Waterskins

[sendanor]

Some more questions which arose when I read and viewed your FB report of making the bag, Lucius:
-I saw you used linen thread for stitching; will the waterproofing result be very different when a leather thong is used for stitching, like reported in the replica by Christian Koepfer? I would reckon (but again, I have no experience yet) that a leather thong helps to waterproof the bag because it also sucks in wax better than a linen thread.
-Will the waterproofing also succeed when you rub and heat the flesh side with wax instead of the hair side?
-How exaxtly did you heat the leather to be able to have the wax sucked in the fibers?
-Will the result be the same when you apply hot liquid wax on the leather, instead of heating the leather?

[caiusbeerquitius]

Watch out, the originals were made of rawhide. We used leather because we wanted to be safe in regard of health issues. But it should be rawhide, really.

[sendanor]

Watch out, the originals were made of rawhide. We used leather because we wanted to be safe in regard of health issues. But it should be rawhide, really.

I know, thank you for the advice. However, I am planning to make it in tanned leather anyway because of the same health issues. And remember, no sample of this bag has been proven yet by an archaeological find.

Also, you have to take the fact into account that Romans introduced tanned leather into Northern Europe. The Spanish tanned leather reconstruction could be having equal rights to the answer to the origin as the rawhide hypothesis. Who knows whether both methods of waterproofing could be used in those times?

[caiusbeerquitius]

And remember, no sample of this bag has been proven yet by an archaeological find.

That is not correct. Several parts of such bags were found at Mons Claudianus, and are published as well. AFAIK rawhide.

[sendanor]

And remember, no sample of this bag has been proven yet by an archaeological find.

That is not correct. Several parts of such bags were found at Mons Claudianus, and are published as well. AFAIK rawhide.

OK. You are right, I forgot. Hope our Spanish friends will provide answers when they try out their rawhide reconstruction.