My new scutum and its cover

Anonymous

On the scutum.... The cover is made from goat skin. This is my first experience with using goat leather, it's softer than cow leather. Four hides was barely enough to do the complete cover. After oiling the cover went on fine using just the drawstring. An additional thong or belt does not appear to be necessary. On the corners I simply trimmed the leather back a bit. I tried stitching the drawstring all the way across the corners, but after wards the cover did not stay on the shield as well.

My next project is going to be a satchel.  

Anonymous

Goat leather is very much easier to work with and one large goatskin is just big enough to make the satchel in one piece. It is also a rather convenient shape. However, I am not sure how big a Roman goat would have been nor exactly the right size for the satchel. I have always made mine 18 by 12 inches.

Also, Goat leather is thin, which might suggest why all those reinforcing straps are needed (assuming that is what they are).

Hibernicus

We use the Latin term "loculus" to name the soldier's satchel.

The term "sarcina" is the name for the entire kit bundle..... furca, loculus, tools, weapons..

Some have internal ties, very useful when you cram your loculus full of everything you want to keep out of the weather.

We also use almond oil to water resist them. Works very well.

We prefer the goatskin. Ours are north African vegetable tanned goat hides. Kinda hard to find in the US. We were lucky. We have a standing order for several hundred more! ...for the papilio! Interestingly, one full goat hide is large enough for one loculus with a finished shape of 12"X 18". One full hide also about the correct size for a papilio panel as well...about 18"X24".... hmm... I've been told that in general modern goat is about the same size as ancient goat.

We wax the seams prior to sewing... beeswax. We use waxed linen thread. We usually wax our own. Saves money. A glover's needle works exceptionally well with goatskin. All I need to push the needle through the leather is a leather thumb pad or a thimble.

Pictures.....

Goat:
www.rlqm.com/1LoculusVer1front.jpg
www.rlqm.com/1LoculusVer1back.jpg

Bovine:
Actually calfskin, 2-3oz weight
www.rlqm.com/2LoculusVer2front.jpg
www.rlqm.com/2LoculusVer2back.jpg
Note the internal ties...
www.rlqm.com/2LoculusVer2open.jpg

Bovine
www.rlqm.com/3LoculusVer3front.jpg
Note the internal ties..
www.rlqm.com/3LoculusVer3open.jpg

Centurio's briefcase
This version has gussets or side panels. Allows room for more gear. it's also made from a heavier bovine 4-5oz or 5-6oz. Much tougher to sew!
www.legio-ix-hispana.org/...sfront.jpg
www.legio-ix-hispana.org/...buckle.jpg

Here are some photos from one of our monthly Campaing Marches.
www.legio-ix-hispana.org/2003trek.html
It rained most of the day... even the heavily oiled and or waxed seg's got the rust.  

Neuralmancer 

I made my 12" x 18" sarcina / loculus from cow hide and you're right! It was hard to sew, especially when getting into the second to last corner. I used an awl throughout and being a gluton for punishment decided to backstitch the whole thing. I also put on all the reinforcing straps I knew of positions for (including the edges and centre of the flap). It took a long time, and given the strength of the leather I was using, probably didn't need any reinforcing straps. I was gratified to find, after I had finished, that the Legio XX site show a pattern which match the one I had used. It's one hell of a strong bag though! My other half decided she liked it and wanted one too. I made her one measuring 8" x 12" from sheep leather and added all of the same reinforcing straps, scaled down proportionally. Where my large satchel probably could have been strong enough without the strapping, her's is dependent on the strapping for its shape. Before I added most of the straps it collapsed into a fairly formless bag when anything of any weight was put into it. With the addition of the straps it holds its shape well. The sheep leather was also much easier to sew. Being that sheep and goats are very similar, how much difference is there between the leather of the two animals?

Crispvs

Most of our shield covers are secured with drawstrings too. Some come undone very easily while others are a pain in the neck. I have often suspected that this was because of the type of cord used but it may be more to do with the type of leather used. I've not yet been able to examine enough of my comilites' shield covers to know.

Anonymous

Well I guess I will not really know till I get to go on my first march with my goatskin covered scutum, but the cover seems to be secured quite well using just the drawstring. Though the overlap on the back is only about one and half inches, the corners of the cover are drawn tight. As I said, I simply cut back the corners of the cover. Attempting to stitch all the way around did not work. Maybe the goat leather is a bit more flexible than cow leather and that's why the romans used it for their shield covers.

scythius

The studded rings are those produced by Ray Mosely of Raymand's Quiet Press. Very nice castings, excellent prices.

Hibernicus

Most commercial goat and sheep leather has been thinned.

Goat tends to be stronger.

If you can find "natural goat" leather that hasn't been thinned you'll find it to be somewhat thicker than sheep. Some of the product we've found is 1/8" thick. This makes it lots easier to do blind stiches for a papilio or for a heel seam in a woman's shoe.