Editor's note: the use of wax for the hardening of leather armour appears to be an effective, but modern, convention. We hope that those who utilize this technique make themselves aware of the difference between modern wax hardened leather and historical water hardened leather.
I've read a great many methods of making hardened leather armour, and tried
most of them. Here is the method that works best for
me. Be sure and read everything, including the disclaimer, before you start. (see also: Beginner's Tips for Leatherworking)
DISCLAIMER
This process can be dangerous! In addition to the obvious danger of burns,
paraffin vapor is explosive. You should not heat wax
over an open flame, and should be sure the area is well ventilated. This is
not just a disclaimer to protect me from litigation, THIS
IS A WARNING OF A REAL DANGER.
OVERVIEW
Heating vegetable-tanned leather in the presence of water or wax hardens it,
and in the case of wax, protects it from weather. Not
being a chemist, I'll make no pretense of explaining HOW that happens, but
leather can be made as hard as many modern plastics.
If you do it properly, you'll have an item that is hard but not brittle,
excellent qualities for medieval armour.
Take your time. If you try to work at
a modern frenzied pace you'll only ruin your leather, lose
your patience, wreck your nerves, pull out large clumps of hair, set your
garage on fire, curse me, curse your leather merchant, and
in general have an unpleasant experience. Slow down, and tend your work
carefully. Every time I have ruined a piece it has been
because I left it unattended in the hot wax.
MATERIALS
I've had the best luck so far using a roasting pan (I use the disposable
aluminum pans that are about 18" x 24") and plain paraffin
wax. If you use a pan this thin you should place it on a cookie sheet or two
to support it and to diffuse the heat so that there are no
"hot spots" in the pan.
FORMING THE LEATHER
I normally soak leather in water and then dry it in the oven on very low
heat when I am forming it into compound curves (such as
knee and elbow cops). The tighter the curve needed the longer the leather
should be soaked, as much as overnight for some items.
Allow the leather to drain most of the excess water out before heating.
Leather formed this way will retain its shape much better
than leather formed after waxing, especially if it is later subjected to
heat. Don't get in a hurry and use too much heat or you will
ruin your work.
The oven temperature should be low enough that you can hold the oven rack in
your hands without being burned, but warm
enough that it is uncomfortable to do so. Remember, too little heat just
makes the process slower, but too much will bake the leather
brittle. I lay several sheets of crumpled aluminum foil on top of the oven
rack so that the leather won't get dark places where it
touches the rack.
If you are persistent and patient, you can get very tight curves in leather
using only your hands. As the pieces dry in the oven, take
them out about every 15 minutes and shape them a bit more. The last knee
cops I made have no seams but are curved enough cover
the top, bottom, and sides of my knees completely (they're for Roman style
greaves). I only use a form as a point of comparison, all
the forming is done by stretching and forming the leather with my hands as
it dries. If the leather dries too much before you have
achieved the shape you want, just soak it briefly again and return it to the
oven. If you have sewn the leather anywhere, the stitch
holes will enlarge a little as it dries. You can remedy this by lightly
hammering them occasionally to close the holes back up, if this
is important.
You should make sure your leather is COMPLETELY dry before waxing it. Any
places that are the least bit damp will end up too
brittle, and will shrink and twist a lot.
THE WAX TREATMENT
The wax should be only slightly hotter than is necessary to keep it melted.
Too much heat will actually cook or burn the leather,
and it will shrivel and become very brittle. When a piece of leather is
dropped into wax of the correct temperature range, tiny
bubbles will stream up almost immediately.
Here is where my method differs from the others I have seen: I leave the
leather in the wax until nearly all the bubbles stop! Watch
the piece(s) carefully, as the parts that lay on the bottom of the pan can
burn by getting too much heat from contact with the pan
bottom. Most heavy vegetable tanned leather takes from 20 to 45 minutes to
absorb the wax properly.
Your pieces will be somewhat flexible when first taken out of the wax, so
support them in the shape you want as they cool. While
you can do some forming at this stage, you should have done all or most of
it before waxing. Shaping done at this point will relax if
the piece gets hot later. Nothing like opening your car trunk in summer to
find that your leg armor is as flat as your heater.
MAINTENANCE
With the wear and tear of full-contact fighting, armour pieces often get
bent or dented. Simply put them back in a warm oven, and
reshape. This will also cover a lot of scratches, since the softened wax
flows to fill small holes and roughened areas.
CLOSING
Leather is, for most of us, an expensive raw material. Time spent
experimenting on scrap pieces will be well invested, and may save
you ruining a large piece later.
Be safe, and have fun.
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