5 Things I LOVE about my Ranger Kit (& 5 that NEED to change)
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- čas přidán 20. 06. 2024
- Assessing your kit is an important step from time to time. What works, what doesn't, what can be improved? My Ranger kit has evolved over time, here's some things to keep and some to avoid.
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My dude, I am currently building a shop inside a new renfaire, having never attended one myself, and your videos have been such a lifesaver for me when trying to create a masculine outfit. Plenty of "making a dress for renfaire" videos. Not enough for the other side of the spectrum. Thank you!
Wishing you a well with the new Renfaire. They're a lot of work but a whole adventure of thier own
I am a woman but I love this channel because fantasy means women wearing adventurer's outfits. I must say, it would be incredible if shops for men would do small sizes because it's sad to see so many wonderful outfits that are really practical but way TOO LARGE for me. 😅 It's even impossible to find medieval style pants for women... You can only find leggings 😂
What kind of shop are you opening?
I see some people have already commented this, but spiral lacing is the more historically accurate way of lacing a garment and is a bit quicker to do up as well, especially when using a bodkin or a blunt needle to essentially sew your garment shut through the eyelets. While cross lacing was occasionally used, it was more decorative rather than practical.
Adding a brass aglet would serve as a permanently attached needle to the cord.
Spiral lacing would really help with your "lacing takes forever" problem on the outer tunic, it goes in super fast (especially if you use a dull needle or bodkin to run the lacing through the eyelets). Bonus points for it being historically accurate to Europe in the Middle Ages.
Adding a pointy brass aglet would be like having the needle permanently attached
Literally came here yo say exactly this. Spiral lace is god tier and accurate. Thank you friend!
It's a good reason to put long aglets on all laces. Built-in bodkin.
I like how this channel is unironically great for considering what actual medieval adventurers go through for the purpose of writing them.
As someone who wants to write a (mostly) realistic medieval fantasy novel, this channel is a blessing
The high neck cloak is genius
A trick for soles we know from the Norse, though it may have been more widespread just not noted. Put the hair on the outside, with the hair pointed back. It keeps you from slipping back too easily on wet grass.
So one of the historical sources we do have for a medieval lacing system is in How a man shall be armed at his ease, in that I believe we see a spiral lacing system rather than a crossed back and fourth system like with shoes, presumably because it was faster and didn't need to be held under as much tension. As far as anachronistic solutions go you might be able to adapt one of the quick lacing systems for shoes to your ranger tunic.
Esp with aglets for quick spiral lacing.
HE LEFT HIS SWORD BEHIIIIIND
Nicely made portal.
Not only are you a ranger. But a mage, too, it seems. 🧙♂️ 😉
I hope so, considering he didn't bring any weapons through aside from his dagger, lol 😅...
The vambraces, unfortunately, would probably need to be remade and custom fitted to you.
As for the ranger tunic/vest, I know it wont be historically correct or anything, but a zipper under the arm for quick equip/unequip once it's laced up, with an extra length of leather to cover it. Alternatively, I had designed a chain 'robe' or long coat after seeing one of Geralt's outfits in Witcher 3, and the idea I came up with for it is to overlay one side, and use hook clasps through a loop secured to the chain, or through some kind of pin kind of like the pins of a hood latch for cars. Something like that instead of the zipper on your side under the arm could work.
The horizontal sword problem could be fixed with something called a sword frog; specifically one with a swivel point. You come to the issue of whether or not the sword sits at the correct height then, however; thought it wasn't uncommon for swordsmen to have a second belt just for the sword, so depending how you go about it, it may not even look out of place.
"I made gloves out of scraps of hide/leather I just had laying around. Simply looked at how they could fit, and sewed them together." - probably the most fantasy ranger thing I've ever heard. lol 👍
"Lacing" to me seems like a good way to FIT an item of clothing that would otherwise not be fitted, you adjust the lacing to where it fits you and then leave it, using some _other_ fastener for actually taking the piece on and off. I agree that having it as the _primary_ fastener is impractical.
