Cuir Boulli armour, production and surviving examples

Jim McDougall · 20th November 2009, 04:08 AM

Hi Fearn,
All excellent points, and interesting about leather in general when drying it contracts tightly, so those notes for use make sense. There indeed must have been a number of processes known for cuir boulli, probably depending on materials and preferences, but the wax must have been a challenge.

A number of months ago we discussed the cuera used on the Spanish frontiers in the latter 18th century, and these seem to have been fashioned of multiple layers of rawhide, I think as many as 6 or 7. Therefore thier resilience as a defensive armor depended more on layering than the type of processing in cuir boulli. I am not sure if the various Indian tribes might have used leather hardened in these processes, though certainly rawhide was used in clothing etc.

Well said on the effects of heat on metal vs.leather in hot sun.....and I sure wouldn't want metal on in those conditions!!

All the best,
Jim

aiontay · 20th November 2009, 12:46 PM

I don't think too many Indians boiled hide, but rather use hides to boil things (stone boiling). Some tribes steamed buffalo hide over pits as part of a shrinking/thickening process for shields. On the Southern Plains shield were made with to thicknesses of rawhide molded to curve and between the layers was some sort of filler. On some long raid, some guys stored extra moccassins between the two pieces of rawhide.

20th November 2009, 04:08 AM	#1
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,571	Hi Fearn, All excellent points, and interesting about leather in general when drying it contracts tightly, so those notes for use make sense. There indeed must have been a number of processes known for cuir boulli, probably depending on materials and preferences, but the wax must have been a challenge. A number of months ago we discussed the cuera used on the Spanish frontiers in the latter 18th century, and these seem to have been fashioned of multiple layers of rawhide, I think as many as 6 or 7. Therefore thier resilience as a defensive armor depended more on layering than the type of processing in cuir boulli. I am not sure if the various Indian tribes might have used leather hardened in these processes, though certainly rawhide was used in clothing etc. Well said on the effects of heat on metal vs.leather in hot sun.....and I sure wouldn't want metal on in those conditions!! All the best, Jim

20th November 2009, 12:46 PM	#2
aiontay Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 88	I don't think too many Indians boiled hide, but rather use hides to boil things (stone boiling). Some tribes steamed buffalo hide over pits as part of a shrinking/thickening process for shields. On the Southern Plains shield were made with to thicknesses of rawhide molded to curve and between the layers was some sort of filler. On some long raid, some guys stored extra moccassins between the two pieces of rawhide.