Honey hardened leather

[Eric_Methven]

Now here's a question for you. I was at the viking market in York (Jorvik festival) this morning doing a bit of trading and I came across some leather armour. The armour was made from small sections of leather laced together so the user would be pretty mobile when wearing it. The leather pieces were rock hard and the guy said it was honey hardened. I asked if he meant beeswax, and he said "No, it's hardened with honey." Anyone heard of this? Anyone know the technique?

Eric

 

[Toddy]

Only inadvertantly; someone who didn't listen put honey into his turnshoes and popped them into the oven to let it melt just as we do with a lump of beeswax to waterproof them. They smelled like that Tunisian honey fried pastry stuff and ended up bullet proof Never thought about it for armour though Are you going to give it a go?
I'm beginning to wonder what's coming up next; deep fried spoons, honey fried armour....BcUK

atb,
mary

 

[Heathenpeddler]

Never heard of it, but it sounds expensive!

 

[Eric_Methven]

Not necessarily. Iceland have a 2lb (908 gr) jar of honey on offer just now for two quid. I'm going again on monday for a dozen jars. It's time to make more mead, and at that price you can't go wrong. Either way, it's worth experimenting with hardening leather. I just wondered what the technique was.

Eric

 

[Eric_Methven]

Are you going to give it a go?
I'm beginning to wonder what's coming up next; deep fried spoons, honey fried armour....BcUK

atb,
mary

It's a good way to use up leather offcuts and scraps. The panels were sort of like small shields, about two inches across by three and a half inches deep. It was really thin as well which I liked as it'll save on weight. I'd imagine a sword would bounce off (unless it was a thrust) as the leather will give somewhat. Anyway, the stuff at the market inspired me to have a play around. Not just leather, but bone and antler stuff as well.

Eric

 

[Goose]

Would it work on the same principle as kevlar, or any fibre glass come to that?
Resin has same consistency of honey, even resembles it somewhat, does it have similar properties when dried? If it does don't tell the Americans, they have already crossed goats with spiders to get goats that produce silk instead of milk , what would they cross with bees!?

 

[Snufkin]

Interesting post. Keep us informed of your experiments. I wonder how water repellant the honey will be compared to beeswax?

 

[leon-1]

Interesting post. Keep us informed of your experiments. I wonder how water repellant the honey will be compared to beeswax?

That's a good point, but gum tragacanth is effectively like a sugar and we use it for sealing the edges of leatherwork. At the same time we can also use lightly sugared water or saliva (saliva has an amount of sugar in it) to seal edges.

I don't see why it shouldn't work, but the thing that I would be more interested in is how insects will react to it.

 

[OzaawaaMigiziNini]

Would it work on the same principle as kevlar, or any fibre glass come to that?
Resin has same consistency of honey, even resembles it somewhat, does it have similar properties when dried? If it does don't tell the Americans, they have already crossed goats with spiders to get goats that produce silk instead of milk , what would they cross with bees!?

...More Americans?

 

[Eric_Methven]

...More Americans?

Well, they might get a buzz out of it!

Eric

 

[gregorach]

Honey-soaked leather? Why is my mouth watering... ?

 

[Willderness]

Sorry to bring up a dead thread, but what came of this Eric?

 

[Ex Member - Sidney Bounty]

very interesting wonder how that would work for shoe soles....
and honey is anti bactirial...

I would like to hear how to do the process in detail....

 

[dogwood]

Eric,

Most leather plate armor was made by boiling leather -- historically and today.

This makes for exceptionally hard surface (and shrinks the leather dramatically). Sometimes boiled leather cracks and it would sometimes be treated with a beeswax. Unlike other leather treatments, you don't typically put fat (or oil) mixture on armor because that softens it. The beeswax also serves to help make it resistant to water.

I've never heard of honey finished leather, and my *guess* is that the honey reference has to do with the beeswax.

If you want to make your own leather plate armor, cut out about 6 inch x 6 inch squares of veg tanned leather, punch holes in the top corners for attaching it to the base (you don't want to punch those holes later) and then drop the leather in a big pot of boiling water. It changes *fast* and you have to pull it out with tongs -- it will shrink down to about 2.5 inches squared and thicken up a lot in the water.

Cool the plates, give them a good finish by dipping it in melted beeswax, rub off the excess, sew them on a hemp canvas backing and you're ready to plunder the local villages

 

[Ex Member - Sidney Bounty]

you UK guys get to do all the fun stuff to do plundering the local villages....

 

[Bush Monkey]

To me it soiunds like a watse of good honey! honey tastes so good id rather eat it then use it on leather.

 

[HeltorChasca]

... I was at the viking market in York (Jorvik festival) this morning doing a bit of trading...
Eric

Hi Eric,

Our family love medieval fairs (been to a great one in Tewksbury), but we've never been to a Viking one. We would love to go. Where can I get info on where, when etc. Coincidently we were just talking this week about visiting York too! Never know - I might be in the market for a honey hardened cod piece

I'd be grateful for any info. My beard is ready too!

Warm regards...........hc