For your leather jerkin. Spiral lacing was most common during the high and late Medieval periods. Spiral would make it a lot easier to get on and off over your head. The only problem with your extant garment is the holes ideally be offset, not parallel to each other. One single lace can be tightened or loosened without having to unthread it. The excess lace can be tucked away down the top.
For your boots, you might want to consider something like talking to the people at a Son of Sandlar booth at a RenFaire...they're some of the best at medieval boots for purchase and if they aren't busy, they love to talk shop with people who do their own. Even great to talk about other leather things and issues with it.
Wait!!! Kramer!!! Take me with you!!!
Very interesting!
If you want more grip in the shoe, add felted inlays, it's a difference like day and night.
Mayby try to put the soles in olive oil over a day, that should make them very elastic again, except if they where treated with chemicals that could repell the oil, of course.
I got no problem with the grip of my shoes and I also put the skin side of the vegetable tanned leather crupon to the outside. How was the leather for your soles tanned? Mayby that causes the issues.
the portal to the Shadlands opened! lol
😂❤ SHADiversity 😂😂😂😂 LMFAOOO
Shad is a fantasy novelist and not a legitimate source of information.
@LuminOfMoonlight he's a source of information who became a novelist. Get the order right.
@@thekaxmax lol
@@Caseyuptobat and?
I live in the middle east and also have a linen cape, except mine is a ruana cloak. I swear by that thing. Something i picked up from this channel.
A Scottish man visits Canada for the first time
He goes for a hike and sees a moose. He asks the park ranger,
“Oi! What animal is that then?”
“That’s a moose,” the ranger replied.
“A moose!” exclaimed the Scotsman, “If that there’s a moose, dear laddie, ye must have rats the size of elephants then!”
That joke is around 60 years old. Yes, I was around then, when the world was black & white.
If your favorite red tunic has long enough sleeves, cuff them back over the vambraces. That should help keep the vambraces from slipping down over your wrists.
Thank you for the great content!...
For the ranger tunic, if you can replace the eyelets -- and you don't care so much about "historical accuracy" -- you might try speed laces. Fast & easy to "zip" up. There's a 30 second video on youtube showing how they work on a pair of work boots. "How to... Use Speed Lace Hooks" by Thorogood. You might even be able to find or make something that looks more historical and works in a similar manner. There's also "fan-lacing" used in corsets, which looks super cool. :)
CLOAKS?! CLOAKS!
Take a ring belt and tie a clove hitch around the scabbard. It will hang vertical and out of your way. When ready to draw or just rest your hand on it, it will tilt forward to allow you to draw easier. The tightness of the ring belt changes the angle you can tilt it too. Worked for the Norse.
5:27 Yes, as a ranger i'v found myself in many a rangering scenarios
Likewise 😂
I'm sorry to say this but lacing garments was VERY common especially for arming clothes. Though buttons and points are historically accurate but particularly for arming doublets and 15th century doublets they are laced up.
Also yep longswords/bastard swords are inconvenient to wear it's why arming swords of various sizes never really disappeared they are useful and convenient
I PARTICULARLY like those gloves. You made them out of scraps which somebody from that era who maybe couldn't afford gloves otherwise. And the stitching makes a nice pattern. I like the red tunic.
also I have a strong suspicion that you can use three strings, one permanently wrapped on each side and one in the middle to"sew" the two together, which would be much quicker than the current method
Actually I like this one a lot, I'm gonna try this right now
Random thoughts.
- Your kit looks wonderful a you surely know.
- maybe adding short stripes in strategic places on the boots, fastened on the ends to form little loops to hold the string in place, could make putting the boots on and off easier?
- Soles are kind of doomed to erode over time. Maybe one day you'll just replace them. They are themselves the perfect pattern piece.
- maybe the sword is not the problem, but the scabbard? Might be one should separate between carrying it and having it ready. Though admittedly it is long. Well, you were inspired by the King.
- the red of the tunic seemed a challenging choice to me when you took off everything else, although it is indeed not too flashy in tone. But in the full kit, when it shines through the open bits, it does work well. I think though this is also a point when it comes to the visual effect of the vambraces, to tune in the sleeves with the rest. In addition to the material effect there. A shame they aren't comfortable, the design is indeed cool.
