Fabrica Comitatus
Historical crafts and services available to the public from Comitatus members
Affordable Roman Saddles and Tack
£500 for a saddle, breaching and breast straps.
Peter Connolly used the surviving evidence in the form of leather covers, their stitching, stretch and wear marks, as well as metal horn plates, to produce a working Romano-Celtic saddle. He produced a design based upon a solid wooden four-horned frame.
Various other attempts have been made to reproduce four-horned saddles using alternatives to the solid wooden frame, in part perhaps to justify simpler and cheaper reconstructions.
However two saddle covers presented at the Carlisle Millennium Project conference in 2004 showed stretch marks where they had been pressed down over a wooden frame. Overall the stitch pattern used on each cover was the same as has been found on other sites, but these covers retained trapezoidal flaps of leather, about half as deep as they were long, with the widest edges lowest when on the horse. They demonstrate that rather than just being sewn up under the saddle as originally believed, leather covers could be secured over the horns and wooden frame of the saddle. These saddle covers simply hung down the sides of the horse, even having a substantial fringed curtain of leather hanging from the lower edge. A piece of wood was exhibited which exactly conformed to the curved piece of the saddle frame that crossed the withers in the Connolly reconstruction.
Up to now good working examples of wooden framed saddles based on the latest research have been hard to find. Over the years Comitatus has used many different types of Roman four horned saddle. But now good quality wooden framed saddles are at last available commercially. We have teamed up with Chris from Saddlers Den to exclusively offer Roman saddles to all those interested in Roman riding. The leather covers are made from vegetable tanned leather, which the purchaser can oil and darken if required. The saddle comes with basic breast and breaching straps, but no girth. The saddles weigh around 5 kg, and are designed to fit most riders and horses, with the addition of suitable rolled blankets, furs and pads.
At £500 each these saddles should make Roman riding available to all.
For further information please contact jconyard@talktalk.net
Dave Bell - Fletcher
Basic arrows would have a hardwood 11/32" shaft finished with
Danish oil, with a choice of size/style/colour of fletchings, self-nocks
and a choice of machine-made heads. Fletchings can be bound to
the shaft if wished, alternative shaft-wood would be Spruce.
Arrows can be posted to the buyer.
Prices:
From £50 per dozen basic arrows.
Options:
High quality spined arrow shafts: add £10 per dozen arrows:
available in Pine, Cedar or Spruce.
Types of arrow shaft material: Ash, Poplar and Birch (POA).
Diameters of shaft from 5/16" to 1/2".
Strengthening horn inserts added to the nocks: add £10 per dozen.
Hand-cut medieval style fletchings 5" or longer add £4 per dozen.
Hand forged heads, from £2.50 extra per arrow.
Spray varnish instead of Danish oil: add £3 per dozen.
Cane arrows (with hardwood footing), £15 each with a hand-forged tanged leaf head. £10 each without heads.
For further details, photos of example arrows etc:
E-mail: themonster750@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: 01915 482643
Historical Interpretations
Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Viking, Medieval,
Tudor and WWII Historical Activity Days for Primary Schools.
Visit the website for more info: www.historicalinterpretations.net
Arma comitibus idonea
Kit available exclusively to Comitatus members
Shields
Infantry shield
Made from 9mm plywood covered with cloth and painted with
the symbol for the Praesidiensis. Back is painted with a block colour of your choice.
£60
Cavalry shield
Made from 9mm plywood covered with cloth and painted with
the basic symbol for Equites Taifali. The back is painted solid white.
£50
Contact Ursus via the forum to order.
Tunics
Basic off-white wool group tunics, undecorated, made to order from £40.
Contact Catherine via the forum for more info.
Military Cloaks
In mustard brown - £20
Contact John via the forum or at jconyard@talktalk.net for details.
Weaponry
Hand forged veruta, spicula, ferrules and plumbata, made to our own patterns
based on appropriate finds and ready for hafting.
Verutum £15.00 | Spiculum £20.00 | Ferrule £5.00 | Plumbata £20.00
We have a small stock of veruta ready for immediate sale
and can order more on demand.
Contact John via the forum or at jconyard@talktalk.net
Military belts
Made to order from £30, depending on dateline
and status. A range of fittings are available.
Contact John via the forum or at jconyard@talktalk.net
Our spicula and veruta are modelled on finds from the South Shields.
From Allason-Jones L. and Miket R. (1984) “The Catalogue of small finds from South Shields Roman Fort”, in The Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle Upon Tyne Monograph Series No. 2, ed. J. Philipson (Gloucester 1984):
The spiculum:- Length 297mm, diameter of socket 20mm. Page 297-299.
The verutum head/small spear head:- Length 146mm, diameter of socket 22mm. Page 299.
The plumbata are modelled on a find from Wroxeter.
The views of individual members expressed on this website do not necessarily reflect the view of the group as a whole. Photos/Images: These are normally copyright of an individual Comitatus member. Use of an image for educational or research purposes will be happily granted, if permission is sought first, and we can secure an acknowledgement, and higher resolution images can often be arranged for publication or display! Please e-mail first.