Hello All (and a happy 2011),
Would anybody have files of period artwork depicting leatherworking workshops and tools, or pictures of surviving tools, that they could share? I'm mostly interested in medieval European but later European would be useful too, most likely... I'm about to dive into some simple leather tooling projects, but I thing I'm going to try to re-create a period knife, awl, etc along the way.

Many thanks!
-Eric

I am not sure how good your German is, but maybe you are familiar with the "Hausbücher der Nürnberger Zwölfbrüderstiftung". There are tons of Pictures in there showing craftsmen from late medieval times working with their tools.

For example, an awl:
[ Linked Image ]

The site starts here:
http://www.nuernberger-hausbuecher.de/

and you'll find the search mask here:
http://www.nuernberger-hausbuecher.de/index.p...h&mo=1

Help with the translation of tool names into German:
http://dict.leo.org/ende?lang=de&lp=ende

Have fun! :)

Try Jost Amman. He has a number of depictions from various crafts involving leather.

Here's one of the Shoemaker:
[ Linked Image ]

I know he has one of a Sudler as well, and a Tanner.

Well, to start off, you'll need a head knife (depicted in pics above).

(this one courtesy of Steven Pole).

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Excellent stuff, sirs, thank you very much. Arne and Anders, thank you for those resources, plenty to keep me busy for a while. Julian, how big is that reproduction head knife you posted? I'm curious about the varying sizes of this tool I'm seeing in artwork, from handy little things to "broke the shaft of my polearm"... Also, how sharp is the spike? Is it edged or just pointy?

Thanks again!
-Eric

Eric,

This particular head knife is not mine, but belongs to a guy I've commissioned work from here in the UK called Steven Pole who does living history leathercrafting - www.leathstitch.co.uk

I believe he bought this from a UK maker - Six of One - www.6of1.biz

I believe he posts on here occasionally. You may try and get a message to him.

The spike is simply an awl, so I suppose it doesn't necessarily need to have an edge, but I'm just guessing, sorry!!

Anyway, here's another shot, with another scabbard (pic again courtesy of Steven Pole).

Julian

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