A bag question for the PC stitch counters

[BruceHuxford]

Where can I buy some of this Campbell's thread?

 

[Capt. Jas.]

I dont thing there is any linen thread production in Ireland anymore.
If I don't roll my own I use 4 cord linen by the pound spools. Its not easy to find anymore but i offer it for sale every now and again if my suppliers can find some for me. You can find some 5 thru 8 cord Coats-Barbour (bought out Barbour in 2006 IIRC) in small amounts still around but its too heavy.

 

[LongWalker]

I lucked into a stash of single-thread linen and single-thread hemp a while back, so I twist up what I need (usually 3-cord, sewed with #2 or #3 John James harness needles). If I were pushed to buy new thread, I'd pick up a roll of 5-cord Coats/Barbour Campbell Randall and unwind it to single thread so I could twist up what I want. If you want to use the 5-cord as is, you'll need to go to something like a John James #0 or #1 harness needle.

With my 3-cord and the smaller (#2) needles, I can harness stitch at 10-11 stitches per inch, as on much of the old work I've examined. To break the 5-cord down and twist up smaller threads, Stohlman's book on handstitching leather is probably the most-accessible resource.

 

[stephenprops1]

I'm sorry if you got that impression of what I was saying, because that was not my intent at all.

For the most part, just because a leather item was not done by a professional, didn't mean the item was not serviceable and fulfilled the basic function intended. What I am saying is the item would not have looked as "finished" or esthetically pleasing as would have been made by a professional. Also, there could have been minor to even major mistakes made by an untrained person simply because they didn't have the training to know better.

Finally, even professionals in the period could make mistakes. For example, on the well known 18th century VA pouch that has the button on the back side of the pouch to allow some small adjustment of the strap. The stress put on the pouch by the thread holding the button caused it to tear through the leather at least once, if not twice during its working life, which to me shows bad design. For that reason and even if someone asked me to make an exact copy of that pouch, I wouldn't replicate that bad design.

Gus

I know by my own experience handmade does not necessarily mean junk. My first holster was for a derringer. When I made it a friend pointed out that I had made almost every conceivable mistake. I gave it away and set-out to make another. (I did learn a lot from that experience.) I have been making holsters and leather goods for over 30 years now. I once donated 2 holsters for a pair of cap-n-ball revolvers to a CAS club I belonged to. I recently saw the winner of those holsters. 25 years later he told me they are still holding up well and he still likes them. --- Last year I bought a possibles kit from The Log Cabin Shop. I sewed it together over the winter months. I made some modifications to it. However, one of the straps pulled loose during a shooting match and I had to repair it. I resewed both sides and then put a rivet thru each strap and into the bag. From the front view you cannot see the rivets. The bag is plain-Jane pouch, as were the holsters I donated. However, they work and that is the main reason they exist.

 

[DixieTexian]

I'm of the opinion that there were lots of well made pouches that weren't necessarily professionally made. I believe Doddridge mentions that many families had a member or members who would make shoes and stuff for the rest of the family. If someone has a knack for doing leatherwork and someone to show them the basics, it just doesn't take that much work to turn out decent stuff. For example, here is my second hunting pouch, made with all historical materials:

Now, I've done a few other projects here and there, but it really isn't that hard to turn out decent stuff if you take your time and are methodical about it.

 

[Ohio Rusty]

View attachment 200497
This was crafted for me by @Tacitus - well made and the small belt ax rides well in its new home.
I was always straightening/repositioning and generally concerned about losing it in my sash - this solved the issue.

Super nice bag with the hawk sheath attached. Looks really awesome and useful.

 

[Artificer]

Here is a tool that was excavated at an old cabin site of the then frontier in the Greenbrier County of what was then Virginia and is now WV. The site disappeared in the early 19th century, so this item might be of 18th century. Anyone care to guess what this tool was?

Gus

 

[Artificer]

I'm of the opinion that there were lots of well made pouches that weren't necessarily professionally made. I believe Doddridge mentions that many families had a member or members who would make shoes and stuff for the rest of the family. If someone has a knack for doing leatherwork and someone to show them the basics, it just doesn't take that much work to turn out decent stuff. For example, here is my second hunting pouch, made with all historical materials:
View attachment 203123
Now, I've done a few other projects here and there, but it really isn't that hard to turn out decent stuff if you take your time and are methodical about it.

For your second pouch, that is very good.

Now what tools did you use that weren't normally available on the frontier?

Gus

 

[Artificer]

With my 3-cord and the smaller (#2) needles, I can harness stitch at 10-11 stitches per inch, as on much of the old work I've examined. To break the 5-cord down and twist up smaller threads, Stohlman's book on handstitching leather is probably the most-accessible resource.

The following is the book LongWalker wrote about and I mentioned did not come out until 6 years after I began doing leather work. I bought my copy in 1979 and I STILL refer back to it every now and then. It's really that good and still extremely useful, especially for those who are just getting into doing leatherwork.


https://tandyleather.com/collections/al-stohlman/products/the-art-of-hand-sewing-leather-book

Gus

 

[Pete G]

Here is a tool that was excavated at an old cabin site of the then frontier in the Greenbrier County of what was then Virginia and is now WV. The site disappeared in the early 19th century, so this item might be of 18th century. Anyone care to guess what this tool was?

View attachment 203155

Gus

I’m guessing it’s a tool for spacing stitches evenly.

 

[Brokennock]

Here is a tool that was excavated at an old cabin site of the then frontier in the Greenbrier County of what was then Virginia and is now WV. The site disappeared in the early 19th century, so this item might be of 18th century. Anyone care to guess what this tool was?

View attachment 203155

Gus

Early "pricking iron."

 

[Artificer]

Early "pricking iron."

Very good Pete and Nock.

I might even say it was a hand made one, though it's hard to tell by the condition.

Gus

 

[Robby]

That is a pretty cool old tool Gus. I got this from a guy down the road about thirty years ago. He was a pretty old guy and said it had been his fathers, who was a professional leather worker. It throws about five points per inch, I got another that is about ten per inch.
Robby

 

[DixieTexian]

For your second pouch, that is very good.

Now what tools did you use that weren't normally available on the frontier?

Gus

To be fair, this was my second pouch, but I've done a few other leather projects that definitely helped me gain some knowledge along the way, but to get to your question, I used pricking irons, an good awl, some craft paper, and an engineer's rule to help make up the pattern. A good awl would probably be the least likely available thing on the frontier based on our modern standards, but a decent one wouldn't have been hard to come by. The pricking iron could have easily been made by a blacksmith. Two prongs and a good eye will give you the straight lines and allow you to make the curves. Making up the pattern would be the biggest hiccup, but leatherwork is just not that difficult if you are methodical about it and aren't trying to do do anything that requires fancy stitching techniques like a butt stitch or something.

 

[Snooterpup]

Standards? We can't have standards. That leads to judgement, which could be taken as criticism,,,, someone could get offended and get their feelings hurt.
You will have to have 127 points deducted from your "social credit" score.

As British comedian John Cleese stated “There are way too many people out in this world waiting for the thrill of being offended.”