Archery Equipment

Hollow wooden quiver, turned, split and hollowed out, then hide glued and wired back together with a base held in with oak pegs. Leather belt supplied to nominated length without a buckle.

When done to historic dimensions, the Nydam and other wooden quivers are generally suitable for up to eight arrows.

Reference: Rau, A. (2007). “Remarks on Finds of Wooden Quivers from Nydam Mose, Southern Jutland, Denmark”. Archaeologica Baltica 8, 141-154. Lithuania: Klaipeda University Press.

3mm top grain vegetable tanned leather; iron buckle, pine wood disk in the base. Simple stamped decoration, natural undyed hand plied linen stitching, beeswax finish over modern dye and paint.

This example has the decoration taken from the cover of the Stonyhurst Gospel. The green is from the contemporary Lindisfarne Gospels

Quiver inspired by 11th C Saxon sources, including the Franks’ Casket and the Bayeux Tapestry. Simple dot-circle decoration, sewn leather construction with wooden disc in the base.

3mm top grain vegetable tanned leather with suspension loops for belt (not provided). Simple cut decoration, natural undyed hand plied linen stitching, beeswax finish over modern dye.

I’ve done a number of versions of this quiver for different people.

Reference: Groenman van Waateringe, W. (1984). “Die Lederfunde Von Haithabu” in Wachholtz, K. (1984) in Berichte über die Ausgrabungen in Haithabu 21

A tubular quiver with a wooden base, and extensible collar, based on the illumination in British Library Sloane MS 3983 fol. 13. This provides protection for the fletching on all but the longest arrows. 3mm top grain vegetable tanned leather with suspension loop for belt. Natural undyed hand plied linen stitching, softwood disc, upholstery pins, beeswax finish over modern dye.

Reference: Jafar ibn Muhammad [Abu Mashas]; Georgius Zothori; (14th century). Liber Astrologiae. Burgundy or S. Netherlands. BL Sloane 3983, f.13.

4mm leather, 170mm diameter, 24x 9mm holes for arrows with the triangle cutouts to allow use with bodkins or the smaller broadheads. Similar spacers with only round holes were found on the Mary Rose.

The bracer is eight-sided with four concave curving and four straight sides. The front panel of cattle hide and calfskin lining are unstitched; the lining is glued in place. The front panel also has a pair of central cut-outs showing a fabric layer. If made to the original size, it’s tiny compared to the later medieval and modern bracers. 120mm long, 110mm wide, fit arm diameter to about 270mm.

This brace will feature in our forthcoming Historical Replica Construction – 15th century: Volume 1.

Reference: Newport Medieval Ship Project. (2010, July 10). Archer’s wrist guard/bracer found of Newport ship. Casgliad y Werin Cymru | People’s Collection Wales. Retrieved 8 November 2025 from www.peoplescollection.wales/items/19193#?xywh=-400%2C0%2C4319%2C2345

This is a dimensionally accurate copy of Mary Rose bracer 80A0901, made from carving leather and with a cast brass buckle. The shape of the buckle is conjectural but has been informed by the buckle on bracer 80A1308, the use of copper rivets also comes from the originals.

This bracer was made for our forthcoming Historical Replica Construction – Mary Rose: Volume 1.

Reference: Hildred, A. (2011). Weapons of Warre – The Armament of the Mary Rose. United Kingdom, Portsmouth: Mary Rose Trust.

This is a dimensionally accurate copy of Mary Rose bracer 81A5826, made from carving leather and with a cast brass buckle. The shape of the buckle is conjectural but has been informed by the buckle on bracer 80A1308, the use of copper rivets also comes from the originals.

Reference: Hildred, A. (2011). Weapons of Warre – The Armament of the Mary Rose. United Kingdom, Portsmouth: Mary Rose Trust.

This is a reconstruction of Mary Rose bracer 81A1185, based on the surviving 86mm x 62mm fragment. Made from carving leather and with a cast brass buckle, the dimensions of this reconstruction have been taken from the similarly shaped 82A1524. The shape of the buckle is conjectural but has been informed by the buckle on bracer 80A1308, the use of copper rivets also comes from the originals.

Reference: Hildred, A. (2011). Weapons of Warre – The Armament of the Mary Rose. United Kingdom, Portsmouth: Mary Rose Trust.

his is a dimensionally accurate copy of Mary Rose bracer 80A1308. It is made from harness butt leather with a forged iron buckle, and dyed red. The shape of the iron buckle in the photo is inferred from the shape of the accretion adhering to the strap, the use of copper rivets also comes from the original.

The archers in William Neade’s book The Double Armed Man of 1625 all wear similar arm guards.

References: Hildred, A. (2011). Weapons of Warre – The Armament of the Mary Rose. United Kingdom, Portsmouth: Mary Rose Trust.

Neade, W. (1625). The Double Armed Man. United Kingdom, London: Grisman, at the signe of the Gun in Pauls Alley.

Heavily embossed bracer decorated with encrowned rose and inscription “IHS helpe”. It is made from harness butt leather with split strap and buckle as originally made. 124mm long.

References: Dalton, O. (1922). “A Late-Medieval Bracer in the British Museum”. Antiquities Journal 2, 208-210.

British Museum (n.d.). wrist-guard. British Museum Online Collection. www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1922-0110-1

Robinson, W. (2017, January 17). Another brilliant idea. The Reverend’s Big Blog of Leather. leatherworkingreverend.wordpress.com/2017/01/17/another-brilliant-idea/

My tab is made from 1.2mm (3oz) pig skin, and is comfortable with my 50# longbow with a 16-strand Flemish twist string. If I use calf skin, 0.8mm (2oz) works for light draw weight bows, but it needs to be around 1.2mm or thicker (3oz+) for heavier draw weights.

This tab will feature in our forthcoming Historical Replica Construction – 15th century: Volume 1.

References: Soar, H. (2004). The Crooked Stick — A History of the Longbow. United States, Pennsylvania: Westholme.

Robinson, W. (2009, August 29). Archer’s finger tab from Coventry c. 1500. The Reverend’s Big Blog of Leather. Retrieved 8 November 2025 from leatherworkingreverend.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/archers-finger-tab-from-coventry-c-1500/

Two archery targets for a customer who does history demonstrations for schools. He likes to be able to do a bull’s eye pun if he misses the rondel face. The black bull dates to 1320, the red to 1425, both based on Italian heraldry. Any resemblance to a popular beverage is coincidental. The target faces are modern. Enamel paint on 12mm ply. I’m not a fan of ply targets, but he says it’s the only way he can get his targets lasting the year. 600mm x 1200mm x 12mm.

This one’s rather elderly, it was my first painted archery target. Acrylic paint on canvas over a Stramit board (now Durra Panel Natural) target face.