- one idea for making high things stick on legs could be to have a kind of ring at a height where it can hold onto the place where it's thinner, between the knee and the muscles of the lower leg? It would have to be unable to borrow string from the rest of the fastening...
- I hope you'll be safe and accomplished on the other side! 😂
For the tunic, cut the sides and add fabric or other light material to make it large enough to put over head when laced. Use straps with double ring or buckles to tighten sides once on.
Regarding your boots: Often when we buy new cowboy boots one of the first things we do after putting them on is look for rough concrete or some broken glass to scuff up the sole for better grip and traction.
Have a try at spiral lacing the Ithilien ranger leather vest, then you can put it over your head fully laced and loose (maybe a longer string is necessary). But it is pulled tight in a second. I put a wooden pearl on the bottom end of my corsets for this, but a knot works too.
That's exactly what I was thinking, because that's how I've seen some youtubers put on historically accurate kirtles. ☺
Nice touch on the finale! Don't we all wish we had such a method to step into the adventure we imagine?
Yes, yes we do.
For the Vanbraces and the sliding problem, you could try sewing loops into the arms of your tunic for the buckle straps to feed through.
as a lad with big forearms (blacksmithing will do that to you), I feel you on the vambraces. I have NEVER found a set that was comfortable outside of plate armour custom-fitted to me, so for my skirmisher kit at Bicolline I'm just going to have to risk a hit to the forearm rather than have to constantly fidget with uncomfortable armour that compromises my wrist movement
For the leather jerkin, you could string buttons or toggles between the eyelets on one side then have loops on the other side that fasten over them. That way you dont have to remake the jerkin but its easier to take on and off.
Check out options for spiral lacing- this is a common way women's medieval kirtles are done up, and it's much faster than the classic crossed lacing we're used to. You may also find t faster to lace them with linen or wool cord instead of leather, it'll have less friction as you lace
get yourself some Pattens, also known by other names, are protective overshoes that were worn in Europe from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century. ! making them could also be a cool video
Leaving the top buckle of the gambeson undone is a great stylistic choice, gives you John Wayne/Tom Selleck vibes that really work well with your more timeless build and body type. I like the actors that played Bormir and Aragorn in the films. But you look like a bit more like someone from a tapestry or old manuscript illumination. Especially since you and your clothes tend to be cleaner and neater than the grungy aesthetic of the jackson films.
Is it just me or does red and brown just look really good together :)
I love how, true to your complaint, the sword was the first thing you left behind to enter the portal! XD
Additionally, I think the boots would potentially work better if they were extended to the knee and you used cordage to secure them above the calf muscle like traditional well-made greaves were. Then you could have the flap over the cord and there would be no visible sign of how they are attached. Now that I think about it, that might be a method you could utilize for vambraces as well, but at that level of modification why would you not just use points...
A way to save the outer tunic's lacing could be a subtle buckle system on either side under the arms. That avoids anything odd on the back interfering with your kit, would look ok to the outside observer without a cloak, and would allow you to slip it on more like a stole and then cinch it closed. the lacing would stay tied semi-permanently and be mostly aesthetic.
Thank you for all your work bringing us information, joy, and a thirst for adventure.
May this comment feed the dastardly algorithm well and may adventure come knocking at your front door.
Soles are very tough to do with historical accuracy. I ended up with a pair of ghillies that the maker glued a layer of treadmill rubber on the bottom. Unless you are looking at the bottom of my foot, you wouldn't be able to tell.
Running in the woods with my leather soles on other shoes felt like running on ice. It is all around safer with the rubber.
I also didn't want to go with the roman inspired metal studs in the soles as it would damage any floors at indoor events.
10:20 People back in the day also liked the look of laces but didnt like the practical aspect so with 17th century buff coats (heavy leather jackets that pretty much replaced the gambeson in that time period) they had fake lacing and closed it with hidden hooks.
I would probably make a carrying harness/baldrick for the sword, sling it on my back for long marches, pop it on the hip for when I expect combat. Could even make some kind of quick release tab for emergencies, grab and yank, the harness and scabbard drops off the blade at the back leaving the blade ready to use.
