The Holidays are upon us and I thought I would share some ideas of things the Viking Age reenactor in your life might enjoy as gifts (and, of course, the wonderful vendors from whom you can purchase these items).
Feed the Ravens is quite possibly my favorite vendor ever. I love the exceptionally high quality leather work and pottery that they craft and the assortment of jewelry and tools that they carry. They also often have unique items that one rarely sees elsewhere. Currently in stock they have period blacksmith tools, brass chain for suspending tools from brooches, reindeer antler drop spindles (I have two of these that are my favorites for spinning flax), and jewelry! They also have leather goods and pottery. I recommend talking directly to Maggie or Scot about what they have now or perhaps to place a special order for the exact item that the Viking in your life has been coveting. (And yes, I confess, this is my personal favorite vendor ever!)
Timeless Textiles sells EPiC wool yarn. This is a 2/18 wool yarn, dyed dozens of wonderful colors, that is very smooth and quite strong. I find that this works exceptionally well for both tablet weaving and for use on other types of looms. Unlike some other brands of similarly sized yarn, this is a true worsted spin and does not have little flyaway hairs that will cause your warp to bind up. They even sell a sample pack of swatches so that your favorite weaver can keep it on hand for project planning. (And bonus, they also sell Bocken's linen thread in colors! This is great for hand sewing.)
Historical Glassworks, this artisan carries glassware that represents numerous time periods and locations, from Roman, to Viking and into the Renaissance (and later)! They also have a wonderful selection of handmade gifts that can appeal to those who are not interested in recreating the past. Their holiday ornaments, candle sticks and glass bracelets immediately come to mind as beautiful items that many would enjoy.
Crafty Celts, well, what can I say beyond the fact that I have long been a fan of this vendor. Do you need a new Knight's chain? Celtic animal pendants or brooches? Bracelets (that, honestly, look just as great outside of a historic setting as they do inside)? Also, this is the vendor to hit up if your Secret Santa target is a fan of the History Channel's "The Vikings" as they supply much of the jewelry used in the show.
The Practical Viking is a really cool shop to visit at Pennsic. They provide a great atmosphere and sometimes even have dyeing demos or other happenings in their booth. They carry an assortment of items that appeal to Vikings such as hoods, legwraps, cool cookware and even adorable Viking dolls!
Oxbow Books is not a vendor of handcrafted items, but rather is a publisher of academic books. They carry many of the volumes that help the us piece together the past. Most reenactors that I know have a long list of books on their wishlists, so it might be worth seeing what they would love to read next and purchase that as a gift. (Note that they also have a fantastic section of sale books that can be a real bargain.)
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