Leatherwork..it,s Pouches again

[Seagull]

These on the right-hand side, have been posted here, before and are made from 3mm+ veg tan.

But I decided to have a go at something a little smaller, lighter and easier to fabricate. So I got some 2mill vegtan and found the results a little too floppy.

Thats when I tried to use the boiled leather form of hardening and went into it, as is my wont, not knowing that I didn,t know as much as I should.

Still an' all it was a learning experience which yielded variable results, but a usefull experience....though , to date, I have avoided the total hot wax dip technique, having burned and singed enough material, already, to satisfy my needs.

Top lefthand three, are in the thinner material, and have had various treatments in regard to preparation.
The upper left item, after shrinking by one quarter in size and warping unequally,out of all original form during a boiling water dip of 90 secs....this one turned out as hard as wood and sounds like an empty box, when tapped.....

Now, in order to stash the pouches all together, I,m thinking along the lines of needing another leather bag!!!

Comments welcome.

Ceeg

 

[g4ghb]

Loving them mate!

I particularly like the ones with the 'tuck through' catch!

 

[Jedadiah]

'ey up Seagull, tha's reyt fettled them! Nice one mate, i'm very impressed by all of those. What are you going to try next then, a leather bergan?

 

[Heathenpeddler]

They look great! How did you do the closures on the right hand ones? I'd love to have a try at those

 

[Eric_Methven]

I love those on the left! (I love those on the right too, but the ones on the left are fantastic).

The boiling method gives them loads of 'character'. They'd go down well with the living history folks if you changed the sam browne button for a traditional closure. Excellent.

Eric

 

[Seagull]

Eric, I had intended to look around for bits of bone or something, but went for the much easier stud.....and the boiling technique..brrrrrh! Yup it is characterful when it comes out right, but "naff" otherwise. Just a bit too unpredictable for me, at this stage, but I will continue to learn.

Jed, no mate, but I am considering a conversion of the belt loops on largest pouch, to D ring fittings, and then fabbing a cross-chest shoulder belt.......the whole caboodle to be passed on the inboard side of the belt so as to keep the heavy weight off of the waistline.
Even wearing gallus,s, this one tends to drag down the port side of my pants

HP, the closure is just a simple cross strap, with a wet formed loop. Simple, but it takes some fairly exact measuring and marking out. Backstrap is fixed to rear panel before assembly; cross strap is fixed to front panel before assembly. Once sew.d , you just need to ***** through, from cross strap to front panel in order to position the cut out coupon. It has got to be exact and well tight, or any upward pressure on the front flap will
try to trip the whole thing open .....hence the over long backstrap.

Thanks all

regards
Ceeg

 

[British Red]

Hey Ceeg - I already have a nice Baldric with trigger clips....

That big one would clip right on if you put D rings on.....

Would save you all the work of making a baldric dontcha know? Honest it would....it'd look really good on me too...great advertising and....and...the pixies would bless you (I running out of logic at this point )

Red

 

[Seagull]

Ach, Red.

Really s0rry, but none of 'em is good enough to inflict on someone else.
Too many odd lines and bodges ,to many re-sew,s and too little precision.

Though many thanks for the encouragement.

Ceeg

 

[British Red]

They look pretty good from here Ceeg

Most good craftsmen are like that though - Singteck used to describe his leatherwork as a hooby since it wasn't really good enough to sell!

Red

 

[leon-1]

I am with Ceeg on this one, if I snap a thread when stitching I tend to start again and if I would not be happy to carry it why should anyone else, stick to your guns Ceeg, it keeps the standards high.

They do look good though

 

[Eric_Methven]

I know loads of people who would buy those simply because they are not perfect. It's the imperfect distressed look they are after. If it's too perfect it looks like it was made by a machine and that's not what people want.

Eric

 

[Heathenpeddler]

I know loads of people who would buy those simply because they are not perfect. It's the imperfect distressed look they are after. If it's too perfect it looks like it was made by a machine and that's not what people want.

Eric

Yay! There's hope for my leatherwork yet then But seriously, they do look great. Any chance you could do a mini tutorial on those closures? I can't quite grasp how it's supposed to be mounted.

 

[Seagull]

I get a great deal of satisfaction when working with canvas or leather.

It,s just a creativity thing, I think and I get these infrequent bouts of enthusiasm for it.

So, with all the comments still ringing in my lugs, I knocked up this case/pouch yesterday evening. ( apolls for photo quality ) It still needs waxing
There,s no doubt in my mind, that these Sam Brown studs are proving highly addictive.

The main thing, was to try a bit of fancy 'cutting out' for the closure tag and, I thought the Oak leaf would suit, just right; only I hadn,t figured out just how to carve all the loops.

But, the native wit eventually returned and I used my revolving punch for the fiddly bits and a stanley for the rest of it.

HP, I,m rubbish at tutorials m8, but pm me with what the prob is, and I shall try my best to sort it.

Thanks for looking.

Ceeg

 

[Dunelm]

I know loads of people who would buy those simply because they are not perfect. It's the imperfect distressed look they are after. If it's too perfect it looks like it was made by a machine and that's not what people want.

Eric

Aye, me. The bottom two are really nice.

 

[JonnyP]

Aye, me. The bottom two are really nice.

Me as well, that little one top left is my fav....Nice work Ceeg....

 

[fred gordon]

I know loads of people who would buy those simply because they are not perfect. It's the imperfect distressed look they are after. If it's too perfect it looks like it was made by a machine and that's not what people want.

Eric

Absolutely Eric. I think the ones on the left look great. I especially like the bottom left one.:notworthy

 

[fishfish]

some fantastic work! ime gonna need to buy some more leather me thinks!

 

[Toddy]

Nice, Ceeg, very nice indeed :notworthy
I do agree with the opinions on doing it 'right' but what Eric said about character is so true, we could have sold those ten times over among the re-enactors, especially since they are properly made, it's the built in 'character' they love but quality always counts.
cheers,
Toddy

 

[seamonkey]

Very nice work indeed, i feel inspired after seeing your post.

Wonders how weird i'll look buying old leather handbags at op shops

 

[Seagull]

I thought I should post the finished article , having subjected it to waxing treatments as per Eric and Mikes ideas. ( but, for "bain-marie", read "corned beef tin").

Suitably distressed and roughly handled, it bears the visible signs of many sea passages and years of hard usage. Real fib, aint it?

For the sharps buffs, the Okapi knife would be considered by many, to be pretty useless for bushy stuff, it being quite a softish carbon steel and very lightly constructed.

Its cheap price and ease of sharpening, made it ( in the 1960,s ) ,well favoured for marine use , particularly by Indian seamen.
They were all made in Germany, then , bore the Solingen stamp and were freely available in just about every continental Chandlery and duty free store.

This pouch , is just a variation on the type of home brewed "sleeve" which the seamen made from canvas.......and it was mostly without belt loops; pocket carry being the preferred method of toting.

Ach...memories

Just so's you would know.

Ceeg