Hi all. Our reenactment group needs to make about 10 pair of hosen. We thought we had a supplier for wool, but unfortunately they are unable to deliver what we need anymore. That's a bit of a bummer because we spent ages finding a local supplier. We've collected dozens of samples from local shops but almost nobody was able to deliver what we need.

So, I'm expanding our search. Preferably I would like a supplier from The Nertherlands or at least Europe (for VAT and shipping reasons) but I'll go overseas if I need to.

I'm looking for a decent quality woven wool suitable for making 13th century hosen. Colour: off-white, natural white, something like that. Our current budget is about 35 Euro per meter but it's flexible. Can anyone recommend me a few good suppliers?

Thanks in advance!

You say "woven".( as in "cloth") do you mean "spun yarn" ???

cotton hose? Really? in the 13th c?

Anyway, for wool, try William Booth in the USA. And way under your 35 Euro a meter.

http://www.wmboothdraper.com/

Handelsgillet (Sweden):

http://handelsgillet.se/shop/index.php/langua...a7tefbs8s2

They carry a wide range of 100% woollen fabrics including a light twill that I find very suitable for hosen.

Another recommendable Swedish supplier is Medeltidsmode, I know that they do ship to the rest of Europe but unfortunately their webshop seems to be in Swedish only. Still though you might want to check out their 100% woolen fabrics: www.medeltidsmode.se/

Thanks for the suggestions so far. Cotton won't do, it needs to be wool. There's an inventory list for a Hospitaller that specifically states white woolen hosen. Besides that, cotton would have been far too expensive (if it was already available in the 13th century).

I've contacted WM. Booth Draper about samples.

Another swedish maker is
http://www.agirshus.com/
also only swedish.

Look under "Tyger"

Great quality handmade stuff.

/Viktor

Try:

Bernie the Bolt (contact details here: http://www.calltoarms.com/bolt/)

Tudor Tailor (http://www.tudortailor.com/woolshop.shtml)

Stuart Peachey (http://www.stuart-hmaltd.com/historical_fabrics.php)

Time Warp Textiles (http://www.aidan-campbell.co.uk/textiles.htm)

Thanks, those are some good links, and UK too (so, no added VAT!).

One thing I wonder about though. I see many selling widths of 75cm or 91cm. Presumably these are historic loom widths. But how did medieval people get a pair of hosen out of these? I understand that they have to come out of the fabric diagonally because of the bias. I drew up a pattern, based on the largest guy in our group, but I think I need at least 100cm fabric width. Is our big guy just "too big" or is there some other trick to getting hosen out of such smaller width fabric?

Draper's textiles should all be 60 inches wide--150 CM.

The Tudor tailor's cloth, and most of the cloth sold by Bernie, is 150cm.

Bernie's cloth, although not (quite) the same quality as the others (and it's not far off) is typically around 10GBP per metre - so your pennies go a fair bit further.

A couple of pictures of Bernie's typical stock, taken from the recent International Living History fair:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=101501...mp;theater
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=101501...mp;theater

Typically I'd budget 2.5m of 150cm wide cloth for bias-cut joined hose (I'm 190cm tall); or be prepared to piece the cloth.

2.5 meter?! I came up way shorter, see the image below. Is my pattern flawed?

Hmm... perhaps I should first try to make a pair out of some leftover linen muslin I have around here...

[ Linked Image ]

This was based off the measurements of our tallest guy, using this tutorial (dutch). Note that these are fot hosen without feet.

PS: I can't view the pictures. It requires a facebook login unfortunately.

I'll be absoluteley honest with you cutting on the bias isn't as necessary as people will claim for early period hose (the sort that do not enclose the buttocks) as long as you are making them out of wool (and it is not densely fulled).

In place of cutting on the bias you could use a 2/2 twill cloth this is naturally stretchy (very much like cutting on the bias). Given period loom-widths i strongly suspect this is how hose were being made through the C15th

Stuart Peachey does a lovely natural white 2/2 twill and it does make a nice pair of hose. It's not cheap and it is on the heavier side (try bernie for lightweight cloth if heat is a concern) but i have a pair i made of that stuff a fair few years back that do the trick nicely.

HTH
N

Thanks for the advice everyone! I will let you know how it goes.

www.wollstoff.de

They have several different types of wool, linens and silks. And the dye it for you as well. natural dyed wool is possible to get for less than €35 from Wollstoff.

As I read this thread, I am filled with woe, for living in Australia I know not where to go :(