Budget Authenticity: Hooded Ranger Cloak based on Bocksten C

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caedmon
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Budget Authenticity: Hooded Ranger Cloak based on Bocksten C

Post by caedmon »

There are no medieval examples of hoods with cloaks attached. I believe this is a 16th c. innovation, but I am not certain.

This is an example of a short hooded cloak from a Swedish bog that works quite well with an attached hood.
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Image


It also is perfectly shaped for being made from a single wool blanket (army or otherwise)

To do on this Post:
  • Post Photos of Cloak hood
  • Write sewing instructions
-Jack Horner

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Impression: Cædmon Reedmace | bronze founder living in Archet, Breeland. c. 3017
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Re: Budget Authenticity: Hooded Ranger Cloak based on Bockst

Post by caedmon »

Rearranged pattern based off bocksten principles, and including a hood.
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The idea behind this is to get as much of a cloak as possible out of a single blanket, or small piced of fabric.
cuts off a 5'x6' army blanket/ two yards of 60" fabric
cuts off a 5'x6' army blanket/ two yards of 60" fabric
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The reason the cloak is cut in half is to mimic the historical fact that most medieval looms were only about 30" wide.
cuts rearranged.
cuts rearranged.
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-Jack Horner

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Impression: Cædmon Reedmace | bronze founder living in Archet, Breeland. c. 3017
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Re: Budget Authenticity: Hooded Ranger Cloak based on Bockst

Post by Manveruon »

That's really interesting! I've seen that diagram of the Bocksten cloak in several different places, and I always wondered what the reasoning was behind constructing the coat out of so many oddly shaped pieces. I guess that would totally explain in. I have often wondered how this would actually look when executed.
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Re: Budget Authenticity: Hooded Ranger Cloak based on Bockst

Post by caedmon »

Manveruon wrote:That's really interesting! I've seen that diagram of the Bocksten cloak in several different places, and I always wondered what the reasoning was behind constructing the coat out of so many oddly shaped pieces. I guess that would totally explain in. I have often wondered how this would actually look when executed.
One of the things people don't get today is how precious cloth was in the pre-modern era, and by extention, IMHO, in Middle Earth. To put things in perspective, this cloak would have cost an average city dweller one day's wage to have made for him. But that's only the sewing. The fabric, new, would be two month's wage.

One of the reasons that extant clothes are so hard to come by is that people literally wore them to rags. Most outer clothes in the 14th century were out of fulled/felted wool. They were worn until the felting wore off. They were then taken apart, and sewn back together inside out to 'renew' them. After that they were passed down, or cut down to smaller garments.

Now you might say that this was for lower echelons of society, the Dunedain are noble. That is true, but yet the golden gown of Queen Margaretta of Sweden shows the exact same piecing together.

Put all together one is forced to realize that our ancestors knew, and did a whole lot more recycling than we would ever consider.
-Jack Horner

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Impression: Cædmon Reedmace | bronze founder living in Archet, Breeland. c. 3017
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Re: Budget Authenticity: Hooded Ranger Cloak based on Bocksten C

Post by Elleth »

After Greg's recent article on his new Ranger cloak, I've been looking into the Bocksten cloak a bit more. Turns out the tailoring is a little sophisticated that the usual drawings:



.. I suspect the details around the neck - the different shape front and back and the dart on opposite shoulder - were rather organically developed, just taking things in a bit here, cutting a bit in front of the throat there, as it hung on the body. (And of course are moot points on caedmon's adaptation)

Neat design!
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Re: Budget Authenticity: Hooded Ranger Cloak based on Bocksten C

Post by caedmon »

That is a really good analysis. The deeper hole on the front of the neck and the shoulder dart would really help the fit. It also takes into account some details on the original that I had ignored because I thought they were superfluous.


One consideration on the dart/fitted shoulder seam for our purposes is that it makes very hard to lay the cloak flat and used as blanket. But the improved fit for trekking might make that worth it.
-Jack Horner

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Re: Budget Authenticity: Hooded Ranger Cloak based on Bocksten C

Post by Greg »

caedmon wrote:One consideration on the dart/fitted shoulder seam for our purposes is that it makes very hard to lay the cloak flat and used as blanket. But the improved fit for trekking might make that worth it.
J.R.R. Tolkien, in The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, Chapter XI: A Knife in the Dark, Pg. 186 wrote:Frodo and his companions huddled round the fire, wrapped in every garment and blanket they possessed; but Strider was content with a single cloak, and say a little apart, drawing thoughtfully at his pipe.
I set aside this quote from my article because I knew a question that merited it would come up in some form or another. Here's where I'm at with it: I do intend to dart my left shoulder. It will reduce the number of wrinkles of fabric under my bedroll strap, keeping it a bit more comfortable, as well as the closer fit helping to prevent the cloak shifting around.

Strider's ability to handle the cold with just a cloak has to do, largely, with his personal acclimation. Go read Austin's article in the Winter Edition for ideas on improving your own. In the meantime, I think the dart would be more help than harm. Proper sleeping protocol in the wilds is having something over and under you, so I believe that warmer conditions (or a well-acclimated traveler in early October, as was the case) could easily make use of the original Bocksten design by actually wearing it for sleeping, unpinned from the shoulder. Colder weather? Now we're talking a bedroll with a dedicated blanket.
Now the sword shall come from under the cloak.
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