That glove is so sick! You did a great job!
On your boots, you might consider covering the sole with glue then pouring fine sand over them. Would increase your traction considerably at least in the short term.
nice hype for your next video!
Another good video! Can't wait to see more.
I love that ending! Lol
A bit of advice for you add a thicker piece of leather over the upper forearm and point it through the added leather by adding a button under the short sleeve of you short gambison arm pieces
Might I suggest Sodhopper's Moccasins, they look great and best of all they are without a doubt THE most comfortable shoes I have ever purchased. I have 2 sets, wore them both at the Reckoning larp and they served me well. My wife loves her pair as well. The great thing about your leather vest is that it's leather. Nothing stopping you from adding thicker leather plates to it. Even the situation with the laces remove the grommets add a thicker piece of leather folded over it and go with your gambeson style laces instead. The same deal with your vambraces just add a leather top piece extension so you can connect it higher up. Great video, love your work. :)
HOLY MOLY!!
And good luck on your adventure, mate. Spare a thought for all the fellows who got isekai'd by being hit by a truck rather than have a magic portal conveniently show up lol
I know you place your arrows on the right side of the bow and use the European three finger draw. I have been practicing using the Asian thumb release with a thumb ring (mine is leather) from the right side of my horse bow. I find it a very comfortable method of releasing arrows once you get the hang of locking the arrow to a bow without a shelf. It also seems to be easier for me to place my arrows on target. Adding a thumb pad to your glove should be a simple process and might even add a bit of additional lore to your Ranger's storyline. Just a thought.
Really good quality video, i would also love to see when you craft something. Crafting and manufacturing videos is one of my favorite things.
I just love your clothing. The colors are so rich and warm. I'm jealous!
Your videos are fantastic. I plan to go to another faire this year, maybe two. I've watched several of your videos for tips and help as a new comer to the experience, some twice. I appreciate everything you do for this community. Thanks a ton!
That portal looks like it leads to the Shad-lands.
Ha, you should have had Shad stick his head through the portal and wave you in.
Also, to fix your slippery boot problem, you might try coating the soles in rosin ( yes, the stuff you put on violin bows).
Rosin powder is used by baseball players and rock climbers to get better grips, _but_ it is also used by ballerinas on their dance shoes to help with traction.
Bro the gambeson looks so good though
Your kits have always looked fantastic
10:33 I think you can modify that to work like buttons by using a short loop of string on one side and a longer loop with a knot or a button or horn shaped button on the other. This way you still keep the stringy look but it's not as much of a PITA to dress-undress. Also something like this can be done with flat/round buttons on the inside so it's hidden
Great idea!
@@LivingAnachronismJust saw your vid.
I wear a pair of Roman caligae over my leather boots. Great for grip in the outdoors and can be removed when entering a building with wooden or stone floor.
Also in winter you can add a layer of (fake) rabbit furs as a layer between the caligae and boot.
I’m now starting to experiment with wearing mail socks as the inbetween layer for combat reinactment.
The portal at the end was hilariously unexpected! 😄 Another amazing video Kramer! Nice work!
Very nice outtro!
You should consider using a one-handed axe as your main weapon. As a ranger, it would be a useful tool in general and also double as a nice, compact weapon that doesn't add unnecessary burden while traveling.
Bro, seriously loving your channel and discord. A video idea suggestion, it would be great for you to collab with some other creators or maybe with discord community members nearby you to actually role play some scenarios and you could even pause breaking the third wall and talk about what is going on or comment on items here and there throughout the piece. Love what you do, another way to share it. Peace!
A reenactment group I work with adds slats to their shoes for grip. Horizontal strips of thick leather across the width of the foot repeated up and down the length. It adds substantially to grip in the forward-backward direction, though less so sideways, which takes a little getting used to.
No real evidence for this historically, but they consider it a matter of safety, due to issues you described. They can be tacked in place if you have a last, but i would recommend keeping the insole if so. Else you could stitch them in at either side, like your toe-seam.
Either way, some flexible "leather glue" will help prevent peeling.
