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Field Repair Kit

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Sir Rodney:
As the fighting season is nearly upon us, I’ve been busy getting my kit into shape.  Seeing how field repairs are a necessary evil of the SCA / WMA community no matter how well you prepare, a repair kit should be part of your standard equipment.  This is especially true if you plan to attend week long events with no power and limited access to the modern world.

This is my kit.  It’s ever changing and by no means complete, but it’s a good place to start for those just beginning field combat or reenactment activities.  My old Plano tackle box has three removable trays that can be divided into nearly any configuration while the top compartment holds bulkier items.  Here’s a quick rundown of most of the items.

Top compartment: Mink oil with rag, gun oil, felt, string for points, steel wool, various sandpaper, various leather bits, end nippers, two needle nose pliers, 5 pound anvil (from an auto body store), ball peen hammer, soft faced hammer, file, rat tail file, chisel, center punch, knife, lighter, spool of waxed thread, tub o’ mail rings, spool of brass wire, fishing scale, tape measure, dividers, knife sharpener, scissors, sharpie marker, and nylon webbing.

Tray 1: Six varieties of Tandy 2-part speed rivets, six varieties of eyelets / grommets, four varieties of metal studs, “post & washer” leather rivets, super glue, and a bin of miscellaneous stuff.

Tray 2: Leather lace, leather strapping of various sizes, two varieties of aluminum rivets, two varieties of steel rivets, assorted brass rivets, various Chicago screws & posts, two more varieties of eyelets, brass washers, and mess of miscellaneous strapping & buckles of various sizes, types and colors.

Tray 3: Sixteen various leatherworking punches, tools & stamps, wooden block, a variety of rivet & grommet setting tools, a variety of waxed threads and needles, a variety of two-part snaps, miscellaneous small metal chains & ropes, more leatherworking hand tools, stamps and punches.

I know you’re all thinking “where’s the duct tape?”  I carry a variety of packing, duct and grip tapes of various colors and strengths which are all strung together with a rope for convenience.

This kit has allowed me to replace countless straps, repair articulations, reattach visors & bar-grills and mend mail for myself, my friends and (most importantly) complete strangers while in the field.

I hope this was helpful to those just starting out.  For the more experienced, please let me know if you have a favorite / indispensible tool that I should know about!

Stanislaw:
Oh my god!  :o I need one of these to turn into my crafting box! I'll just add my textile equipment and voila! :)

I was actually thinking about such a thing, too - maybe such tools could also be carried in something like a period crate on a packhorse? ;)

Sir Brian:
Nice kit! You are only missing one thing that I can see...an Anvil! :)

http://www.harborfreight.com/15-lb-anvil-3999.html

Allan Senefelder:
The only real issue with the Harbor Freight anvils is that they are not hardened so the face quickly gets dinged and divited up. If you poke around barn sales, junk shops and even antique stores you can some times find these http://www.ebay.com/itm/BLACKSMITH-ANVIL-MADE-FROM-RAILROAD-TRACK-20-1-2-lbs-13-long-Mounting-Holes-/201069515881?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ed0ad5469 I've had several over the years and have one now, portable and a good hardened face for working on.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Small-Anvil-Made-Of-Fair-Style-Rail-Road-Iron-/281287182910?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item417e05ca3e

Sir James A:
As Allan said, the anvil isn't too hardy. I have the 55 lb harbor freight one and it has numerous dents and dings from very lightweight use over only a few years.  It's hard to argue with a $20 price tag, so, it's functional. (edit: assuming you have a local harbor freight and aren't paying for shipping... if there's no local pickup options, get one like Allan linked)

I must have one of those boxes! I have misc scattered plano storage boxes, consolidated would be fantastic.

And excellent field repair kit Rodney! My suggestion of "take two sets of armor in case one breaks" is perhaps *slightly* less reasonable. :)

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