Middle Earth Ranger Forum

A little belt pouch i made recently. Pretty simple enough, the general shape was inspired by Elleth and Manveruon's designs. The contents are by no means set in stone but at the moment consists of a little fire kit.

Wow great work!

I love it! Looks beautifully simple and functional! I’ve become very fond of that turned-out style of leatherwork, and I’m kind of kicking myself for not doing that on my most recent pouch.

nice work

Oh I love it!

“Small” and “simple” are by no means a mark of lower quality or functionality. I think it’s spectacular!

It looks awesome!

Rob

Greg wrote: ↑Wed Feb 24, 2021 12:23 pm “Small” and “simple” are by no means a mark of lower quality or functionality. I think it’s spectacular!

Heartily agreed!

Almost daily I am inspired by the members of this forum. I love the look of that turned out pouch! I just might do the same myself!

Cimrandir wrote: ↑Thu Feb 25, 2021 2:17 am I just might do the same myself!

I’m in a similar boat!

Maybe I’ve just been staring at turn-shoes for too long but something seems rather authentic about doing it that way. At least for an earlier period of pouches.

Cimrandir wrote: ↑Thu Feb 25, 2021 12:15 pm Maybe I’ve just been staring at turn-shoes for too long but something seems rather authentic about doing it that way. At least for an earlier period of pouches.

Yep, I feel you here. I’m very much of the same mind. Especially because it seems they often hid any otherwise visible stitching on leather goods from the actual Middle Ages (yes I am aware of the irony of this statement after I just made a pouch with a TON of decorative visible stitching... but still ).

It's the stitched-on top flap that gets my attention.

I think I started doing things that way after looking at too many 14th c. girdle purses and 18th c. shot pouches.

I don't know how "in period" it is for Eriador to stitch on the top flap rather that just make the back and flap one piece... but given the Loch Glashan bag also has a seam across the top, I imagine neither mode of construction would seem terribly odd for anyone from the neolithic to the modern day.

Not to derail Shadrack’s thread about his lovely pouch but after being inspired by all the belt pouch love lately, I’ve finally taken up the project myself. I’m sketching out a pattern for my own and I decided to do some research on the early medieval period pouches for inspiration. What I’ve come to find is that the style of pouch like above and even the two strap hanging pouch so favored by reenactors is apparently itself a reenactorism. Early period period up to the Norman Conquest used mostly simple drawstring bags from what I’ve seen (and much smaller than most people make them.) Preferred over that seemed to be a simple linen satchel-like purse; sometimes made of leather like the Loch Glashan bag. I’m discounting the Birka finds as those are far too east to be used in most Viking or Saxon reenactment. There is the Sutton Hoo purse lid but given just the richness of the burial, not suitable for the common persona. I’m thinking about using it as a inspiration for general shape though in a more middle class fashion.

All that said, one of the few direct gear mentions for Strider is a belt pouch that held the athelas. Given that we aren’t recreating the early Saxon period, I’d say that a belt pouch like above is perfect. I’m not a fan of the drawstring bag as for our purposes, it bounces far too much on the move. One of these days I might make a satchel for the larger stuff or perhaps for foraging. Maybe the lasdhir would be better for the wild foraging?

If anyone else has other sources I’d love to see them. And of course, given that leather preserves poorly, pouches just may not have survived in the archaeological record.

Oh, of course this is only my own research and if you prefer a later high medieval look, there is plenty of examples out there for you.