"You must not damage the fibers of the hide while doing this," I continued. "We will use water to maintain the flexibility of the hide, but not too much. We will moisten it with a small amount of water, making it easier to shape. Now, grab the water bottle, and I'll show you how it's done."
Gob quickly grabbed the water bottle and handed it to me. I took a sip and then carefully sprinkled the water onto the hide with my knife. "Just like this," I said. "The water will make it a bit softer, but we must not add too much, or the hide will become too soft and difficult to shape."
Gob began sprinkling the water onto the hide as well, but at first, he poured a little too much. "Gob?" he said, looking worried about the excess water.
"These are small things," I said with a smile. "Just use a little less, but as long as you moisten it properly, there’s no problem." Following my example, we carefully distributed the water evenly in small portions. Gob observed closely, making sure to use the correct amount.
After moistening the hides, we laid them out properly and immediately moved on to the shaping process. "Now, we will do the most important part. We need to bend and shape these hides properly. The key to shaping is to mold them into the desired form without damaging their natural structure."
Gob watched me carefully and followed along step by step. As I gently bent and folded the hide into shape, I explained to him how it should be done and what to pay attention to.
"Look, like this," I said. "We slightly bend one edge to position the hide correctly. But remember, do not force it too much. If you overbend and break the fibers, it will be difficult to fix that part."
Gob nodded, watching closely, then started bending his own piece. He handled the hide gently yet firmly. This time, thanks to the water, the hide was a little softer and easier to shape.
As we continued shaping, I showed Gob step by step how to proceed. "Bend this edge slightly, but don't press too hard. Move slowly because the hide could tear." Gob moved cautiously, carefully observing each step, and I was happy to see his progress.
After some time, both hides took the desired shape. "Just like that! Now, the hides are fully shaped and ready. The shaping process is complete."
Gob looked very happy at the end. "Gob! Gob!" he exclaimed, showing that he understood everything.
"Yes, you did a great job, Gob," I said. "Now, it's time to join these hides together and finalize them. But first, we might need to rest a little. You've done really well so far."
I patted Gob lightly on the back, guiding him through every step and explaining how to proceed. This process was very educational for him.
Once the shaping was complete, we moved on to the stitching phase. I turned to Gob and began explaining the process. "Now, it's time to join the hides. The most important thing here is to align each piece properly and ensure a strong hold. The way we combine the hides will determine how durable and sturdy the final result will be."
Gob nodded attentively. "Gob!" he said, seemingly understanding.
"While doing this, we will carefully place and overlap each hide. But be careful, we need to place enough material between each layer. If we leave gaps, the structure will be weak. That’s why we must align each layer properly and tighten them together."
Gob raised his hand and showed it to me. "Gob?" he asked.
"Yes, we need to put a proper binding material between each layer. This helps the hides fuse together. For now, I’ll use some thread, but in the future, we can use a natural resin and clay mixture. This will provide a stronger and more durable bond."
Gob nodded in understanding and quickly grabbed a piece of thread as I had shown him. "Gob!" he said, looking ready to start.
The first step was aligning the hides properly. "Look, Gob. We will place this hide like this. We position one edge neatly on top of the other. To secure the connection between the two hides, we will carefully pass the thread through." I wrapped the thread tightly around the hides, securing each layer together.
Gob watched closely and then took his own piece, threading it the same way. "Wrap the thread tightly, but don’t pull too hard. If you stretch it too much, the hide might tear. But if you don’t tighten it enough, the hides will slip, creating a weak structure."
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Gob carefully and steadily wrapped the thread. As I moved beside him, I explained how to check that each row was properly tightened. "When placing the thread between each layer, make sure both edges align perfectly. Even the slightest misalignment will weaken the structure."
The stitching process was long and required patience, but seeing the steady progress reassured me. Gob was closely mimicking every movement I made. "Look, Gob. We have tightened these edges well. Now, everything is secure. But when shaping hides, sometimes we need to wait a few minutes to let them settle into place."
Gob was entirely focused on his task. "Gob!" he said, fully dedicated to the process. He checked the tension of the thread and ensured each layer was properly secured. He had a look of pride on his face, as if saying, "I can do this too!"
