SajdakCraft - About Us

Our workshop originated back in the distant year of 2017 through the fruitful collaboration of two individuals: Kostyantyn Kletsov and Volodymyr Prokopenko. Kostyantyn had been involved for many years in crafting leather gear for participants in the Historical Reenactment movement in Ukraine, while Volodymyr delved into history and oversaw the production of historical bronze castings for sajdak and sword belts. This union led to the creation of a whole series of quivers and sword belts with historically accurate suspension systems.

Although our primary focus is on crafting sajdak and sword belts for participants in traditional and equestrian archery, we also offer a variety of leather goods to our customers. These include various pouches and cases for both Historical Reenactment and modern use. Civilian belts made from leather and braided horsehair, holsters, ammo pouches, and other military-historical gear are also part of our offerings.

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Sajdak

A Sajdak is a part of an archer's equipment used for transporting the bow and arrows. It consists of a quiver, bow case, and a belt for suspension. Depending on the historical period and region, the shape and construction of sajdaks vary significantly, allowing experts to quickly identify the age and territorial origin of historical samples. One of the specialized directions of our workshop is the reproduction of Sajdaks from the 16th-17th centuries, used by soldiers of the Ottoman Empire and other states in Eastern Europe. In our quest for samples, we meticulously study museum pieces, historical miniatures, and archaeological finds.

Our team members are currently not only engaged in crafting sajdaks and quivers for enthusiasts of traditional and equestrian archery but also conducting scientific research on them. We have become one of the few workshops that produce historical castings for all our sajdaks. The presence of these small but crucial construction details is a necessary minimum for Sajdaks used in Historical Reenactment events.

According to our research, in Eastern Europe during the 16th-17th centuries, at least six more or less standardized forms of sajdaks were used (bow cases were less diverse due to the similar shape of bows). Surface decoration of the sajdak could be executed in various techniques: embossing, painting, leather embroidery, appliqué, covering the surface with embroidered fabric, decorating with metal elements, or a combination of several different techniques.

In our creations, we employ embossing, leather embroidery, leather appliqué, and covering the surface with fabric. We hope to expand this list by incorporating painting and combining several of the aforementioned techniques. Unfortunately, decorating with metal elements currently exceeds our capabilities, but we aspire to integrate this technology in the future.

For the base and straps, we use vegetable-tanned leather from bovine cattle, with a thickness of 2 mm. For appliqué and leather embroidery, we utilize high-quality thin goat leather. To fasten the quiver and bow case to the belt, we use cast fittings (functional overlays for suspension), which are replicas of historical samples. As a belt buckle, we use hook fasteners, also crafted according to historical examples.

Our products are well-suited for Historical Reenactment events (please specify product requirements before ordering, as some items are historical stylizations), traditional archery, and equestrian archery. For more details about the quivers and bow cases we craft, you can read the "Our Products" section.

Pouches

Our workshop offers a wide range of leather products, including pouches, cases, and containers for various purposes. Our items appeal to both historical reenactors and enthusiasts of handmade leather goods. For more details about the pouches and other containers we craft, you can read in the "Our Products" section.

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Belts

Our workshop provides quality and stylish leather belts for true appreciators of handmade craftsmanship. We use only high-quality leather and hardware for our products. To learn more about the belts we create, you can read in the "Our Products" section.