Project on Historic Camping

Birka Pouch

Sat, 19 Sep 2026 16:41:19 +0000

A Birka pouch is a replica Viking-Age belt pouch decorated with metal mounts, modelled after archaeological finds associated with the trading centre of Birka in Sweden. As noted by Sippe Guntursson, what most people refer to as a a Birka Pouch is taken from the remains of a pouch and its associated bronze mounts found at Rösta, Jämtland. However similar strap mounts and the star formed mount have been found across multiple graves at Birka.

Knife Making

Thu, 30 May 2024 16:41:19 +0000

On of the projects I did over the past couple of years was knife-making. I made two sets of eating knives with prickers. Both times under the guidance of Master Edward Braythwayte

For each knife, I started with some steel bar that I copied the outline of the knife on. I then cut out the blank with an angle grinder.

Getting the basic shape .

Shaped worked out. I messed up slightly with the hilt end.

Pourpoint

Thu, 26 Mar 2015 17:29:44 +0000

It appears that there are 2 different garments that get called a pourpoint. One is an outer layer, often padded that may have started as part of a knight’s armour. The other is a waistcoat style garment that was used to attach the hose, or sometimes with armour the leg harness, as an alternative to a belt.

The pourpoint style we decided to make was a simple waistcoat with no skirt. It was to have a lining to help handle any strain put on it. The outer layer is white linen with the lining of calico.

Leather Box

Wed, 26 Mar 2014 16:45:06 +0000

In this project, I am making a leather box for a friend of mine.

The box design I decided to use has a joined lid so was to be made out of a single piece of leather. The final dimensions were to be 8″”x5″”x2″”. The pattern for it looks like this

Paper pattern.

I cut the basic shape out but left the corners in for the places that would be stitched together, the grey areas on the pattern. These I cut with V gouge instead of a knife so that I had a mitred edge to work with.