Materials for restoring a kaskara hilt

Edster · 12th May 2012, 01:30 AM

Chris,

Might the grip winding be leather? I have a couple of kaskaras with narrow leather strip as winding. Goat leather is most often used. If you live in the US you might check the Tandy Leather web site. They have material that might work. Otherwise, you might get some thin leather and slit it with a razor blade stuck in a piece of wood and draw it through.

Good luck,
Ed

Mefidk · 12th May 2012, 09:02 PM

Thanks for the input Ed. I think you may be right. What I took for fibre could be leather that is old and dried and treated on the outside with something like varnish. Now it is very brittle, but that is probably because of age.

I'll try to get a sample to a microscope next week and see if I can't see more clearly what its made of. But looking at the edges I could imagine this might be a thin strip of something cut in the manner you describe. This would make the winding of thicker leather than the pommel covering, and I guess easier to source

Mefidk · 15th May 2012, 04:11 PM

It is indeed leather

1.3mm wide and 0.6mm thick! I even managed to find a source of goatskin in the UK (nearer to me than the US). Time to find an old fashioned razor blade I think.

12th May 2012, 01:30 AM	#1
Edster Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 418	Chris, Might the grip winding be leather? I have a couple of kaskaras with narrow leather strip as winding. Goat leather is most often used. If you live in the US you might check the Tandy Leather web site. They have material that might work. Otherwise, you might get some thin leather and slit it with a razor blade stuck in a piece of wood and draw it through. Good luck, Ed

12th May 2012, 09:02 PM	#2
Mefidk Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Denmark Posts: 157	Thanks for the input Ed. I think you may be right. What I took for fibre could be leather that is old and dried and treated on the outside with something like varnish. Now it is very brittle, but that is probably because of age. I'll try to get a sample to a microscope next week and see if I can't see more clearly what its made of. But looking at the edges I could imagine this might be a thin strip of something cut in the manner you describe. This would make the winding of thicker leather than the pommel covering, and I guess easier to source

15th May 2012, 04:11 PM	#3
Mefidk Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Denmark Posts: 157	It is indeed leather 1.3mm wide and 0.6mm thick! I even managed to find a source of goatskin in the UK (nearer to me than the US). Time to find an old fashioned razor blade I think.