Hunting bags for smokepoles
- Thread starter 4v50 Gary
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hawg
Member
I never made one or died any leather. There's a few good leather workers at Colt Country you could ask them. https://coltcountryforum.com/index.php?action=unread How bout some pics of yours.
Patocazador
Member
When I make a belt, I just use Neatsfoot oil or baseball glove conditioner. They darken it enough without dye. The more time you use it, the darker it gets.
Malachi Leviticus Blue
Member
I've used black walnut hulls to dye leather and it's free if you know someone with a black walnut tree or two or three.
Nuts are falling now at my place.
Nuts are falling now at my place.
OP
OP
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First image is overall view. It's not supposed to look new but somewhat tired. Second image shows inner pocket and the back shows the attachment for the sling. The brass rings were purchased this past Friday and are slightly different size (which may suggest a ring was replaced) in this pre-distressed bag. I should wax it. Fourth image shows the blackened horn powder measure which is attached with part of a shoestring tied into a figure "8" knot. It is adjusted to the height of the user and the squirrel gun.
I know now to cut the dye with denatured alcohol (20% alcohol to 80% dye).
The bag should be waxed tonight.
I know now to cut the dye with denatured alcohol (20% alcohol to 80% dye).
The bag should be waxed tonight.
Attachments
hawg
Member
I like it. Mine aren't that roomy. Well my first one is but I made it out of one of my wife's old purses.
Hillbilly Hydrographics
Member
Nice bag. As a leatherworker id suggest you use some kind of sealer on the inside of strap other then just wax cause as it rides across you and gets little sweaty it very likely will have some dye rub off. Also the suede side of real leather will really soak up dye as you found out. If you was using fiebings spirit based dyes thinning it down is recommended and you can add more or less alcohol to thin so you can make the color lighter or darker. Also you can take a little neets foot oil or i use extra virgin olive oil and rub the leather down good before dying let it set awhile then dye and it helps the dye spread more evenly and you want use as much. I personally would left the inside natural to lessin the chance of any bad reactions with my shooting gear and the spirit based dyes. Or lined the inside with some ducback canvas or similar.
Captain*kirk
Member
I have an awesome one Shotgun Dave made for me. Not sure what he used on it but I love it!
OP
OP
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Hawg, I prefer smaller bags as opposed to "field purses." Wallace Gusler showed us a F&I era hunting bag that was only about 7" x 6" wide. Hugh Toenes (sp) brought in a rifle and bag (stayed in the owner's family for centuries) and that bag wasn't much larger. The first bag was a simple one piece and it had a button sewn on it for a strap.
I'd like to get some small bullet moulds but Rapine Bullet Mould Company is hystery today.
I'd like to get some small bullet moulds but Rapine Bullet Mould Company is hystery today.
hawg
Member
My two that I use now are about that size but are less roomy than yours. This is one of mine and the other one is about the same inside. That piece of leather in the big pocket is a divider for a smaller pocket in case you can't tell.
OP
OP
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Nice bag Hawg. Reinforced along the openings for strength. It's as if it's professionally made by a leather worker or harness maker. I was going for primitive & beat & tired. It was stuffed with wadded newspaper to give it the lumpy look. If I had time, I should cut and sew a leather patch on the flap indicating a repair.
hawg
Member
That one was manufactured by Leatherman. I traded an original package of Civil War artillery fuses dated 1864 for it years ago. The other one was hand made by a friend many moons ago. I had a pic of it with a canvas strap on it but I can't find it now. I've never used it. I didn't want to muss it up.
doubleh
Member
Although I do leather work back when I got into black power I had my own business and hardly had time to take off any time to go hunting much less do any leather work. I just bought one of CVA's possibes bags and found it to do what I needed. Years later when I went to work for a major oil company and had some spare time I just stuck with my original store bought bag. I still have and it's still in good shape. Today if I made a colored one I would just pick out the color I wanted and purchase a piece of factory dyed leather to make it.
