Carved Leather Sheath - 2007

This was a project that I did for the 2007 Ice Dragon Pentathlon. As I had mentioned in the previous post, I had wanted a more period sheath for my knife and I wanted to prove that leather was carved and painted in period.

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Carved Leather Sheath

This project was to create a more authentic knife scabbard than what the owner was using. The bulk of the work is based off of illustrations from the book, Knives and Scabbards, which details finds from archaeological digs around London. More specifically, from catalog pieces 479 (excavated from site BWB83 in Billingsgate Lorry in 1982 and is dated to around 1250), 480 (excavated from site BC72 in Baynards Castle Dock in 1972 and 73 and is dated to mid to late 14th century) and 481 (excavated from site SH74 in Seal House in 1975 and is dated from late 11th to early 12th century) (Figures 1, 2 and 3).

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Because of the sharpness of the blade, I chose to line the scabbard with a slightly thicker piece of scrap leather to prevent the blade from cutting through the scabbard (figure 4). Of the 120 scabbards detailed in this collection, 16 are lined. [1] The lining is basically a smaller version of the scabbard that is uncoated and only covers the blade. The scabbard itself was created in the described manner:

Figure 4

When the decoration was completed the leather was moulded into shape, stretching and rounding the upper section to accommodate the handle, and folding in the sides of the blade section to create the seam. ... The moulding was done when the leather was wet and elastic, probably using a wooden last of standard shape and size. The few scabbards that may have been commissioned to fit a specific knife ... may have been moulded around the knife itself. The seams were probably stitched while the scabbard was on the last. They vary in position bit are commonly down one side of the back.

I stitched the leather together around the blade and liner to insure a proper fit. The text details examples the variety of stitching used in the collection. I used a single thread flesh/grain stitch starting from the bottom of the scabbard, but unlike the examples, once I reached the top of the seam, I ran the thread down the seam, using the same holes. This method gave me the strength of a double thread stitch while maintaining the speed and flexibility of a single thread stitch. I personally find the double thread stitch to be difficult to do on uneven edges of leather and sometimes requires three hands to keep the seam together and stitch it with two needles.

I chose to stitch the leather on the side of the blade, as in pieces 479 and 481, instead of along the flat of the blade, as in piece 480. I find that working the flesh/grain is easier to work than making a butt seam along the flat of the blade. It is easier to tighten the thread, and the stitch, and there is no question about leaving in too much slack as there would be with the butt seam. I used modern waxed leather thread, of the hemp variety: It’s what I use on other projects; it’s easy to work with; it’s durable and it can be dyed.

Figure 5

The decoration used is from piece 480 (figure 2). Using a swivel-knife, I carved the designs into the leather on both the front and back of the scabbard. I did not use any additional tools to emboss the leather, keeping the decoration in the fashion of my examples, choosing to have the arms as the central focus of attention rather than the actual leather carving.

Figure 6

Engraving was the earliest and most common method of decoration during the medieval period. The depth of the engraving varied a great deal according to the pressure exerted, with a greater depth for the main outline and borders... The leather was first dampened for easier working and laid flat. The division of the scabbard into front and back zones, as well as handle and blade sections were first laid engraved, and then ruled out with a graver. [2] ... The decoration of the scabbard back was dealt with as a matter of secondary importance and was generally of inferior workmanship to that on the front. [3]

I deliberately kept the quality of the carving down to a "hand made" level, working everything free hand, rather than laying anything out with a guide and scale. The over all look I wanted to achieve was not a machine made item, but a man made scabbard that was customized for the owner.

Although there are exceptions, in general the quality of craftsmanship is not the highest, and does not achieve the standards of contemporary leather work on the Continent. One should not judge the quality of the decoration on the basis of examples such as No. 484. This crude engraving was probably executed, and should be regarded as graffiti. ...the scabbards were probably decorated in accordance with current styles and preferences, but not to the requirements of a particular client. [4]

I substituted the arms of the knife owner for the arms for the arms on the illustration. (Figures 5 and 6) It occurs to me that by the examples in this book, the scabbards, and the simple knives and daggers that held them, were probably not owned by the people who own arms that are engraved on the leather. It is more likely that these items were owned by people who worked for the arms owners. Perhaps the arms were carved into the scabbards as a kind of livery. Of the 120 examples in the catalog, 33 have some kind of heraldry embossed or engraved into the scabbard; 31 one of them have a distinctive "amateur" look to them. Perhaps this "graffiti" was used as a method of getting at least the scabbard back if the knife was lost. One would hardly wear the livery of a person, guild or household that one did not belong to.

