Attaching Haithabu bag shackles

The Haithabu bag is a leather or textile pouch attached to two wooden shackles. A string, like a bag strap, was attached to these shackles.

There isn’t that much known about the exact shape of the pouches. Reconstructions show a few different options, so you can decide for yourself which shape you prefer and make the pouch matching that reconstruction.

As to how to attach the pouch to the shackles, there seemed to have been two different methods.

Attaching Haithabu bag shackles with yarn

One way of attaching the bag shackles to the pouch is by threading them with (wool) yarn. All you need to do is line the shackle up to the edge of the pouch and simply stitch the pouch to the shackle. If your shackles have elongated gaps, you can fill the full length of them with stitches to make it as sturdy as possible. 

Attaching the haithabu bag shackles with straps

Another way to attach the shackles is by making small straps of the same material as the pouch. These straps will be pulled through the gaps and the ends are stitches to the pouch.

You can either stitch one end to the pouch, pull it through the shackle and then stitch down the other end. Or you can first pull the strap through the shackle and stitch down both ends simultaneously. 

Click here to find our Haithabu bag shackles.