Dave Markowitz
Member
I haven't made any shooting pouches but I have a couple, one from The Leatherman which is nice, but the one I like the best is a "Longhunter Possible Bag" from October Country. I started using it on woods walks last season and really came to like the double-pouch design. I keep accoutrements in the rear pouch, while the in the front I have an old cap tin to carry precut shooting patches, my powder measure, and during a match I dump the roundballs into the bottom. This makes it easier to fish them out during a match.
Currently, the Leatherman pouch is setup for use with flintlocks while the October Country bag is for my caplocks.
Since the pic was taken I've gone to using a Peace flask instead of the horn, but I still dispense into a separate measure before charging the rifle.
Edit: One thing I really like about the OC bag is that you can have it setup for left side carry, which puts the buckle in the back, out of the way, as shown below. The orange thing on a cord around my neck is a 3D printed Polish capper. Finally, I added a holder for my short starter to the strap of each bag.
Currently, the Leatherman pouch is setup for use with flintlocks while the October Country bag is for my caplocks.
Since the pic was taken I've gone to using a Peace flask instead of the horn, but I still dispense into a separate measure before charging the rifle.
Edit: One thing I really like about the OC bag is that you can have it setup for left side carry, which puts the buckle in the back, out of the way, as shown below. The orange thing on a cord around my neck is a 3D printed Polish capper. Finally, I added a holder for my short starter to the strap of each bag.
entropy
Member
I just use a 2 quart canteen cover. More room than I need, nice & light. Since I'm required to wear orange anyway, it's not like I'm ruining "the look" of buckskins and fringe.
Plus, it's what I keep my AR mags ready in, so I always have plenty of them handy.
Plus, it's what I keep my AR mags ready in, so I always have plenty of them handy.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Bags seem to soak up an inordinate amount of dye. Don't have any good pics of this one but I reckon they're good enough to get an idea. This is my shooting pouch. All the other crap I carry goes into a linen haversack with a woven/leather strap. I dilute my dye 3:1 with denatured alcohol. So one quart of Fiebings color to a gallon of dye.
Ken Scott has a great video on making bags.
Ken Scott has a great video on making bags.
doubleh
Member
My son bought one made from rough out leather in a nice brown color. It is a bit fancy with fringe and solid brass fittings. It won't do anything better than the afore mentioned canteen cover except for looks. The cover can be washed if needed, you are just stuck with anything that soaks into the leather one but it does look nice. When we first got into BP shooting and hunting deer season was early and hardly anyone was doing it and the state didn't require any orange. Our first hunt we never encountered another hunter or even heard a gunshot. He got a deer, I didn't.
Ugly Sauce
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Yes, I just use some kind of oil. This one was quite light when I got it, but having bear-oil now I worked it over with that, and it really gave it a nice feel, besides making it much darker.
Patocazador
Member
I have found 3 small purses at thrift stores that actually have an old west or antique look. I ''made''
them for the grandkids when I started them into black powder arms for muzzleloading seasons.The most expensive one was $3.00. That's a lot less than my Gray Bear or the one from October Country but they are both gems in my opinion and worth more than the price I paid.
woodnbow
Member
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I’ll bet the grandkids think they’re priceless!I have found 3 small purses at thrift stores that actually have an old west or antique look. I ''made''
The most expensive one was $3.00. That's a lot less than my Gray Bear or the one from October Country but they are both gems in my opinion and worth more than the price I paid.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I will never freely admit to letting my eye wander as my wife shops for purses, wondering if some of them might make a nice field bag. I mean, it could happen but I'd never admit it.
Okay, I admit it.
Okay, I admit it.
hawg
Member
I will never freely admit to letting my eye wander as my wife shops for purses, wondering if some of them might make a nice field bag. I mean, it could happen but I'd never admit it.
Okay, I admit it.
This one is a little big. I took off the brass catch and used a wood dowel for closure and used it for years before I got a correct one. It had no zippered compartments.
