Back to My Stuff

I know, straps seem kind of boring on the surface. But they are actually really wonderful things. For one thing, each maker has a unique style that tells a story. For another, the various materials, colors, and textures make each memorable in their own way. And finally, each evolves into it's own special thing, or in some cases part of a set of special things. Read on, if this doesn't make sense yet.

When I first started reenacting, my friend Clabert Menard hooked me up with a friend of his who hand-wove straps and tumplines out of hemp. I ordered a strap of hemp with red wool, a strap of hemp with blue linen, and matching tumpline. As you can see in the pictures, the two straps are in their original form, and you may not see that the tumpline shows some signs of wear (I'm managed to lose the nice ties at a couple of ends which keep them from unraveling). Finding uses for the tumpline was easy—I need a tumpline for trekking and for the Lake George Tactical. Of course I also needed the other straps for bags, but I didn't want to attach them to just any bag, so I waited until I found just the right thing. The tumpline's main body is about 21" long while each of the end straps are 50" long.  The matching shoulder strap (below, in the picture to the left) is 36" long (in its original form). The strap on the picture in the right is 49" long. I have some hemp fabric I am going to use for a generic bag, which I will line with linen, and use this strap with that, but I haven't got to it yet. Everyone else's stuff seems to come first!! When I get it done, I'll update this page.    As of Otober 2005, for my latest birthday (which was in April), I now have something done with the strap that matches my tumpline!!

The strap below was made by Wilde Weavery. It is 42" and is hand-woven from linen and wool.  C.J. Wilde is somewhat famous for her hand-woven blankets and matchcoats, and much more, and I have long coveted her stuff. She and her husband Ed run Wilde Weavery.  SOME DAY i'm going to spring for a match coat, because they are so utilitarian. Anyway, while at the Fort Frederick Market Faire in April, 2005, I went through her booth and found this strap. It uses my favorite colors of dark green and purple, in very earthy tones.  I thought I might use it for a gun strap some day. Who knows. It's one of those items which, like the straps above from Ellis, must wait for exactly the right thing.

The straps below are my legging ties (left photo) and a big sash (right photo). These were made by a woman I never met but was on the Mohican Press chat board when I first started reenacting.  Even though she wasn't reenacting, she got the bug to start finger-weaving, and her second or third endevours in legging ties resulted in these two fantastic sets of ties.  I have to find her to get some more, just because I like them so much. But these were amongst the first she ever did. I tried it, and couldn't do it. Well, she just gave me these!  The brown and madder set are the ones I use as Chauncey, while the blue and yellow set are the ones I use when we have to go as French milice, which we do from time to time.  I use the grey and brown sash either around the waste for the milice impression, or as an extra strap on my bedroll when it includes lots of blankets. In case you are interested: the blue and yellow legging ties are 1.24" wide, the woven part is 15" long, and each of the loose ends is about 13" long (41" total length); the brown and madder ties are 1/25" wide also, the woven part from the long edge to the opposite long edge (because of the oblique design) is 16" long, and each of the loose ends is about 12" long (40" total length); the sash is 2.25" wide, the woven body is 39" long, and each of the loose ends is about 25" long (89" total length).  Also, in case you are interested, the fuzzy head and hairy ears belong to the newest of my feline family, Junior, so named after rooster who once attacked my ankle, because this Junior attacked my ankles when I first brought him in and his alarm clock goes off EVERY DAY at sunrise, with a VERY loud voice!!! He's a stray I took in, in July 2005, who has all the characteristics of a Norwegian Forest Cat except for very short legs, which makes him really funny looking. He's the best cat.