[Regia-NA] Value of iron

[Charlotte Mayhew]

Good point...hadn't thought of that...

Wouldn't that necessitate dying the fibres either pre- or post-spinning,
since you'd then be able to use a smaller pot than you would for a garment?
Lots of potential dye-bath variation in the finished piece, though...

--charlotte mayhew


----- Original Message -----
From: "Hazel Uzzell" <gythe@snrd.freeserve.co.uk>
To: <list-regia-na@lig.net>
Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 12:37 PM
Subject: [Regia-NA] Value of iron


> On this subject, I read a book about dyeing in medieval Scotland....who
was
> and who wasn't, and the upshot seemed to be that very few 'ordinary' folk
> would have an iron container large enough to dye anything of size.
> Hazel
>
>
> > I agree about the amount of iron though - remember the old saw that iron
> was
> > as valuable to "them" as silver is to us today. And how many of us have
> > solid silver gas/electric cookers in their kitchens?
> >
> > Quite.
> >
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Kim Siddorn
> >
> > "Non est tanti."
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Yolli" <yolli@lineone.net>
> > To: <list-regia-na@lig.net>
> > Sent: Friday, November 15, 2002 11:48 AM
> > Subject: Re: [Regia-NA] Tripods, Etc
> >
> >
> > Re the tripod debate.......
> >
> > The grill in the Mastermyr hoard curiously enough fits together with the
> > Steelyard ( no name for the guy that makes Steelyards either... ).
> >
> > When reconstructed with the weight, the chains etc and the grill/basket,
> the
> > steelyard balances very neatly. Who knows, it could have been a method
of
> > weighing cloth, small babies, agreeable chickens ( you know what I mean,
> > ones that will stay put ).
> >
> > I think the method of construction of the straps that make up the
> > basket/grill is quite thin and not really suited to long term cooking
use
> > over an open fire.
> >
> > There is a grill in the British Museum from Norway as I recall which can
> be
> > no larger in plan than 12" x 14" with stumpy legs. That seems to have
been
> > made with square stock about 3/8" thick ( it is poorly preserved ).
> >
> > I shall go on......... I think 'we' have too much iron on show at
events.
> I
> > know all the reasons why we do - it's long lived, relatively cheap and
> > doesn't get broken. But the relative cost! I do believe ( and I'm just
as
> > guilty here ) that the society should use more timber poles etc for the
> jobs
> > we have used iron for.
> >
> > Tom mentioned previously having made bivouacs that used poles for
tripods.
> > Another style is to use two tripods of poles and plonk a pole between
the
> > two. That way you can have a couple of pots on the go and move the fire
> and
> > associated pot away from the tent if it's getting too smokey, or bring
it
> > closer if the rain is playing havoc with your porridge.
> >
> > I think what I might do ( having just re-read this )  is try it at my
next
> > event. I tend to booth the cooking area tent thing next to my sleeping
> > tent - privacy etc. From the boothed top pole, I could suspend a cooking
> pot
> > so that the cooker ( I know that one Tom - Cook ;-) )will be under
cover.
> It
> > will need to be sturdy though so that the tent doesn't suffer. Hmmm, I
> guess
> > when the wind gets up it could be troublesome......your porridge will be
> > bouncing up and down over the fire - but it could be quite soothing and
> > contemplative to see.
> >
> >
> > Cheers,Roll.
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Charlotte Mayhew" <CRMayhew@hotmail.com>
> > To: <list-regia-na@lig.net>
> > Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2002 7:27 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Regia-NA] "Arming Caps", Tripods, Etc
> >
> >
> > > Dear Tom--
> > >
> > > There is a "fire-grid" made of iron bands in the Mastermyr find.
> > > It is designed to hang, as it was found with chains attached.
> > > They believe it was used for cooking; the photo and sketch make
> > > it look fine to use to my untutored eyes.  If not for cooking, what
> > > do you think it would be used for?  Just curious.
> > >
> > > It *is* possible to make a sword scabbard entirely of wood
> > > that fits a blade comfortably without a lining.
> > > Dirk's done it a few times.  I gather the key item there is
> > > to use two pieces of wood that are shaped very well to the blade
> > > itself, especially the part of the blade just before the hilt.
> > > It's a slow trial-and-error process...even with power tools...
> > >
> > > My 2 cents on the caps are that some were probably made with padding
> > > and some were probably made without.  Like many other things, I
suspect
> > > there was variation depending on planned use.
> > >
> > > --charlotte mayhew
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > http://www.lig.net/mailman/listinfo/list-regia-na
> >
>
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