I'm a recent sub to your channel. Just wanted to say keep up the great content! Its given me some ideas and inspiration for leveling up my own ren faire garb!
Great points. That Gambason(?) is an awesome piece of kit. Looks fantastic and that mantle cloak does seem to hit all the boxes. We'll see how they work on the next adventure.
Nate
The struggles between achieving a certain look and comfort are definitely something that is relatable.
I'm not sure what they are called but I have seen a wooden cylinder style button that tapers at both ends. And it either fastens to a button hole or a leather loop. These might work better for your vest.
They're called toggles and are quite traditional on knitted cardigans. You can generally find them at sewing/fabric suppliers.
Would love to see a video of you remaking the boots to be a better design! Great video! Thanks so much. ❤
Those arming swords look really cool.
I wonder if adventurers would develop the same "cotton kills" cos it holds water view that hikers do today? Perhaps they'd split into "scratchy" wool & "squeaky" leather camps, with cotton lovers traveling from the deserts and getting the tut-tut treatment :)
Finally information about those awesome rangers clothes ! Keep up with the awesome videos about your garb !
Thanks! Will do! Glad you like my kit!
Spiral lacing can be done even with the eyelet pattern you have. Just tie a figure 8 knot at one end and use that as a stopper.
There’s a wonderful 13th(maybe?) century effigy or statue of some sort (I’ll find the reference if you’re interested) that shows what some people have interpreted as knotted ropes sewn to the bottom of the shoes at the heel and the ball of the foot that could be helpful to improve traction
If you're looking for genuine heavy leather to use for a breastplate check and see if there's a local saddler that does repairs. They might have a source for the really good stuff (shoulder leather from a full grown bull or ox vs the usual belly leather sold in craft shops or veal hide used for bong shop punk jackets).
you can get felted wool to make winter gear/cloaks and robes even plane felt is warm water repellent.
Another amazing video, thank you! I don't have sewing skills or full knowledge of clothes of the era, but I'm a bit of a Tinkerbell (not the jealous, homicidal one from Peter Pan lore, but the engineer-minded one from her Disney movies). My first thoughts as I watched your video were: 1. why not add buttonholes or a loop to the braces and attach them to your tunic as you do the forearm sleeve extensions? It would keep them from sliding down. 2. can you add a lining to the gambeson to create the weight and protection you desire? 3. can you cut one or both side seams of the ranger tunic and add buckles or buttons to secure it? There are many lace-up items of women's clothing that have a side zipper or other closure so you don't have to lace it up every time. 4. Sounds like you have the boots sorted out for next time, but again, I'm wondering if a buttonhole or loop could be added to attach them to your legwear to keep them up so you don't have to rely on the tightness of the lacing. Also, did they use garters back then? Garters could help with the braces and the boots. I know you get many comments on your videos, but I (and maybe your other followers?) would love to know why these are not acceptable fixes. Thanks again, Happy Adventuring!!
Love this channel
After wearing a number of different boots, I can agree that having boots that can stand on their own is the way to go.
I dig it.
For the boots: Could you apply your lesson from the sole to the sides of the boot? Make just the sides where the seams are 3 layer to stiffen the sides, letting you have good front to back motion while having the stiff sides to hold it up. Then when tied on the top the stiff sides would help keep the boots in place rather than falling down kinda like modern cowboy boots
Put running stitch in eyelits on each side, then cross ties
Type 14 arming swords are really nice. I have the older Windlass model that had been replaced with their upgraded model based on the one in the Royal Armories. It is a wonderful sword and handles beautifully. Shockingly they are not much lighter than some longswords, though. With the current model weighing in at 2lbs 6 oz.
As for the longsword, check out some different historical belting styles. I believe Todd's channel has a video on different belting systems.
Email Ruth Goodman of the BBC "Farm" series, she does the sewing of clothes for the series where they showcase costumes made by hand when they are made like period pieces. She had one show where she made the battle tunic and it was amazingly tough but almost immovable. I would bet she'd get back to you! Ask her about the sleeves and shoes. Love your content, wish their was a creator like you for women's gear!
