[Ansteorra] Gifts for SCAers belts

[willowdewisp at juno.com]

A good belt makes a early period tunic look great. This is a site on how to make a period one. 
http://willadsenfamily.org/sca/danr_as/metalwork/man_belt.pdf
When you have looked at it come back and reread these hints.
This belt is based on casting your own piece. Look carefully at the buckle. i saw a artifact that was being sold at one of the historical auction places that had a similar belt buckle but instead the of back plate have the tongue on it  the buckle was shaped like a regular buckle and the connector plate was a bended rectangle of metal . the metal folded over the leather and was riveted through the metal and leather attaching the metal to the leather.
A pair of metal shears could cut the rectangle out and a drill could make the holes and leather rivets from Tandy's could be used to put it together.  
As you see heavy metal triangles are used to put every thing together. Go to your local R store or discount hardware and find some back plates for dresser pulls or cut heavy metal with your dremel (this takes time and patience but can be done) and drill holes and rivet it on the leather.
You can buy brass or copper stampings and put them on the metal and they look great but don't  use them as the connectors because they are too weak.
Make sure you sand or file down the edges. 
if you go to a thrift store to get your buckle you will save money and sometimes you will get buckles with a fancy end. That will give you a finish look to the belt. 
Belt leather can be expensive. Cutting belt straps from uncut leather is hard for me so look at the belt in the site. It is not long. I would used his technique and cut up smaller belts 
Mistress Caitrin up in Northkeep uses a technique of taking two decorative ladies belts and putting them together to make great looking lighter belts. You can rivet them together and cover the spot with a stamping. The lighter medal works here ( or has worked on my belt for 4 years) because the leather and rivet is holding the strain not the connector. 
A dress or tunic or even an elaborate Tudor gown looks like a costume until you get all the other things. belt pouch shoes, headgear and jewelry. Christmas is a great time to make,or buy these things because they cost more. A good belt can last for 20 years so while these things are expensive they last.
If you have a friend that seems to always seems up for an award but never gets it' a complete outfit is something you can do to help them get noticed. 
While it is your work and abilities and heart that make you worthy of going up in rank, it is very important that you look proper. When the system raises someone up in rank they become a role model and it is very important that role models look  correctly.
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