Building a Kaskara

Half Moon · 24th August 2010, 11:43 PM

I'm amazed. I have been going over this project/idea for at least a month now and my brick walls are crumbling down all at once. In some respects I have been overthinking the construction and seeing how they are really built is wonderfully eye opening. In many ways I was just wrong in my reverse engineering. They are so simple, yet somewhere in the simplicity is genius. Thanks to all who have taken the time to take and post pics, and to those who asked questions I had before I did. It's neat to know I'm not the only one who likes to mentally tear apart everything.

One last question, the scabbards themselves, are leather covered wood?

It'll probably be a month or so before I really get started but I'll keep you guys appraised of the project once I start, if you like. Now I can spend the next month planning instead of figuring. Much gratitude.
Wallace

Rick · 25th August 2010, 01:14 AM

Mine is leather; no wood .

Lee · 25th August 2010, 05:26 PM

I think all of my kaskara scabbards are predominantly made of leather with some occasional fabric - no evidence of the rigidity I would associate with wood. Metal is used to cover the tip and for the rings.

Fearn, the pommel in my picture above on the left is indeed a concentric buildup of wrapped thin leather - and I suspect the one on the right was of this same construction.

Half Moon, one of the joys I find in collecting and observing old traditional weapons is the ingenuity with which the makers have adapted to the materials, often of limited quality, available to them.

Half Moon · 25th August 2010, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee

I think all of my kaskara scabbards are predominantly made of leather with some occasional fabric - no evidence of the rigidity I would associate with wood. Metal is used to cover the tip and for the rings.

I really wasn't expecting they are made of leather only. I'm glad I asked. They look from the pictures to be very rigid so I assumed they were leather covered wood.

Quote:

Half Moon, one of the joys I find in collecting and observing old traditional weapons is the ingenuity with which the makers have adapted to the materials, often of limited quality, available to them.

Absolutely. Anytime I buy some new collectable I spend hours scouring it with magnifying glasses, loupes and just feeling it. I love knowing how things work even if it's just a pit in a blade, I have to know how it got there.

Thanks again,
Wallace

24th August 2010, 11:43 PM	#1
Half Moon Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Arizona Posts: 6	I'm amazed. I have been going over this project/idea for at least a month now and my brick walls are crumbling down all at once. In some respects I have been overthinking the construction and seeing how they are really built is wonderfully eye opening. In many ways I was just wrong in my reverse engineering. They are so simple, yet somewhere in the simplicity is genius. Thanks to all who have taken the time to take and post pics, and to those who asked questions I had before I did. It's neat to know I'm not the only one who likes to mentally tear apart everything. One last question, the scabbards themselves, are leather covered wood? It'll probably be a month or so before I really get started but I'll keep you guys appraised of the project once I start, if you like. Now I can spend the next month planning instead of figuring. Much gratitude. Wallace

25th August 2010, 01:14 AM	#2
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	Mine is leather; no wood .

25th August 2010, 05:26 PM	#3
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 932	I think all of my kaskara scabbards are predominantly made of leather with some occasional fabric - no evidence of the rigidity I would associate with wood. Metal is used to cover the tip and for the rings. Fearn, the pommel in my picture above on the left is indeed a concentric buildup of wrapped thin leather - and I suspect the one on the right was of this same construction. Half Moon, one of the joys I find in collecting and observing old traditional weapons is the ingenuity with which the makers have adapted to the materials, often of limited quality, available to them.