Catalogue No. 480 shows one shield which is especially significant, featuring the fur vair. The implication of this is important, as to all intents this indicates the colour which should be applied to part of the arms, in turn suggesting that a specific coat is intended. ... It is likely that these are the arms of the Constable family of Flambourough during the early 14th century. [5]

It has been brought to my attention, on earlier A&S projects, that painting leather, particularly carved leather, is a wholly modern invention. I, for one, never accepted this statement, but was unable, up to now, to prove my case. Not only do we have the tantalizing hint in the above quote, and the red pigment detailed in Figure 1, but Margrethe de Neergaard wrote the following:

Perhaps it is also misleading to judge the decoration of the scabbards as it now appears to us, given that some were probably painted, and some enhanced by guilding (Russell 1939, 133). Some scabbards when found still bore traces of the original paint, eg Nos. 479 and 487, and examples have also been noted on the Continent (Baart 1977, 96, Fig.28 No. 3, 7, 1972). Analysis of the pigment on No. 479 showed this to be vermilion. Red and possibly blue colouring were noted on a scabbard from Austin Friars site at Leicester and were suggested to be either vegetable dye or iron oxide/red earth pigment (Allin 1981, 161). Black dye was also used throughout the medieval period, a combination of tannin and iron oxide. Other colours were achieved with a variety of vegetable dyes;; brazil for brown, indigo for blue and pomegranate for yellow (Waterer 1956, 156). [6]

Figure 7

This is collaborated by Marc Carlson work, Leatherworking in the Middle Ages:

Paint -- The acidic content of vegetable tanned leather doesn’t seem to be very friendly to a lot of the pigments and mediums used in period, especially over long time spans. There are few examples of painting on leather that have survived. A number of painted artifacts housed at the Cloisters, in NYC, etc.
Leather Cover (14th C.) -- Der Katalog des Deutsches Ledermuseums und Deutsches Schuhmuseums, color plate ("Tafel") III, (Universitätsdruckerei, H. Stürtz AG, Würzburg, 1967). The item is has figures of ladies and minnesingers cavorting about under four gothic arches.
Roman Scutum -- Waterer, J.W. Leather and the Warrior
The Scabbard of St. Maurice, c.1200-500 -- Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight
Tapestries -- Waterer, J. W. Spanish Leather. There are a few of these surviving that either show traces of paint, or were described in inventories as having been painted.

I could not find images of three of the preceding examples, but I do have Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight. Page 63 has a wonderful picture of the surviving scabbard (more like a travel case). One can clearly see that carved and embossed leather was painted (Figure 7). Swords and Hilt Weapons: A Visual History of Arms and Armor also have pictures of carved leather, but one cannot tell from the illustrations if the leather was painted (Figure 8). 

Figure 8

Instead of using period paints and dyes, I used their modern version. Not only did I have them on hand, but from past experiences, they will be less likely to react with the tanning chemicals and will retain their color longer.

One final note: the method of securing the scabbard to the belt. In keeping with the customized look of the 14th century, I chose to use a piece of rawhide run through the mouth of the scabbard rather than a more finished method, such as a ring or a leather loop.

The method of wearing the scabbard seems to have depended upon a combination of style and personal preference. The crude, almost haphazard insertion of slots for suspension, couples with the fact that the thongs passed across and were not integrated into the decoration suggest that the slots were cut after purchase by the owner. This the scabbards could be tucked behind the belt, suspended horizontally, vertically or diagonally using a leather thong or metal ring. .. Examination of the positioning of the extant slots suggest that the majority (on 44 scabbards) were cut so that the sheath hung vertically; 11 hung diagonally, and seven were suspended horizontally. Vertical suspension was the most common method in all periods. [7]

I chose to use the thong to hang the scabbard vertically from the belt, not only because it was the most common method, but because the location of the thong, and the lacing holes, will cause the weight of the knife to tighten around the mouth of the scabbard, thus securing the knife in the scabbard . Also, with the addition of a simple knot, the same thong can double as "peace-bonding" for demonstrations with the public. See Figure 9.

Figure 9

[1] Vince, p35

[2] Neergaard, p40

[3] Neergaard, p42

[4] Neergaard, p40

[5] Wilmott, p49

[6] Neergaard, p40

[7] Neergaard. p54

Bibliography:

Carlson, Marc. Leatherworking in the Middle Ages - Medieval Leather Working Techniques. 2001

http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/leather/plwt.html.

