[Al Muckart]

Does anyone have pictures of extant medieval (not terribly concerned with specific centuries) sword grip coverings, particularly the method by which they are closed or info on the thickness of leather they are covered with?

I've seen quite a bit of info on reproduction grip coverings and own an Albion knight with a near-invisible glued covering but I've never seen any clear info on what extant examples look like or what stitches were used to close them.

I'm presuming they are sewn shut rather than glued since available glue technology tended to go gooey in hot damp conditions but I've had a go at butt-seaming sub-mm thicknesses of leather using what I know of period techniques (hand-assembled waxed linen thread and "bristles") and I'm damned if I can build a usably strong seam that doesn't tear out.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[Merv Cannon]

As far as I know they used to use hide/rabbet glue for the leather on wood grips and leave a small strip on each side ungluded and then stich and apply glue down under the seem as you work your way down...that way the tension is not put on the leather and the threads are simply pulling the join closed neatly.

[Al Muckart]

[Peter Johnsson]

Hi,

Hide glue was used to secure the leather as well as sewing or a combination of the two.
I would be very surpriced if the glue fails even during intense use.

Even the leather for the scabbard could be affxed to the wooden core with glueing only and no seam.

Have you ever exepienced any tendensies for the leather to come loose in your sword? I would be curious to know: any feedback is much welcome. At Albion, hide glue is used just as with the original swords back in the day.

Of the swords I´ve seen that has leather cover intact, I get the impression that glueing is equally common as sewing, or possibly even a little more common.

Sewing can be seen done both with "invisible" stitches, where you work the needle through the thickness of the leather and out through the inside and back in a zig zag manner, or a simple running stitch often with a rather rough effect (as in not so neat).

In one case a falchion from around 1500 showed a grip where the leather was a carefully skived comosite of three different peices of leather glued to the grip. You had to look hard to make out the construction, still very tight after some 500 years and obvious use.

When glueing the leather you get a neat effect if you skive the overlapping edges down to nothing. This can result in a "seam" that is nigh invisible. It also helps in that it leaves very little gap for humidity to enter. The waxing of the leather then acts effectively as a barrier against humidity. If you use your swords often, it is a good idea to renew the waxing once in a while. Use a good quality leather conditioner that is absorbed by the leather, rather than one that only sits on top with a glossy layer.

Personally I use both sewing and glueing, but prefer glueing as it is easier to get neat results. In some cases, like when the leather is going to be tooled, you generally need to close the leather with stitching.

I attach a pic of an original 14th c sword (Royal Armouries, Stockholm) where you can see the seam well.

[Pamela Muir]

Hi,

How about the color of the leather? So many modern reproductions use basic black. Was it really so basic? There seems to be so much more variety of color in clothing than we use, how about on swords?

[Craig Johnson]

I will add my voice to Peter's that period grips where done with both, as well as each type of attachment as far as I have seen. One element to remember is that not all where done with leather. Other materials and constructions were used regularly. You can easily find examples covered with fabric, knot work and in some cases metal. There is also the possibility of binding or strap work.

As far as color, art and several examples indicate that there would have been more color choice by far than todays examples. The modern market place has a bias to "manly" earth tones in leather.

The period customer would have been open to a far greater range of acceptable styles and colors of grip than we can sell today.

Another great detail that is left off modern reproductions is the use of tassels at the front and back of the grip. These are seen on several examples and in art but today their is little demand for such.

Best
Craig

Some Examples

[Geoff Wood]

[Greyson Brown]

All of the swords that I saw in Germany that still had leather grips on them were glued only. There is one eception to that, where a small executioner's style sword had stitching on the grip. In every case the seam was visible, but the leather appeared very thin. Probably no more than 1 oz and possibly lighter. Grip colors included black, dark red, several shades of brown, and one white grip (it was real bumpy and may have been some kind of ray skin or something).

I don't know if any of the grips in question were modern replacements, but I don't think so.

-Grey

[Al Muckart]

Hi Peter,

[Al Muckart]

Hi Pamela,

[Al Muckart]

Hi Craig,

Thanks for the input and the pictures.

[Al Muckart]