Fire kit pouch, with belt and knife

[jojo]

I have finally finished this leather fire kit pouch, complete with a belt and small knife and sheath.

Made in a mountainman style, using 1.2mm veg tan leather, which I have "aged" and dyed. All the part can be used individually. I can carry it baldrik style, although the belt is a bit short, the pouch sits under my arm and can be quite invisible under a shirt. I am going to make a longer belt, so it can be worn a bit lower than at present.

It's all been made by hand and I am really pleased with it. What do you think? All comments appreciated

 

[Eric_Methven]

I like it! How do you 'age' your leather? Funny thing is, I've just finished a fire kit pouch in a mountainman style too. Also with a leather button fastening.

Must be the coming summer and the urge to get out there.

Eric

 

[jojo]

Thanks Eric. I age the leather by wetting it, then crunching it, stretching it, generally being nasty to it!!! I have found you can use some oven spray cleaner on leather to dry it and produce cracks, so I'll try that soon. It didn't work so well on the flap, I think it's because its double thickness , with a slit on the inside layer, that produced a pocket in which I can carry tinder and such. The double layer made it harder to stretch to produce wrinkles on the surface. I have also used some Barbour dressing on the whole pouch to weatherproof it a bit. The belt was easy to crack and wrinkle by bending the leather in various directions.

I like your pouch too. Do you make your bone beads yourself and what leather did you use?

I have to say I like the Mountain man style of leather work. Nice to see the various approaches of different people.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Fantastic work, both of you - puts my efforts to shame.

but what about the contents of your pouch Jojo? Eric, do you carry natural tinder or just rely on your ability to find natural tinder for your sparks to ignite?

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Eric_Methven]

Do you make your bone beads yourself and what leather did you use?

Thanks for the info Jojo. I didn't make those beads although I have in the past. I traded for them with someone on Paleo Planet. The leather is thin European buffalo hide.

Eric, do you carry natural tinder or just rely on your ability to find natural tinder for your sparks to ignite?

I also carry charcloth, some curly birch bark, some raw hemp fiber and some fine dried straw. I tend to keep these in a tinder horn though which is not only waterproof, but because the horn is slightly absorbant, it sucks any moisture out of the tinder stored within. The horn has a fitted waxed leather lid. The best place to get dried straw is a pet shop. You can buy it as rabbit bedding and it comes in a plastic bag nicely compressed so you get a lot for very little money. That's basically all you need to make fire in any conditions. Of course you need to gather wood to keep it going but that's rarely a problem given that my favourite haunts are heavily wooded. The pouch and a traditional firesteel and all the other gubbins mentioned above is for sale on the makers section BTW.

Eric

Eric

 

[jojo]

but what about the contents of your pouch Jojo?

ATB

Ogri the trog

I am going to have a steel and flint, charcloth, some hemp string, fine birch bark, some tinder, a small firesteel, some bits of tyre rubber. That sort of thing. I am having an assortment at the moment so I can play (seriously, of course ) and try various methods of fire lighting.

Also, here is a pic of the knife.

 

[webbie]

Looks really nice, is it going to b worn in a sash style. Do u need many specialist tools to make that style of pouch

 

[jojo]

Looks really nice, is it going to b worn in a sash style. Do u need many specialist tools to make that style of pouch

I can wear it sash style, yes. I can also use the pouch on a normal belt, or with the belt I made around my middle over a shirt and with or without the knife.

You don't actually need many tools : something to cut the leather, an awl and a couple of glovers needles, I have used a overstitch wheel on the pouch but its not needed really, you can mark a line 3 mm from the edges and mark the stitch holes by eye like I did on the sheath.

 

[Eric_Methven]

Webbie, if you fancy a go at this craft, all the tools you need are a craft knife to cut the leather, something to poke holes in it, an awl (can be made from a small nail, sharpened at the end and poked into a bit of broom shank), two harness needles (these are blunt at the ends), some strong thread (linen is traditional, but bonded polyester thread is OK too), something to mark where the holes are to go (a stitch wheel is the professional way, but a kitchen fork will work to start with to give even hole spacing). That's basically all you need.

Eric