For your boots do toggle buttons up the outside of the boot or the inside whichever is best for you
re boots, loads of reenactors had slippy boot syndrome, hobnails are very easy to add, but then you cant wear indoors. a lot of people sewed/glue strips to give traction ridges i remember, and so glued rubber soles just for safety....also theres slip on hobnail over boots, bit like crampons/roman sandals on top of boots
The choking cloak. I have one, amazing to see but not practical at all😂. Not to mention the lenght. Now I'm trying a jerkin with a hood instead. 😅
I never thought to stick my dagger through the hole in the bag! I was trying to figure out how to wear my foam dagger for my khajiit cosplay
On the boots one wonders if a hobnail sole for treks might be worth looking into in addition. Like having a pair of marching boots and a separate pair of ranging moccasin for utility.
sweet kit
I was expecting the tunic to be expensive, but its actually pretty inexpensive!
When they send me to Ukraine, I will be wearing the Ranger Kit you recommended! Russian Mûmakil wont know what hit them! Thanks Living Anachronism!
If you can find some hemp or jute twine or some more leather lace on the other side of that portal, you might try using that to change your ranger tunic to use ties. You do this any number of ways, but I know you have often only laced ever-other eyelet, so you could cut 10 laces, tie a knot is the end of each and then weave them in, up or down, and out (so the knot would be on the outside and not rubbing against you and the working end would come from the inside out on the eyelet above or below the knot). That said, I kind of like the idea of using loops that stick through each eyelet (how you do that without the knot being uncomfortable on the inside might take some problem solving). The reason I have been thinking of this approach is that you could take the top loop on one side, pass it through the loop on the opposite side and fold it down, then the second loop on the starting side would go through that loop and the one opposite it and then get folded down (so, for example, the #1 right hand loop would go through the #1 left hand loop, the #2 right hand loop would go through #1 right and #2 left, #3 right would go through #2 right and #3 left) and so on. The bottom two could be actual ties that then secure everything in place. I think this would be pretty fast to fasten and should hold pretty well as long as the loops are the right size. The downside to this method is that any one of those loops getting cut would cause the whole system to fail, but you could probably work around that by just using it as a tie.
Look at bazubands to replace the bracers the style that has an attached elbow cop instead of an integrated one would be optimal for what you're looking for
Hey Kramer, great video. I always get excited when I see a video about anything ranger-esque.
As for the sword, have you considered a Falchion sword as a ranger weapon? Shadiversity made a video about weapons for a fantasy ranger.
I have, and I do think a falchion is a very practical option. But as a human who is not entirely rational, I can't help but prefer an arming sword or long sword aesthetically :)
Maybe keep the lacing in the front and put belt buckles on the sides to allow it to come off like a shirt
The larp gauntlets i got are equally wierd, they're both cut the exact same way(not mirrored) despite having a divet cut out of it's shape so that the forearms could rotate without digging into the upper arm.
About the vembraces, I had a friend who did leather working and he did most of the leather work for our reenactment group. For the vembraces, he'd ask for the wrist and forearm circumference and also the length from wrist to elbow. Mine actually mindfucked him a bit. Being a 6'1 guy with proportionally long arms, my length was 5-6 inches longer than what he'd usually do. I sent him the measurements and he insisted to take them himself because he thought I was measuring wrong.
Point is: custom made vembraces are super confy and don't hinder the mobility at all (as any piece of armor I'd guess)
The key to (freestanding) vambraces in my experience is shaping them to the curve of the cluster of muscle on the upper forearm, where it starts to narrow again toward the elbow. This keeps it from sliding down to the wrist, though some shaping is necessary to avoid cutting in at the elbow.
That said, I've always found lacing gives better fitting than buckles, clearly not to everyone's tastes.
That portal looked suspiciously like the Utah/Arizona desert. I hope you brought plenty of water...
Awesome video! I have to say, I have a Ranger's Cloak from Fell & Fair myself, but unfortunately, it wasn't to my liking. The main problem being it's way, way too short for me. It barely reaches my knees, giving more of a Hobbit feel rather than a ranger. However, the linen itself is amazing, and I plan on making a tunic out of it instead, so as not to just waste it or sell it.