Urthgard Soft Kit (Pic Heavy)

A place for pics and tutorials on making Soft Kit (clothing and accessories like buckles and cloak pins).

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Urthgard
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Urthgard Soft Kit (Pic Heavy)

Post by Urthgard »

Funny how easily a week turns into a month, isn't it?. But, as promised here is the beginning of a series of posts detailing my kit. This is my soft kit in it's current state of evolution. Unless otherwise noted, I've either made or modified most everything here and acquired the majority of it, or materials for it, at thrift stores.

I had hoped by now to have some pics wearing my kit in a more natural setting but alas plans don't always pan out. Still working on that part of it though. So before yet another weekend passed by if figured I better get something posted.

Kudos to Taurinor for the inspiration with the numbering system (http://ranger.budgetauthenticity.org/fo ... =27&t=2997). Well done friend!

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1 Hat
2 Small Silk Bandana
3 Large Silk Bandana
4 Green Tunic
5 Brown Tunic
6 Wool Socks (not shown)
7 Pants
8 Brain tanned Elk Leggins
9 Buskin Style Boots
10 Calfskin Fingerless Gloves
11 Leather Gauntlets
12 Leather Bracer
13 Medieval Purse
14 Belt
15 Small Pouch
16 Large Pouch
17 Haversack/Forage Bag
18 Wool Cloak


Soft Kit Details

1 Hat
Don't let looks fool ya, it's not a beret. It's made of 100% fur felt and is a dome-shaped, cloche-like hat. I typically wear it smushed down on one side "beret style" in warm weather but I can pull it down over my ears in the evenings or cooler weather. Either way it fits nicely under my cloak hood and has the added advantage of helping to keep the cloak hood from "slopping" around. I've used it as a forage/collecting bag and, being felt, it holds water very well and has seen use as a bucket. (Definitely real felt because that bucket smells like wet dog.)
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2 Small silk Bandana.
Typically worn loosely around my neck or as a face mask. Multitude of camp & first aid uses. (Pot holder, water filter, Bandages/Compression Bandages, Cravats, Threads as suture material, etc.)

3 Large Silk Bandana.
Yard square and again a multitude of uses including medical. Typically worn "pirate style" under my hat.
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4 Green Tunic
No specific pattern used here. Just the most reasonably deduced generic cut after researching several extant patterns (Herfjolfsnes, Skjoldehamn, Bockstien, St. Louis, etc.). The collar, which is somewhat atypical of this style, was added as a touch of elven influence and serves as a bit of protection from straps (quiver, haversack and other stuff that gets slung over one shoulder)

that like to migrate and dig into the neck. The mottled pattern was intentional. I just stuck the shirt in a bucket of dye without worrying about uniform coverage. As long as it all got some dye I was happy. (The small bright white spots are sweat stains.) I wasn't concerned with some areas being a shade or two darker than others. I like the uneven appearance.
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The sleeve forearms are laced together with linen string.
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The collar was at one time fastened with a sterling silver catch, the hook of which has long broken off, but is now fastened with a simple hook and eye closure hidden behind the silver catch.
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5 Brown Tunic
Made of a slightly heavier linen that the green tunic. The pattern is the same basic tunic pattern as the shirt but with a double-wrap front, slightly Mongol style but not quite. The wrap front allows for easy temperature adjustments: loose and open when warm or tied up for cooler weather. Also, I miss my old hunting frock from my longhunter days. It's wrap front provided a nice pocket for quick stash items. Same dye technique as tunic only in brown. Same sleeve closures as the tunic.
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Again, collar added as an elven touch and for more neck protection from straps.
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Here I've ripped up the back and pulled some threads to use for a field repair of a sleeve seam.
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6 Wool Socks (not shown)
Not much to add here. Just wool socks that I failed to get into the picture.