Coe, Michael D. (Editor). Swords and Hilt Weapons: A Visual History of Arms and Armor. Barnes & Noble Books. New York. 1993.

Cowgill, J., Neergaard, M. de, Griffiths, N., Grew, F. O., Vince, A. G., Wilmott, T. and Wilthew P. Knives and Scabbards: Medieval Finds From Excavations in London: 1. Museum of London. The Boydell Press. London. 2000.

Edge, Dave and Paddock, John Miles. Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight: An Illustrated History of Weaponry in the Middle Ages. Bison Books Corp. Greenwich, CT. 1993.

Regan, Paula (Editor). A Visual History of Arms and Armor. DK Publishing. New York. 2006.

Image Credits:

Title Image: Picture of the knife and sheath taken by myself on 8/2/15. Was taken to replace the lower resolution image taken in 2007.

Figure 1: Knives and Scabbards, page 161. (BWB83 [112] (3)). Calf leather, length 218mm, width 45mm. Side seam with edge/grain stitches. Decorating by incising. Design elements: Front handle: foliate and linear. Front blade: foliate and linear. Back: foliate and linear. Four suspension slots on the front and back, hung vertically by a thong. Patches of red pigment survive.

Figure 2: Knives and Scabbards, page 161. (BC72 [+] (2126)). Calf leather, lined. Centre-back seam with edge/grain stitches. Decorated by engraving. Design elements: Front handle: heraldic and linear. Back: linear.

Figure 3: Knives and Scabbards, page 161. (SH74 [436] (137)). Calf leather, length 170mm, width 35mm. Side seam with flesh/grain stitches. Decorated by engraving. Design elements: Front handle: heraldic and linear. Front blade: heraldic and linear. Back: linear. Two suspension slots on the front and back, hung by a thong.

Figure 4: Picture of the knife and sheath taken by myself on 8/2/15. Was taken to replace the lower resolution image taken in 2007.

Figure 5: Picture of the knife and sheath taken by myself on 8/2/15. Was taken to replace the lower resolution image taken in 2007.

Figure 6: Picture of the knife and sheath taken by myself on 8/2/15. Was taken to replace the lower resolution image taken in 2007.

Figure 7: Arms and Armor of the Medieval Knight, page 63. Scabbard of St. Maurice, 1200-50.

Figure 8: A Visual History of Arms and Armor, Page 119. Sword scabbard and two small knives. Dated to Germany, 1662. Reddish marks could be the remains of pigment.

Figure 9: Knives and Scabbards, Page 55. Scabbard suspended vertically from thong looped over the belt. 14th century, from BL Add Ms 42130 f170.

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Observations from 2015:

I am quite pleased with this project. Not only was this a useful thing for me to carry around, but it satisfied some inner revenge against the anonymous judge who wrote that "carved and painted leather is not period". Since I never knew the name of the judge who dissed my earlier project, I could never be certain that the same judge would be working the 2007 Pent. Even if my incorrect judge never found out about my "revenge", he or she did inspire me to make a far superior sheath for my knife. I have been using it constantly and it has held up to the abuse I can dish out at events. There are three points that I did not cover in the original documentation:

1) I had used some glue at the top of the inner sheath to keep the "mouth" open. I do not remember what the glue was. It might have been contact cement.

2) I had clear coated the leather, after painting it, to protect the finish. I used Custom Lacquer System's Ultra Gloss Clearcoat sealant. I like using it because it stays flexible and doesn't flake off. The clearcoat is recommended for model trains and miniatures; items that will be handled and moved around. I use the same spray when I make award medallions. Once dry, the leather, and paint, become very shiny, durable and very water proof.

3) I stitched the inner sheath with the grain outwards. I did this knowing that the flesh side will soak up oil and protect the blade of the knife. I never intended to put oil into the sheath, but, instead, use the inner sheath to act as a sponge. Every few months I would apply a thin coat of oil (usually WD40) to the blade and put it into the sheath. The inner sheath will soak up the excess oil and retain enough keep moisture away from the blade and to reapply some oil back to the knife, whenever it is used and returned.

I am very happy with how this sheath turned out, especially since I made it with scraps of leather. I've never needed to touch up the paint or clearcoat or have to restitch the seams. It looks as good now as it did when I made it eight years ago, despite the abuse I put it through (banging into doorways, standing out in the rain on ranges, being thrown into garb bags).