Wadding in 14th to 17th Century Loading

[Matchlock]

We may assume that the small pleated leather pouch which is found nailed to some types of 16th c. military powder flasks, ranging from ca. 1530/40 to ca. 1570, was also meant to keep wadding and little cleaning tools like scourers etc. that could be screwed to the threaded finial of the ramrod.

The general and ready-at-hand term 'ball pouch' proves fallacious and hasty on close examination; most of these pouches are actually so delicate that they were not even apt to hold several heavy leaden balls even then when they were fresh and new.

The same is true for some pouches on arquebusier's and musketeer's side bags (generalizingly but hastily called 'purses') and bandeliers that are divided into various sections.

I attached photos of three 16th c. powder flasks with additional leather pouches from my collection, plus two early to mid-16th c. Swiss arquebusier's bandeliers, their powder flasks decorated with the city arms of Basel, the episcopal staff; please note their spacious leather pouches that could hold various kinds of accouterment.
Attached at the bottom: two scourers for cleaning the barrel, ca. 1560-1600; length ca. 7 cm each.


Please see my threads
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=18294
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=16149
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15724


Best,
Michael