Shooting Bag Experiment

[Loyalist Dave]

I made a new rifle bag to go with my new flintlock longrifle. It's a "concept experiment" so it departs with how I've made bags in the past.

I obtained some brain-tanned deerhide. The idea was what might a bag of mine look like IF I lived 265 years ago, and was hunting on the frontier, and needed to replace my old bag and to make a new bag. I therefore constructed the bag by sewing it with leather thong/laces, instead of sinew or artificial sinew. Tools were an awl, a pair of repro 18th Century scissors from my sewing kit, and a lead pencil. When completed I did "cheat" a bit by applying Mink Oil, instead of making something from beeswax and animal fat myself.

The coloring of the bag is as the leather was, after applying the Mink Oil.

My left hand is in the photos to provide "scale"...

The seam from the joining of the front and back pieces, is welted, although that cannot be seen, and the welt was treated with Mink Oil before sewing.

The edge of the flap, and the edge where the front and back pieces were sewn with a welt, were done in a whip-stitch, as such a stich created a protective leather layer to protect thin edges of the deer hide. One must be careful that the leather thong/lace does not twist while sewing.

Attempting to show bag interior having a small, inner pocket, and also to show the back detail.

The flap and the inner pocket were done with a running stitch, instead of a saddle stitch. The idea was for the hole where the leather lace/thong passes, to constrict around the lace/thing, after the leather lace/thong was passed through. This would help to seal the bag from external moisture, and it was thought that passing a second bit of leather lace/thong through the same hole to form a saddle stitch might make that seal harder to obtain.

No hardware is found on the bag. No metal button for the flap, no buckle(s) for the strap. Mink Oil was applied after construction was finished, because I thought that I observed the leather less resilient -less prone for the holes in the leather to shrink down around the leather lace/thong when it was previously treated with Mink Oil. Perhaps the Mink Oil should've been applied to the individual pieces prior to assembly. We shall see how well the bag protects its contents from the rain and the damp.

LD

 

[fluffyman]

@Loyalist Dave That's very beautiful! Can you share the pattern you used?

 

[great OZ]

Any challenges you encountered when you made this handbag?

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Any challenges you encountered when you made this handbag?

So one needs to be careful about making the holes for the leather lacing too large, as you want them to stretch when the lacing is applied, then constrict a bit, sealing against the lace.

You also need to be sure the leather lacing does not twist as you lace.

The pocket was done first, then the flap attached to the back. During the flap attachment the straps were added, followed by the stitching for the back edge of the flap to the back piece of the bag. This formed a chamber between the two stitches that hold the flap on the back piece. The "chamber" or space was to house a knife sheath, which would hold a trade knife BUT..., the sheath for the trade knife ended up being too thick. IF I get a knife not as wide as my current trade knife, I will probably add it to the bag.

The final piece was the front piece.

LD

 

[Loyalist Dave]

@Loyalist Dave That's very beautiful! Can you share the pattern you used?

Do want the pattern OR do you want to see how I make a pattern? I think the latter is a better idea, as this was sorta made to what I carry, and others will have different stuff. As a fellow on the Traditional Muzzleloading Forum often writes... "Your mileage may vary".

LD

 

[fluffyman]

Do want the pattern OR do you want to see how I make a pattern? I think the latter is a better idea, as this was sorta made to what I carry, and others will have different stuff. As a fellow on the Traditional Muzzleloading Forum often writes... "Your mileage may vary".

LD

Hmm good question. I'd prefer to see how you make a pattern. I think I can get good ideas from it.

 

[great OZ]

So one needs to be careful about making the holes for the leather lacing too large, as you want them to stretch when the lacing is applied, then constrict a bit, sealing against the lace.

You also need to be sure the leather lacing does not twist as you lace.

The pocket was done first, then the flap attached to the back. During the flap attachment the straps were added, followed by the stitching for the back edge of the flap to the back piece of the bag. This formed a chamber between the two stitches that hold the flap on the back piece. The "chamber" or space was to house a knife sheath, which would hold a trade knife BUT..., the sheath for the trade knife ended up being too thick. IF I get a knife not as wide as my current trade knife, I will probably add it to the bag.

The final piece was the front piece.

LD

Thanks for the tip! My next project is a small bag and I am not good with attaching the flap.

 

[Alan]

I have never tried mink oil myself but good work. Looks like a bag you'd bring daily with you for hunt.

 

[ocean2014]

I made a new rifle bag to go with my new flintlock longrifle. It's a "concept experiment" so it departs with how I've made bags in the past.

I obtained some brain-tanned deerhide. The idea was what might a bag of mine look like IF I lived 265 years ago, and was hunting on the frontier, and needed to replace my old bag and to make a new bag. I therefore constructed the bag by sewing it with leather thong/laces, instead of sinew or artificial sinew. Tools were an awl, a pair of repro 18th Century scissors from my sewing kit, and a lead pencil. When completed I did "cheat" a bit by applying Mink Oil, instead of making something from beeswax and animal fat myself.

The coloring of the bag is as the leather was, after applying the Mink Oil.

View attachment 140 View attachment 141

My left hand is in the photos to provide "scale"...

The seam from the joining of the front and back pieces, is welted, although that cannot be seen, and the welt was treated with Mink Oil before sewing.

The edge of the flap, and the edge where the front and back pieces were sewn with a welt, were done in a whip-stitch, as such a stich created a protective leather layer to protect thin edges of the deer hide. One must be careful that the leather thong/lace does not twist while sewing.

View attachment 142 View attachment 143

Attempting to show bag interior having a small, inner pocket, and also to show the back detail.

The flap and the inner pocket were done with a running stitch, instead of a saddle stitch. The idea was for the hole where the leather lace/thong passes, to constrict around the lace/thing, after the leather lace/thong was passed through. This would help to seal the bag from external moisture, and it was thought that passing a second bit of leather lace/thong through the same hole to form a saddle stitch might make that seal harder to obtain.

No hardware is found on the bag. No metal button for the flap, no buckle(s) for the strap. Mink Oil was applied after construction was finished, because I thought that I observed the leather less resilient -less prone for the holes in the leather to shrink down around the leather lace/thong when it was previously treated with Mink Oil. Perhaps the Mink Oil should've been applied to the individual pieces prior to assembly. We shall see how well the bag protects its contents from the rain and the damp.

LD

What I like is the uneven stitching and its imperfection that gives the bag its personality. Thanks for sharing your beautiful project.

 

[Matthew Williams]

that looks tremendous! thanks for the post