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Construction of the Loculus
The Roman Satchel Pack

This is a tutorial for making the loculus. This is a leather satchel that fits on the back pole of the furca (marching pack). It may also be carried by a shoulder strap for carrying food, and other Roman necessities.

Where in Knoxville to buy leather

The only big place I know of in knoxville that sells VEGETABLE TANNED leather (the only kind that should be used for Roman Reenacting) is KC leatherwerks. (yes with the e... No I dont know why) They are on Kingston Pike on the right if you are heading west from UT. they are behind the Chick-fil-A in a little mall area. It can't quite be seen from the road but their sign can. Its about a 10 minute drive in decent traffic from Downtown and the University.

Other satchel Tutorials

Legio XX Online Handbook for Legionaries - Packs Page - this page has good dimensions, and discusses the historical accuracy debate a little. However it only has the finished product. I made this page for those of you who have no experience in leatherwork and need more explaining. It is a good idea to read this page also before starting construction.

Materials!

You need a hide that is fairly thin. 1-3 oz. Goatskin is great because its the right thickness on its own and its typically a little cheaper. Things to consider when looking through hides are holes in the hides,(you would rather have fewer) and obviously if you've read the legio xx tutorial it needs to contain a rectangle in it that is roughly 18 inches by 30 inches. you also need a fairly long section off to the side of that rectangle for cutting the reinforcing strips.

tools

- Awl (leather gouge) these can be bought in most hardware stores for about a buck or two. Or you can grind down a screwdriver.
- Linen thread or (artificial) Sinew - special thread for leather. I've pretty much only seen it in leather shops.
- Scissors and some larger needles - the needles I use are about 2.5 inches long.

Getting Started

First cut the shape below out of the hide, but before cutting, make sure you spend the proper time planning and drawing your lines with a pencil an ruler. Using a big framing right angle will save headaches. If your rectangular part isn't squared, you'll know it when you start to sew up the side seems. It is 18 inches wide and 30 inches at its longest point. If you consider it a rectangle with a triangle on the top (even though it should be one piece) the rectangle would be 18" by 24" and it is an extra six inches to the top of the flap. Goatskin is very easy to cut, you can use scissors or a box cutter. I have a spiffy circular knife but it is by no means necessary.

Once you've cut your main piece, use the remainder of the hide to cut 1/2" to 1" wide strips for your reinforcment. Once those are cut you will use your awl to puncture holes in the leather for your needle and thread to follow through. Use the pliers to pull the needle all the way through.

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Here is the final look before you start sewing up the sides

Now its time to sew up the sides. Click the photos to see how I did the seems. Notice that the D ring is just wrapped by some extra slack from the side seem. On my second loculus, (top of the page) you can see I used thicker leather from the top handle reinforcement and used it to hold the d rings. It was also attached to the side gutters for extra strength.


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Now you just need to add the handgrip, and wrap reinforcement to the front lip using the left seam from above illustration.

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My second, IMPROVED loculus

Now you Have a happy, eh hem.... i mean a sturn, angry looking, and beligerent roman bag to carry food, fibulae, food, extra tunics, etc.
(or cell phones and car keys and other stuff you must keep but can't show the public)