Category Accessories
Skjoldehamn Hood
In 1936 a body was found in marshland near Skjoldehamn (Shield Harbor) on the Norwegian island of Andoya. The body was not part of an archeological dig but rather found and sent to the Tromso University Museum, the oldest scientific institution in Northern Norway, by a local farmer. He found the body (accidentally cutting off a foot […]
Leather Treatment
In preparation for eventually returning to events I am starting to make repairs and such to our gear. One thing that has been sorely neglected for the last few years is our shoes. Years of dirt, mud, sand, sun, rain, etc has left them dry and stiff. While I don’t have any specific documentation for […]
Sewing Natural Fur by Hand
Sewing with natural fur can be a little intimidating at first but hopefully this quick tutorial will help alleviate some of the anxiety many people feel. Let’s start with the best tools for the job: A sharp knife (I use an x-acto but a box cutter, razor blade, or similar works) Strong thread (I use […]
A Fez of Maintenance
One of the things that I love about the SCA is the “Cap of Maintenance” as an article of regalia for those elevated to the Order of the Pelican. (Here is my recreation of a 14th C. Bycocket Cap of Maintenance: https://historicalheadwear.wordpress.com/2016/08/11/a-14th-century-cap-of-maintenance-bycocket-hat/) So, when a friend who does a Persian persona asked for a “Fez […]
Items from 10th Century Hedeby (Haithabu)
Hedeby (Old Norse: Heiðabýr; German: Haithabu) was an important stronghold in Viking Age Denmark from the 8th-11th centuries CE and, along with Birka in present-day Sweden, it was the most important Viking trading center in Europe. During this time it flourished under the control of Danish Vikings. Hedeby is located near the modern city of […]
The Lengberg Castle Bra
Lengberg Castle, located in southwest Austria, was built by the earls of Lechsgemünde beginning in the late 12th century. During an extensive reconstruction in the summer of 2008, a vault filled with waste was found beneath the floorboards of a room on the second story of the castle, where it was likely left during a […]
Variety in 16th Century German Headwear
When one visualizes a 16th century German, the first thing that comes to mind is “slash and puff.” It was a century of adornment and extravagance in dress. Nowhere is this as obvious as in the headwear of the times. By the end of the 16th century, German headwear could run from the relatively simple, […]
Medieval Wooden Comb
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a comb is “a flat piece of plastic or metal with a row of thin teeth that is used for making hair neat.” The word originated in Middle English, from Old English camb; akin to Old High German kamb comb, Greek gomphos tooth and the first known use of the […]
A 14th Century Cap of Maintenance (Bycocket Hat)
At the beginning of the 14th Century the bycocket (byecocket, bycoket, and many other variations in English as well as “chapeau a bec” in French) came into fashion. This is a hat worn by both men and women, often while riding, hunting, or hawking. The hat is made with a tall crown that has an […]
In Pursuit of Medieval Excellence 