After a while, all the hides were properly aligned and tightly bound. "See, Gob? Just like this, you must make sure everything fits perfectly." After making a few final adjustments, I realized that everything had come together flawlessly.
"Now," I continued, "everything is ready, but we have one final step. We've combined the hides, but we need to make them more durable with one last process."
Gob looked at me curiously and said, "Gob?"
"Yes, now we will use a mixture of clay and charcoal powder. This will strengthen the hides and reinforce the bonded layers. But we must be careful with this process because using too much could soften the hides. We need to apply just enough to strengthen the joints."
I quickly prepared the materials, mixing the clay and charcoal powder and applying them to the seams of the hides. Gob watched me with narrowed eyes. "Look, this material will harden over time and fuse the seams together," I explained. "Now, we must carefully apply this to each layer's joints."
Gob, with his small hands, carefully followed my lead. Watching the seams strengthen as we gently applied the mixture reassured me. "Great, Gob! You're doing really well. I'm glad you're paying attention."
After some time, the seams were sufficiently reinforced, and the process was complete. We left the hides to dry. Everything was now in place and looked very sturdy.
"That's it, Gob," I said. "The bonding process is done. Now, we just need to wait for it to dry, and then we'll complete the armor."
Gob waved his arms excitedly and exclaimed, "Gob! Gob!" He had successfully learned each step and was becoming much better at these processes.
"Working with you has been amazing, Gob. Now, we just need a little patience, and the person who wears this armor will be really lucky."
After properly processing the leather, the next step was to position each piece of the armor correctly. This step was crucial because the leather not only affected the armor’s appearance but also its protective capability. Each layer had to be placed with precision.
"Gob, you need to be extra careful now," I said, making sure he was fully focused. "The armor must be placed properly on the leather. Even a slight misalignment can weaken it."
Gob nodded, saying, "Gob!"—indicating he understood everything.
First, we arranged the prepared leather strips in the correct order. I flattened the leather and showed him how each piece should fit together. "Look, this first layer will go on the shoulder," I explained, carefully placing the first strip onto the shoulder area and pressing it lightly. "Each strip must overlap the one above it properly. If they don’t cover each other completely, the armor will be weak."
Gob watched intently. Following my movements, he placed his strip the same way. "Gob!" he said, as if to say, "I'm doing it too." He carefully positioned the strip, and I helped ensure everything fit perfectly.
"Now, Gob," I continued, explaining the next step. "As we add each strip, we need to apply some pressure. This helps them settle firmly together. Also, we need to apply a bit of natural resin under each strip. This will prevent the leather from slipping and keep the armor sturdy."
Gob patiently pressed down on the leather and began applying the resin. "Gob?" he asked, as if wondering why we were doing this. I smiled and explained.
"Resin will bond the leather together. It also makes the armor stronger and more durable. If the armor is loose, each hit will make you weaker," I said. Gob nodded as if he understood. "Gob!" he said and quickly returned to his task.
As we placed each strip, I made sure they were aligned properly. This phase would determine the armor’s strength and functionality. Gob patiently and carefully worked on each layer, sometimes mimicking my actions exactly, sometimes progressing on his own. Each time he placed a strip, he applied some pressure and spread the resin evenly.
After some time, the shoulder section was complete, and the leather fit perfectly onto the upper part of the armor. "Now, Gob," I said, "we move to the back. Here, we need to be even more careful. The back of the armor must not restrict movement, so we must ensure the strips fit perfectly."
Gob watched my every move and started preparing the back section in the same manner. "Gob! Gob!" he muttered, trying to explain something, but I was focused on carefully placing each piece.
"You're doing great," I encouraged him. "Look, everything is in place. Keep going like this, and then we’ll work on the front together."
Gob smiled and nodded, quickly returning to his task. He carefully positioned each layer of leather, applying pressure and making sure the pieces bonded properly. Over time, the shape of the armor became clearer. As we carefully placed each layer, the leather aligned perfectly, and the armor transformed into a sturdy structure.
"We did an amazing job, Gob," I said as we neared completion. Gob widened his eyes in excitement and shouted, "Gob! Gob!"
The armor had taken its proper shape. The leather was perfectly fitted to allow free movement while maintaining protection.
Our armor was nearly complete.