7 Pants
I have dubbed these pants as "Ironic Pants". Ironic because they are a project that I have spent a ridiculous amount of time on yet are the least visible item of clothing that I wear. These pants are in no way period or historical, as far as I know they did not exist. Early Jodhpurs come close but that pattern and it's measurements is more complex. I wanted something beyond a pair of "pajama" pants and something that would solve some problems that I have encountered over the years. They are my attempt at designing something practical by combining features from different cultures and eras while still staying within the boundaries of realism and the spirit, feasibility and technology of middle-earth. Because these are "experimental" they are made from cotton material that was very inexpensive from, say it with me, the thrift store. Final product will probably be linen or light wool. For now, the pattern, cut, seam strength, comfort and utility is what is important at this stage.
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They are very high-waisted which keeps my belt and sword belt from riding up (or pants riding down) when crouching, riding, squatting or sitting. Trying to adjust or pull up a pair of pants that are buried under a belt, a sword belt and 2 to 3 layers of clothing can be a pain when active. The waistband itself is rather wide and very adjustable via laces in the back and closes with two pewter buttons in the front. The waistband is patterned after those typically seen on colonial breeches. The fly is simply a generous overlap of fabric with no fasteners.
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Like the whole pattern, the upper leg pattern is a simple use of fabric. This section is modeled after ancient Salwar style pants but with far less bagginess but still roomy enough for excellent freedom of movement when running, fighting, kicking, climbing, etc. The gusseted crotch is modeled after martial arts style pants for even more freedom of movement. Also, this shot shows the linen cordage with points for attaching the leggins.
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The lower legs taper close, but not tight, down the calf and terminate into stirrups for the feet. No tucking, cramming, folding or otherwise manipulating excess fabric into boot tops. Once in, legs stay in and cause no bunching and binding around lower legs. Lower legs were inspired by medieval hose, pantaloons and early Jodhpurs.
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Overall things seem to be holding up nicely. Time and use will tell. I will be adding a secure but accessible pocket strictly for the types of items that we must deal with in our modern age (I.D., Permits, Licenses, etc.) so I get them out of the way but accessible and not have to worry about them falling out of a pouch. If nothing else it's been interesting researching the history of an item as common as pants.

8 Leggins
Formerly a pair of eastern style Leggins made of elk that I brain tanned and stitched together with deer sinew. Worn tucked into boots.
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9 Boots
A pair of buskin type boots made from some light "desert-boot" style shoes - with good ankle support - that I added some extensions to. The extensions are made from some scraps from the local leather store and are a virtual match to the existing leather of the shoes. These boots do however have modern soles. I like that. In the past I've slipped and fell on dew covered grass too many times with smooth soled period style footwear. I'm getting old. Concessions must be made.
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10 Fingerless gloves
An old pair of my cowhide work gloves dyed & converted for ranger use. Currently in the process of being re-stitched by hand as time and temperament allow. No hurry.
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11 Gauntlets
A pair of gauntlets to protect tunic sleeves from excessive wear. The left one I made with a veg-tan leather patch that serves as an archer's arm guard.
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12 Arm Guard/Bracer
Can be worn a couple of different ways depending on whether or not I wear the Gauntlets. Worn on my left arm with buckles outward in it serves as an archers arm guard. Worn on my right arm with buckles inward it serves as a bracer. I have no idea how or when that cut happened.
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Note the mismatched buckles. They were all that I had at the time I was making it but what the heck, they work.
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The inscribed pattern was inspired by a corner section of a Numenorean textile drawing done by Tolkien himself and was published in The Silmarillion Calendar for 1978. I changed it slightly so as not to be an exact copy.
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13 Medieval Purse
A tri-panel cloth bag worn on my belt. Well built and made by the very talented Mary Powell of Magpie Urban Designs. See the Hard Kit section for contents of this and the other pouches mentioned here.
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14 Leather Belt
This belt holds only knives and pouches while a separate belt carries my sword. Only the buckle and chape of this belt are recycled. Because of the length I actually had to buy something new. 1" wide by 56" long.
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15 Small Belt Pouch
Dedicated pouch that holds nothing but my flint and steel kit. Made from an old purse.
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16 Large Belt Pouch
Formerly a blackpowder shooting bag, this double pocket pouch holds stuff that isn't a flint and steel kit.
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17 Haversack/Forage Bag
These days I find it more useful as a big convenient pocket or forage bag for collecting useful stuff along the trail rather than packing any gear in it, although I do carry one days worth of travel rations in it (See hard kit for contents). Hand stitched and made of heavy linen with my crude embroidery work on the flap.
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18 Cloak
Summer weight all wool with a relatively loose weave. No rain protection here. Oilcloth takes care of that if need be. Made from a thin blanket that I cut lengthways into three triangular pieces. (Piecing together garments in the middle ages was rather common.) The bottom is left unhemmed. Originally a peach color it has been dyed three successive times: tan, forest green, then gray using the same dye technique as my tunics. Wool takes dye wonderfully! Size-wise it's not a full wrap style (less than half circle) which has worked out for freedom of arm and shoulder movement. For sleeping I typically invert it - bottom covering upper torso, feet in the hood. The loose weave really comes into play as an additional insulation layer while sleeping. Lots of cells for dead air space.
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The hood is pieced together from three rectangular pieces left over from cutting the blanket to length. I tried experiementing with hood ties like those found on an excavated Skjoldehamn hood but I never could really get them to work quite well enough to be useful. I'm convinced that the ties were/are only useful when used on the closer fitting hoods typical of the time, rather than the fuller hood of a cloak. Instead I've gone to two braided leather cords placed lirepipe fashion. They are long enough that I can wrap them around my head and secure them in back. By thus keeping the hood in place I can turn my head and the hood turns with me, plus I can make adjustments for better peripheral vision. Of course it's only relevant when I want to use the hood for camouflage or to keep it place in the wind.
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The neck closure is two overlapping tabs of the same wool fabric, the left one buttons under the right side of cloak, and the right one lays over the left and is held in place with a brooch at my left shoulder. I say "a" brooch because I don't always wear the Dunedain Star Brooch. My belief is that it was a somewhat secretive device that was not meant to be "flashed around". (My theory is that Grey Company displayed their star brooches because it was simply time to do so.) Because of Sauron's hatred of Numenoreans, and thus their descendants, the star brooch could easily identify a ranger as a Dunedain. In certain scenarios this could be a bad thing especially at times when he would rather be "incognito". It would bring undo attention to the wearer and could even potentially get a solitary ranger killed, or worse.

