Belts and strapping have been an integral part of everyday clothing for thousands of years. From the simplest woven fabric tie to highly decorated leather belts with buckles, belts have a huge amount of variation to them in the historical record. This means that a simple belt can tell you huge amounts about the ethnicity and culture of the person wearing it, as well as their socio-economic status. Belts can therefore make or break your re-enactment, living history or LARP ensemble and choosing the right one can be tricky.
These examples are inspired by the archaeological finds of Viking Europe, replicating the aesthetic of belts from this time period in order to recreate a truly eye catching and practical piece of clothing. These belts are cut from high quality veg tan leather, and are then intricately hand tooled and dyed, before the final addition of buckles and strap ends.
The decorations can be designed to replicate a wide variety of styles depending on aesthetic preference.
Some historical options for the tooling include: a repeated dotted leaf motif, reproducing the designs found on a leather strap found in excavations in York; a leaf and vine motif, emulating the designs found on the embroidery in the Mammen grave finds in Denmark and a ring and dot motif, a common decoration found right the way across the Viking and Saxon World.
The buckles and strap ends are also inspired by the unique artistry of Viking belt finds across Europe, with some being more specific reproductions of archaeological finds.
The addition of dyes and stains can change the overall impression and status of the belt from low to high status, and gives an even greater variety to the styles on offer. These handmade belts are available in a diverse range of designs, and can be tailor-made in just about any style, to best fit your tastes or outfits.
These belts can be made to fit a wide variety of waist sizes. They can be worn as a traditional belt right the way up to the largest circumference, or can be worn by smaller waist sizes by tying the dangling belt end in the Hollywood medieval belt knot style.
Prices between £30 and £40
Present Past strives to produce high quality historical inspirations and reproductions, meticulously researched and with the highest standards of customer care.
Metal was not the only material used to make fittings for belts. In fact, for much of human history, metal was considered to be too much of a luxury for this, and it was something to be reserved for the important items of everyday life. Metal requires specialist skills to find ores, smelt them, and then work that material into something useful. Because of this, organic materials which were more easily found and worked were more commonplace.
Bone and horn would have been the easiest to find, but antler and whalebone would also have been used for more prestigious items. Whilst some of these items would have been considered poor, many could be intricately decorated and just as highly valued as precious metal pieces.
Present Past can offer a range of belt ends and buckles made from cow bone. All are decorated in styles fitting for any 'Viking' or Saxon. These can be sold separately or premade attached to a leather belt. Fittings can be highly customised with your own designs, or be made to replicate a particular historical find.
Prices start from £60 for a buckle and strap end set.
***Pictures Pending***
The following pages act as the online portfolio of our past and present work, many of which are often made time and time again due to popularity. To find out more about each of our items and enquire as to customisation and timescales, then just get in touch via the 'Contact Us' page.
To place an order simply send us an email with your requirements. Once we have your final order we will send you an email 'Paypal' invoice. Transactions can also take place via our Etsy shop upon request.
You can also view our Etsy shop to see all of our current 'in stock' items or to view more of our previous work.
To find out more about what makes our products unique and more about Present Past then simply see 'Our Philosophy' and 'Who we are' pages.
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