Toolbag - what material?

[Tarbicus]

My dad was a joiner all of his life, and I distinctly remember his tool bag was a sturdy canvas type. Does anyone have any info on the Herculaneum/Pompeii soldier's bag? What material, rough size, etc? I have a load of tools made by Dennis Riley that I've picked up over the last year, and am looking for something to put them in. I don't think the Comacchio bags are at all suitable, but may be wrong.

A legionary without a bag of tools seems like a priest without a Bible :wink:

[caiusbeerquitius]

Jim, I remember having seen a reco drawing of the soldiere somewhere here on RAT or on a link from here in one of the relevant threads. I can´t find it right now, though. :roll: IIRC it also showed the bag.

[PhilusEstilius]

Jim. I don't know if you have ever been to Vindolanda for I am just trying to recall, there have been many such tools as you descibe found there. It is also the Worlds most famous Roman place for leatherwork, not that I am saying a bag would have been made of leather. However Carol Van Driel Murry who is one of the foremost authorities on the leatherwork subject might be of help, she did of course do a paper on the horse chamfron found there that I was commissioned to make and I found her notes very helpfull.

I don't have the info' how you might chase up these two directions but I'm sure some one will provide.

[Marcus Mummius]

The material of the toolbag must be known, parts of it must have been preserved, in mineralised form or as a negative cast.

The bag with the tools is lying on the soldiers upper back if I'm not mistaken: