otherwise.

[James B.]

Well My pouch shape is a little off but here is the results:



Needs more coats of oil and I need to snip a few loose threads still.

I have more images on my website:

http://home.armourarchive.org/members/f ... entury.htm

[Martin Moser]

Hi James,

very nicely done, thanks for showing! Nice homepopage, too - laudes!

[Marcus Mummius]

Hi Martin,

Very nice, thanks for posting this.

I have one question for you: what kind of stich is used at the top of the pouch (the stiching that attaches the reinforcment band)?

Kind regards,

[Martin Moser]

Hi Jef,

I have one question for you: what kind of stich is used at the top of the pouch (the stiching that attaches the reinforcment band)?

Just a simple looping stitch, the same as the one I used for the decoration of the writing tablets container

[M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER]

Hi Martin,

Could you please outline that fancy weaving technique for the drawstring?

Thanks,

Alex.

[Martin Moser]

Hi Alex,

here is how I do the braiding. Note that I have changed that since I first made and posted this pouch, what I used first was a kind of knot, similar to knitting. I felt that that wasn't really like what it should have been and have changed it accordingly.
You need two straps of leather, about 6mm broad in my case, one of which is the end of the drawstring. Insert 6-8mm cuts them lengthwise, then braid the two, always pulling the upper one through the next slit of the lower one. The ends go into the oval of doubled leather where they can be tied togehter. Hopefully the pics make it clear - if not, let me know, please!

[M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER]

Thanks Martin!

I think I got it. I will try and will let you know if I need further explanation.

[aitor iriarte]

Hi Martin,
I really like this pouch a lot and I find it aesthetically pleasant and useful at the same time! 8)
Because of the coins found inside there is no doubt that the Bargercompascuum was a belt money pouch. Notwithstanding, I find it a little big in size (22 x 26 cm hock: )
The shape of the Bargercompascuum bag reminds me strongly to that of the Deurne bag. Despite of it being much bigger (39 x 41 cm), it was associated with a few copper alloy coins and published as a 'money pouch'. Carol van Driel and me have argued that the Deurne bag was most probably intended for the helmet, which fits perfectly inside it. Don't misunderstand me :wink: , I am not trying to cast doubts about the Bargercompascuum purse: If its size wouldn't be enough, the internal division and the pleatings discard it totally as a 'helmet bag' D

BTW, Martin, PM sent! 8)

Aitor

[Peterson]

great work Martin. Loved the tips on how to braid the leather. Definitely need to give this a try.

[Martin Moser]

Hi Aitor,

thanks for your comments!

Because of the coins found inside there is no doubt that the Bargercompascuum was a belt money pouch. Notwithstanding, I find it a little big in size (22 x 26 cm hock: )

Actually I wouldn't be astonished to find that this was only its last use. You probably wouldn't do your market shopping with a bag as big as this full of money ;-) )

The shape of the Bargercompascuum bag reminds me strongly to that of the Deurne bag. Despite of it being much bigger (39 x 41 cm), it was associated with a few copper alloy coins and published as a 'money pouch'. Carol van Driel and me have argued that the Deurne bag was most probably intended for the helmet, which fits perfectly inside it.

Very interesting and makes sense. I must finally get around to borrow the report from the library ... ah boy, yet another one ....

Btw. in the Comacchio wreck there was a drawstring bag as well, rather plain but even bigger than this one, namely 52x48 cms. I would say it is save to produce such bags in any size from about 15x15 cms upwards up to half a meter by half a meter at last.

Also it should be noted that drawstring bags don't necessarily have to be roundish or rounded at the bottom, as the larger (34x34 cm) drawstring pouch from Israel proves, which has triangular gussets as well:

[aitor iriarte]

Hi Martin,
Thanks for the input! It would be interesting if any of the big 'purses' would have associated contents.
8)

Aitor

[Martin Moser]

The bag from Israel's last use was as a container for various documents, for the bag from the Commachio wreck no contents are reported so supposedly it was empty when found.