Elk ear pouch

[torjusg]

Why throw the ears to the dog. Ears can be skinned, the skins tanned and made into nice pouches.

Here is my just finished elk skin pouch. The ear is bark tanned and the lining is roe deer buckskin. It is sewed up with reindeer sinew (and an antler needle) and the thread for tightening it is made of braided elm bark.

My plan is to use it as a tinder pouch.

 

[led]

Very nice indeed. How easy is it to actually skin an ear (not a question I thought I'd ever find myself asking )?

 

[torjusg]

Very nice indeed. How easy is it to actually skin an ear (not a question I thought I'd ever find myself asking )?

It is not surprisingly perhaps, quite hard. The skin is thin, easily torn and adheres well to the cartilage on the inside. It's better to use a dull bone knife than a sharp flake as the skin is very easily cut through. Pulling the skin off without the aid of a sharp object I found impossible.

They are natural mittens in a way, though fragile. Next time I am thinking of trying to make that. And also, another interesting project would be a scrotum pouch.

 

[British Red]

I'm resisting all the possible jokes here on the "scrotum pouch".

torjus, I just wanted to say that you are real inspiration to me. If we had a sort of "best post of the month" award, you would get my vote a lot of the time.

Thank you for inspiring, educating and entertaining me

You are a real asset

Red

 

[g4ghb]

that looks great torgus! - you really are a 'crafty bloke'


I can't keep wondering of what you would be able to do with a sows ear...............

 

[torjusg]

Thank you guys, you are flattering me.

Sows ear, is that the ear of a female pig or is it something else?

 

[British Red]

Its not flattery torus, just appreciation of your posts

Grahams post does refer to a female pig but is a joke based on an old English saying

"You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear"

It means you can't make something great from something thats poor to begin with

Although in your case I reckon you could (which is what I think Graham meant)

Red

 

[bent-stick]

Is that a pouch to hold your scrotum or a pouch made out of a scrotum...





...I'm not sure I actually want to know

 

[British Red]

Yup, thats the one I was resisting

 

[g4ghb]

Grahams post does refer to a female pig but is a joke based on an old English saying

"You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear"

It means you can't make something great from something thats poor to begin with

Although in your case I reckon you could (which is what I think Graham meant)

Red

spot on Red!

 

[torjusg]

Ah, arch-British expressions I see.

And, Red and bent-stick.

I was thinking about making a pouch out of a scrotum (not my own by the way). The other one was however an interesting suggestion.

Skin a bulls scrotum and a horse's (you know what), stuff it and I recon one could make quite an impressive set of suspensory bandage.

 

[torjusg]

And by the way, some more details of the final stages can be found here:
http://torjusgaaren.blogspot.com/2007/02/skin-pouch-update_05.html

 

[leon-b]

very nice mate
leon