Anyway, to get back on topic, the overlap system works surprisingly well, by having the tension of the closure pulling across the shoulders rather than hanging from the neck.
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The total weight of everything listed here, including blades and pouch contents, adds up 13lbs.

Now, off to work on the Hard Kit section.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication
~Leonardo Da Vinci
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Eothain
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Re: Urthgard Soft Kit (Pic Heavy)

Post by Eothain »

This really is an awesome soft kit, nice to see it broken down. I was very intrigued by the look of your gear when I saw your pictures in the Prancing Pony section. Thanks for posting, and great job!
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Udwin
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Re: Urthgard Soft Kit (Pic Heavy)

Post by Udwin »

Excellent write-up, sir! I really buy this as the clothing of a northern Ranger. (the fact that you've clearly lived and worked in it enough to be worn and patina'd is what really sells it).
Props on the pants, especially. The last time we got together, JBook and I were discussing how it would be nice to have a style of pants or breeches that would be particularly 'Middle-earthy'; the way you've drawn on 18th c. breeches as well as extant early European trousers and medieval hose seems to work.
Personae: Aistan son of Ansteig, common Beorning of Wilderland; Tungo Brandybuck, Eastfarthing Bounder, 3018 TA; a native Man of the Greyflood, c.850 SA
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Ursus
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Re: Urthgard Soft Kit (Pic Heavy)

Post by Ursus »

That's the kind of kit write up one reads and instantly wants kit up and hit the woods. Love the amount of handmade detail that went into it. Well done!
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Re: Urthgard Soft Kit (Pic Heavy)

Post by Alderic »

That's one hell of a kit and write-up, I can only hope to make one nearly as good when I get around to it. What really blows me away is that you made so much of that. I made the two tunics I used most, but I didn't make them quite right so they almost always feel backwards. And I used a machine for all that. A couple things I traded with others for, the rest I bought. You didn't hand sew all that, did you?

I've never actually thought of using stirrups in pants like that, always just messed with folding and holding my pants down when putting winingas or boots for my other kit. Is it noticeable at all while you're wearing them?
And I'm thinking about buying a new pair of boots with modern soles, or maybe just sticking some on my turnshoes. I found out a couple years back that with those leather soles, damp grass might as well be ice. You could nearly skate on it. Especially going down a hill. Though it never occurred to me that you could just convert modern shoes...

