short lace with chapes

Laces like this were used to hold parts of clothing together; they are especially frequently seen in depictions of late medieval men's clothing, where they tie the tunic and trousers together. 

The bands on offer here measure about 26.5 cm in length overall. This is just enough for a half-bow to hold two pieces of clothing together, without having long ends hanging down (and possibly getting into the way). The band itself is machine-braided from 100% mulberry silk yarn, the lace chapes are brass. Diameter of band and chapes is c 2 mm.

The lace chapes are attached directly to the band, with a reconstructed historical method. For this, the metal is formed directly around the lace. This procedure can be seen on several images showing crafters in medieval and early modern manuscripts. You can find some examples in the Hausbücher der Nürnberger Zwölfbrüderstiftungen. You can also see a comparison between the chapes made by me and a medieval original on one of the pictures.

In contrast to chapes that are sewn on afterwards, chapes worked directly around the lace ends are much less bulky. They sit very tightly on the band and have a smooth transition to the textile or leather lace itself, making inserting the lace into and pulling it out through a lacing hole a smooth process, without danger of the chape rim catching itself somewhere.

Other lengths for the chapes are, of course, possible - as is attaching the chapes to different materials (including your own bands)!