Things Medieval — Lucettes

It’s not entirely certain how far back lucette braiding goes, nor when it ceased being commonly done. It is definitely known to have been used by dark age Vikings, and bone and wooden lucettes of a variety of styles are common finds. The advantage of lucette braid over other types of woven or plaited braids is that it is done with a single piece of thread, can be arbitrarily long, and forms a very strong, inelastic cord. This makes lucette braided cord ideal for late medieval points and laces, and indeed for any period where a long stout lace is needed.

I have made lucettes in a variety of sizes and shapes, and from more or less any timber that is around—they are a good use for small pieces of recycled timber. The main characteristic is for the lucette to have two prongs, and a hole for threading the finished cord through as it progresses (although even that is optional). I sand the finished items to a very smooth finish, and either wax or oil them, depending on the type of timber. The one shown to the right is about 10cm long, sized to fit my large hands, and made from recycled hardwood. Any size or style is available as required and desired.

to be completed… instructions for lucette braiding, finished cords, and photos of process of braiding