Hi All,
Following a visit to the Mary Rose museum at Portsmouth last year, Helene and I were blown away by the number of organic finds that were recovered and preserved. As trad archers it was very interesting to see the shooting equipment and bits and pieces of everyday life that were preserved, some with great detail. I am also someone who likes to make things from natural materials, so I thought I'd have a go at making a Mary Rose inspired archery bracer.
For those who arent archers, a bracer is a protective item worn by archers on the inside forearm of the bow hand to protect it from the bowstring should a bad loose be made. In days gone by they were made of wood, bone, leather or even ivory. These days they are still made from leather, but synthetic materials have also become popular.
My design is based upon a combination of two finds from the Mary Rose: the strap type used on find MR81/A1460 and the general form and decorative style used on find MR79/A1224, combined into a single bracer of the same scale and size.
Here are three pictures I took with my phone as I went along:
First, a dry assembly of the cut out pieces and buckle:
Second, two attempts at the decorative grooving and stamping/embossing:
The one on the left is the original piece, the one on the right is a new one. What I learnt - dont over dampen the leather, and get some patience! If the leather is over dampened, it acts like a spring, and then any double striking will lead to overlapping impacts. Also even single impacts dont really 'take' the impression with any detail. I will keep the original as a reminder....
Third, the bracer dyed, treated, edged and assembled:
There are only a few not very neat stitches at the buckle.
I am going to save the bracer for those longbow shoots that we take part in, when we're not shooting in the NFAS Primitive class
Following a visit to the Mary Rose museum at Portsmouth last year, Helene and I were blown away by the number of organic finds that were recovered and preserved. As trad archers it was very interesting to see the shooting equipment and bits and pieces of everyday life that were preserved, some with great detail. I am also someone who likes to make things from natural materials, so I thought I'd have a go at making a Mary Rose inspired archery bracer.
For those who arent archers, a bracer is a protective item worn by archers on the inside forearm of the bow hand to protect it from the bowstring should a bad loose be made. In days gone by they were made of wood, bone, leather or even ivory. These days they are still made from leather, but synthetic materials have also become popular.
My design is based upon a combination of two finds from the Mary Rose: the strap type used on find MR81/A1460 and the general form and decorative style used on find MR79/A1224, combined into a single bracer of the same scale and size.
Here are three pictures I took with my phone as I went along:
First, a dry assembly of the cut out pieces and buckle:
Second, two attempts at the decorative grooving and stamping/embossing:
The one on the left is the original piece, the one on the right is a new one. What I learnt - dont over dampen the leather, and get some patience! If the leather is over dampened, it acts like a spring, and then any double striking will lead to overlapping impacts. Also even single impacts dont really 'take' the impression with any detail. I will keep the original as a reminder....
Third, the bracer dyed, treated, edged and assembled:
There are only a few not very neat stitches at the buckle.
I am going to save the bracer for those longbow shoots that we take part in, when we're not shooting in the NFAS Primitive class
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