Norse (Viking) Style Belt Pouch

This I believe is my best work so far. It consists of 16 seperate pieces. The outer hide is Pig skin which has been laminated on to Cow hide for structure and added strength. (This is a really tough pouch) It's all hand stitched of course, with Bees Waxed Linen thread (from Ireland). The binding is Garment grade Cow hide. It's fully lined in garment grade leather as well. The button is hand cast from Pewter (not cast by me) and is a Lindesfarne design.The over all size is 6.5 inches wide and about 5.5 inches tall not including the belt loop. The pouch took a little over 20 hours to complete. You could put this pouch on a belt and jump in a Time Machine back to the Medieval era and no one would question it's authenticity but you might get robbed for it. ha ha.
I love questions, comments and criticism so fire away!

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0d4ed6b634b2.jpg[/atsimg]

reply to post by Wardwolf


WOW!!!
That looks awesome!!
Nice work

reply to post by Wardwolf

A very nice piece of work. Where did the original design come from - Birka, Jorvik? Where did the design for the closure button come from? Is it a replica of a real Viking piece do you know? Keep up the good work.

reply to post by Wardwolf


That looks sooo nice.
Been adding to my collection of leather and just got a few new pouches.
Your's is far far nicer than anything I have.


great work

reply to post by DrumsRfun


Thank you!

reply to post by paratus


Thank you! I love crafting leather goods and specialize in bags and pouches.

reply to post by LibertyLover


As far as I know the button design came from the raid on the Lindesfarne Monastary. It was found during a dig there. The pouch is a fairly common Norse design found at Birka Sweden and other Viking era digsites. There really isn't that much evidence though because leather decays quite rapidly. So a lot of the pouches and bags that are made today are based on just a few surviving pieces.

Here's some more pictures. The lining is actually leather not cotton.I usually line my pouches with cotton or linen. I figured I would get fancy for this one and use leather.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/a33dcf6b5b90.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/4af3a4d55d98.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/7a1bee688b20.jpg[/atsimg]

reply to post by Wardwolf


Ah. Lindisfarne. That explains why the button design is Celtic. Yes, I understand only too well how leather decays in the northern climes. Several years ago I read an article in an archaeology magazine about a small dig at. IIRC, an Anglo-Saxon site in England primarily staffed by well-meaning but untrained volunteers. I don't remember what the item recovered was - belt, pouch, bridle - but they recovered an artifact made out of leather. After a day or so, it began turning moldy, so some volunteer put it in a bag with a commercial atheletes' foot remedy. That was the end of the artifact. Anyway, the pouch is lovely and will look well at a Regia Angelorum or SCA event. Thank you for sharing.

reply to post by LibertyLover


I hope it wasn't a pouch they destroyed, we need all the leather artifacts we can get especally pouches and bags.
My Wife wears this pouch to all of our SCA events.
I have had many complements on it and even some offers to buy but she is very attached to it.
I will be posting more of my work here as soon as I get the time.
I'm not sure if I can mention or link other websites here but I do have a lot of pictures of my previous work on an art site.

reply to post by paratus


I am willing to do custom work. I have sold and shipped pouches all over the world. Let me know if there is something you want me to make for you.

reply to post by Wardwolf


That pouch is well done indeed. I have always wanted to do some leather work but have never got around to it.

What you have made there looks like it will last at least a lifetime, and look dam fine the entire time.

reply to post by tribewilder


Thank you!
I am certain that will proper care, mine or anyone elses leather work will last several lifetimes if not forever. It's all about keeping the leather oiled and well maintained. The stitching is always going to be an issue due to natural breakdown of the fibers but I and a lot of other Leathersmiths use a bee's wax coated Linen thread.
Bee's wax is almost indestructable, it doesn't rot or mold and helps to protect the Linen thread for moisture so it doesn't decay.
There are plenty of examples in Museums of Linen and leather goods from the Medieval Period (and earlier ages) that are still in excellent condition (considering the fact that it was buried for centuries of course).
Plus with the proper stitching technique (Saddler's Stitch) even if one row of threads were to come loose completely there is still a seperate row of stitching that will hold the item together just fine. So it's is quite plausable to say that leather work can last forever.

Speaking of Bee's Wax, it can be melted down to almost boiling and leather is soaked in it. This hardens the leather and it's used to make armor. It's seriously hard, considerablely lighter that Plate armor and can take some pretty vicious abuse from bladed waepons. I'm currently (in the design process still) of creating a pouch that can be used in battle. I am calling it the Armorer's Pouch. It's going to be crafted from armor grade leather, which is over 1/4" thick. Soaked in bee's Wax and moulded in to shape. The problem I am having now is the "hinge" for the lid of the pouch. The wax is so stiff it doesn't bend at all.