The Crispin Colloquy

Buy commodities?? Hmmmmm I thought that was Hillary's line.....

Just as an amusement hoping to lighten things up a smidgen. I was sent the following by a young lady in Sweden who thought I migh be interested in seeing it. It's a 13th century leatherworking tool - anyone have any ideas about it's uses?


It's from ”Lödösefynd, ting från en medeltidsstad” by Rune Ekre, Carl Hylander and Rolf Sundberg. ISBN 91-630-2453-5, 1994

Marc,
Surely a clear case of mystery tool strikes again! While the drawing of how it was used looks very convincing, I have my doubts. Cutting a long strip of leather is often done with the 'circle 'method, but one would think that the whole point of having a guide would be that the guide would run on the edge of the leather, in order to make the cut parallel with the existing edge. I can't see how the end notch can run along the existing edge without tilting the tool, but when the tool is tilted it would seem that the notch for the knife would then also be at an angle and not so stable. The knife may have also been held at an angle, or perhaps the knife actually used was of a different shape than the one pictured. Of course there is the argument from simplicity, why use such a complicated tool when a thumbnail suffices? Then there is the application of a 16 mm band of leather, where would one use it on a 13 century shoe? Edge bindings are not much more than 6 to 10 mm, 16 gives a big sloppy binding. Rands are also not much bigger than 8 to 12, though 16 is not out of the question, just rather large for the period, more likely for early 15th than early 13th century. The blurb underneath doesn't seem to explain how they know it is from a shoemaker's shop, maybe they found a shop sign with ERIKUS on it. . .
M.

M.
I don't think it's actually from a shoemaking shop. Be that as it may, it's definately a weird looking thing that I thought folks might find interesting.

Marc

Marc,
You're right, it probably isn't from a shoemaker's shop, though Erik did make it. It is probably from a beltmaker's shop, which is what I think the text says, but as I don't have a Swedish dictionary and none of my swedish friends would appreciate a late night telephone call, I can't be 100 percent sure at this moment. The various widths are in line with the belt widths of the period, from narrow to broad, and made from folded thin leather so a tool to fold and press flat with the width being controlled would be a handy thing to have.
M.

M,
I was thinking strapping, but belts are certainly a good possibility. You are quite right.

Marc

Marc

My swedish is not that great, but "Rem" or "bælte" (in danish) means belt.
Bæltevirksted means belt-workshop.

CW

Marc, M

The authors claim that the tool is a measure-guide for making belts and straps. Acording to the drawing of how to use it; they suggest this is the way it was used but they are not sure. Erikus Amik, means Erik own me.
Hope this helps

Janne

Chris,
My dictionary tells me that bälte is "belt", and rem means either belt or strap. So I think the whole belt idea may well be right. The oddly shaped areas around the middle look like they might even be used to burnish the edges of a belt or a strap (but we'd have to try ti to be sure or to disprove that.

As a note, to bring this back to footwear, the word rem is an etymologically related word to the German word Rähm/Raehm a term for a sort of welt - and possible related to the English terms Rann/Rahn/Rand - although the OED gives Rand a longer origin as Edge/border (and brings us close to the related term Rind for peel or husk). Exciting hunh?

Marc

Janne - thank you. It helps a lot.

Marc

All,
Karl Kropf's brother, Robert, authored a book on shoe construction " Stammbaum der Schuhfertigungsarten" which highlites chronological dating of the various elements of shoes.

He uses the word rahmen throughout. Krpof , incidentally, assigns the dating on the rahmen as
14oo (in round numbers method of dating).

Consultants and assisted by Bally,Daniken,and several practioners in shoemaking. An interesting manual.
pablo

Pablo,
Very interesting. Thank you.

Marc

Herb Kean, the American wood block plane expert, and I are working together on an article on the very rare shoe pegging plane that we believe was invented by Harvey Bailey in 1825. Herb owns a 20th cen. reproduction and Paul Kebabian [Burlington VT.] owns the only 19th cen. pegging plane we can locate. Do any of you know of other 19th cen. pegging planes in museums or private collections?
Gary Lehmann
shoemaker
Genesee Country Museum

While my woodworking skills are not as good as that of some of the rest of you folks, I thought I'd share this one.

Holme, Randle. The Academy of Armory, 1688.
Book III, Chapter VI, p.284, (picture no.41) "a stitching Aule" (a sewing aule being "bent something in the blade, and not be so streight"


Marc

I've seen that illustration somewhere before. Never thought I'd see an actual awl handle in that shape. I assume you made it....what's the wood? No ferrule of any kind? Interesting.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--HCC Member

I would have used a ferrule if I could have found a dome the right shape. I have a repro-14th century Greenland awl that doesn't have a ferrule either, and hasn't split out yet. I'm not sure of the wood - I was just working from a bit of scrap - I THINK it's maple, mased on the fineness of the grain, the light color and how much effort it was to work (i.e. softer than the Bois d'arc/Osage Orange, harder than Oak).

Marc

Hey Marc,
been away for a few days plundering and pillaging...
Good on ya for having a bash at the awl.
You could try copper tube (or pipe) as a ferrule. If you heat the copper then quench it quickly in water, it will become soft (opposite to steel) then you can work it. If you then reheat it, it will regain some of its former hardness.
Most of my awls have had copper ferrules for years and been in fulltime use.
Only my very best curved awl has a brass ferrule!!
More power to y'awl.
T.

Tom, thank you. I'll give that a try (after all the sketch suggests a ferrule).

I appreciate it.

Marc

Can somebody give me an email and phone number to Dick Anderson of Thornapple.
Thanks

thornapple.boots@usa.net

Ed, Here Dick's e-dress. I can't put a hand on the pnone number right now. Someone else will have it no doubt.
PK

Ed,
Here is his phone:

(715) 532-6301

Erick

PK,Erick
thanks a lot.

Facinating photos....descriptions to follow

Those are interesting. Repros or originals? The awls don't look like the "roman awl" on display at the MoL (not a criticism or arguement, I'm just pointing it out). That one looks like .

I'm thinking the wooden handle would make it easier to replace a broken or bent blade.

Marc