There's only one problem, I'm going to feel like I'm copying your kit when I get back to putting mine together. Yours looks so similar to what I had in mind.
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Mirimaran
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Re: Urthgard Soft Kit (Pic Heavy)

Post by Mirimaran »

Definitely raised the bar a few notches! Outstanding, love the look and the feel you get from the pics, you have to do some photos on the trail now! Great boots as well :)

Ken
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Manveruon
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Re: Urthgard Soft Kit (Pic Heavy)

Post by Manveruon »

ARGH, doesn't it suck when the "new guys" show up with better stuff than everyone else's??? Haha. Seriously though, I think I speak for just about everyone here when I say, HOLY CRAP. This is some absolutely excellent stuff. Everything has a purpose - form follows function - but there's plenty of form to be had all on its own. Overall, this holds up as one of the most well-thought-out and authentic looking Dunedain kits I've ever seen. Just... WOW. The trousers especially really impressed me, because they're just so darned practical, and a wonderful combination of the best aspects of several historical examples. In general, between your use of solid historical concepts as inspiration, and your clear use of Tolkien-specific motifs and designs, I would say you're a strong contender for my FAVORITE garb and kit on this forum. Nicely done, sir. Kudos. And, like Alderic, don't be surprised if you see some of your ideas crop up here and there in my own garb, haha. In fact, don't be surprised if they crop up in ALL of ours.
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Greg
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Re: Urthgard Soft Kit (Pic Heavy)

Post by Greg »

Udwin wrote:Props on the pants, especially. The last time we got together, JBook and I were discussing how it would be nice to have a style of pants or breeches that would be particularly 'Middle-earthy'; the way you've drawn on 18th c. breeches as well as extant early European trousers and medieval hose seems to work.
I'm sad to say I was probably asleep when this discussion happened...you must elaborate!
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Re: Urthgard Soft Kit (Pic Heavy)

Post by Rifter »

Incredible here, looks great, functional, lived in. Awesome
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Elleth
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Re: Urthgard Soft Kit (Pic Heavy)

Post by Elleth »

Uthgard, this is AMAZING!

I especially like the double-wrap tunic, the guantlet with the armguard sewn in, and that ingenious cloak closure!

Any chance of pictures of you wearing the whole getup?
Persona: Aerlinneth, Dúnedain of Amon Lendel c. TA 3010.
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Re: Urthgard Soft Kit (Pic Heavy)

Post by wulfgar »

I love those boots! Oh, and everything else is amazing too, love the used and worn look.
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Re: Urthgard Soft Kit (Pic Heavy)

Post by Frothgar »

*slow clap*
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Urthgard
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Re: Urthgard Soft Kit (Pic Heavy)

Post by Urthgard »

My sincere apologies for not responding sooner. Crazy summer this one. Thank you all for your most encouraging words.

Let's see if we can answer some questions here.
Alderic wrote: You didn't hand sew all that, did you?
All leather items are handstitched but the fabric stuff is machine sewn, for now. Funny thing, I can hand sew leather all day long but handsewing fabric bores me to death. So what I usually end up doing is machine stitching just enough to hold it together then go back and hand stitch sections at a time - good winter time project.
Alderic wrote:I've never actually thought of using stirrups in pants like that, always just messed with folding and holding my pants down when putting winingas or boots for my other kit. Is it noticeable at all while you're wearing them?
The only time I've noticed the stirrups is when I've hiked the pants up too high then kneeling or bending tends to pull the stirrups up. Otherwise nope I don't notice them. No folded hems on the stirrups themselves keeps them nice and low profile.
Alderic wrote:There's only one problem, I'm going to feel like I'm copying your kit when I get back to putting mine together.
Copy away! I do, he he.
Elleth wrote:Any chance of pictures of you wearing the whole getup?
God I hope so. Summertime is ticking away. I have an overnighter planned and if things go well with my "picture taker" friend I'll have pics posted by mid September at the latest.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication
~Leonardo Da Vinci
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Re: Urthgard Soft Kit (Pic Heavy)

Post by Valjuen »

Hi, I'm in love with this gear, especially the green tunic and the cloak.

I'm making a cloak for myself and was sent here by Elleth for reference.

I just bought an army used 1983 wool blanket off eBay, and it's green - not peach.

To get a similar kind of mottled look, how would you suggest I go about doing it? I'll definitely be doing the grey, but I'm not sure about the tan.

Sincerely, Valen
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Elleth
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Re: Urthgard Soft Kit (Pic Heavy)

Post by Elleth »

Urthgard's Soft Kit pictures rescued from the bowels of Photobucket:

everything / key
hat
hat (2)
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01a_Urthgard_ Hat_zpss3hw0nh4.jpg (46.9 KiB) Viewed 31050 times
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01b_Urthgard_Hat_zpse1y5uo0r.jpg (26.02 KiB) Viewed 31050 times
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