One thing leads to another

[leon-1]

Has anyone else found this. After a very long period of being about as productive with my hands as a rock I started to make a pouch.

and that lead to a few other bits being made

So after two sets of moccasins (you can only see one set as I am wearing the other set), 2 belts (2nd with a mate), 2 F1's (one resides with Woody), 2 Lauri PT's, A Grohmann boat knife (just finishing the grind before proper pics go up of this one), a Zippo pouch (for a friend of the family), sheaths for packpal's, frosts, a little Benchmade and a pouch for a Jouni folder I am now wondering what's next.

Is it addictive???

And do I try and do a rip off (design wise) a wetformed possibles pouch instead of forking out for one

 

[Motorbike Man]

Yup, happens to me too. I tend to sit around thinking about things to make for ages and then something pokes me into actually making something and then while all the stuff's out and there's a mess anyway.......

 

[leon-1]

Thank god for that, I am not the only one.

Now got an idea for a possibles pouch for all things tracking running around my head (Chris's fault)

 

[Phil562]

The type of leather you used for the pouch looks very supple, very similar to the type used in making "air crew gloves".

If I my ask wheir did you get it from, I've never made anything from Leather, however all you guys are making it a distant possibility.

 

[leon-1]

If you mean the large green pouch, that's not much of a problem and yes it is nice and supple.

The leather comes from Jerkin Protective Combat (they are the over-jackets issued to the royal engineers) stock number 8415-99-978-9936. I bought a few from Jasper at Strikeforce Supplies

Neil1 told me that Jasper had them and for the cost they were a good resource for cheap leather a zip and some mesh. I reckon I have enough for another set of Moccasins and maybe a few other bits.

I do have leather in a lot of different grades sat around here (including straps for saddlery) most of the other stuff is made in 2.5mm veg tanned leather, but I have other bits in 5mm and 3.5mm as well. The moccasins are made from chrome tanned deerskin.

It doesn't have to cost the earth and sometimes you can get good deals on old kit (leather bags and the like) from charity shops and boot fairs. As far as tools are concerned you can start with a nail (to punch holes in the leather), a thick blunt needle, a pair of pliers (for pulling /pushing the needle through the hole), a sharp knife for cutting the leather and some reasonable thread.

 

[P Wren]

Hi guys,

A request here for some pictures of a 'possibles pouch' please.

Keep hearing about them but am not sure if I've ever actually seen one.
Is this some kind of generic pouch for keeping things in that might 'possibly' come in useful - or is that waaaayyyyyy to obvious an asumption ?

Piccies please chaps !

Paul

 

[leon-1]

Hi paul, this is a link to BearClaw Bushcraft, they sell them for a large amount of money.

Yes you are correct in thinking it is a pouch for handy nic naks

 

[P Wren]

Coooo I see what you mean. That's pricey.

By the way thanks for the answer to a silly question Have never seen them in any of my bushcrafty books. They look very similar to some WWII german and soviet pouches.

However rather than buying something, it must be so much more satisfying knowing you've made something practical yourself.

It's a shame I've missed so many of the 'meets' - as I would love to see at fist hand, so many of the skills displayed on this forum. I'd love to try my hand at leatherwork, knife making, flint knapping and bow making. I'm used to working with my hands as a sculptor but the bushcraft skills sets are very new to me. However, trying them out blind so to speak is such a long arduous process repeating all those obvious mistakes.

Very nice work by the way Leon. The Moccasins and the Sheaths look absolutely superb.

PW

 

[leon-1]

Thanks for the compliment Paul, I will look at some time doing a tutorial on how to make and wet form a possible pouch.

If you sculpt then you should be pretty good (you should have a good eye), so that will make life easier.

There is a short tutorial on Moccasins on here, they are quite simple to make as long as you hav a pattern.

The set in the picture I made the pattern for (well adapted the original pattern for my uses).

EDIT: yes it is very satisfying and addictive, once you make one thing you just can't stop looking for others to do.

It also appeals to the more thrifty side of my nature

 

[tomtom]

good work leon, lets seem some details of the Mocs.. and what they look like one

 

[Hoodoo]

Really nice work Leon! I feel lucky whenever I can find time to do a little craft work.

 

[ESpy]

I saw some of those jerkins last year at the WG - and resisted, because a) I couldn't wet form the leather and b) couldn't think of a good use for green leather! Still, I hated passing up a bargain like that.

As for the possibles pouches, perhaps the maker could be sweet-talked into doing a tutorial some time... Wet-forming is fun - you start treating the leather as a plastic and you can get some fairly extreme deformation on it. Just make sure it is well cased (i.e. soaked thoroughly in lukewarm water, then allowed to sit in the fridge overnight) and it should cooperate. For something like a pouch front, you need a positive mould fixed to a baseboard, and a negative with enough clearance for the thickness of leather you are using. I paint the things with a decent varnish to waterproof them too... I usually use speed cramps to force the mould negative onto the leather.

It can get addictive, yes... You find yourself making all sorts of odd bits & pieces. My most recent one is a leather sandbag - 2 8" discs of 2.5mm veg tan, glued around the edges, 2 lines of stitching almost all the way around, case the leather, force silver sand in until you can't get any more in then finish the stitching. What's it for? Resting things like mandrels on for ring forming, that sort of thing. Since they cost £55 from a jewellery supply place - and those are machine made, not handmade - I figured I'd spend the hour & a half that it took me.

 

[ESpy]

Thanks for the compliment Paul, I will look at some time doing a tutorial on how to make and wet form a possible pouch.

Oops, missed that one!

If you do, could you think about logging the time that it takes you too?

 

[leon-1]

Sure Pete, but this sounds good too

As for the possibles pouches, perhaps the maker could be sweet-talked into doing a tutorial some time...

Pretty Please

 

[jdlenton]

Leon you made some nice stuff there

I'm contemplating a coulple of wet forming projects too at the moment and was considering the same project we'll have to knock our heads together

got to go am on holiday in france and the other half going mad i'm on the PC

James

 

[leon-1]

OK mate, when you get back we will chat, have a good holiday