Belt bag

[Stophel]

I made this belt bag, sewed it up yesterday, finished it today. Did it "quick and dirty" and didn't spend a lot of time on it, but it came out OK. Kind of an experiment.

Inspired by the "Lemuel Lyman" bag and period images of small belt bags. It seems that embossing is fairly common on 18th century leather (I haven't seen carving yet, just stamping). On photos I have of a 1777 dated hunting bag, there are some different flower stamped designs that are very similar to a modern flower stamp (close enough for my little experiment, anyway), so I thought I'd try my hand at a little decoration. :wink:

The Little Bee is my maker's mark ("Immel" in German CAN mean "little bee".... that's what I'm going with, anyway... :grin: )

Will be worn as a "belly box". It's just big enough to hold balls, flints, and, if I'm lucky, maybe I can cram a screwdriver in it. It is (front panel cut size) 7" x 5".

Made out of cheap "vegetable tan" leather. The whitish stuff, which I don't care for generally, but this piece was not too bad. It is dyed in walnut hulls, which makes it a tan color. My bottle of Neatsfoot oil has turned completely solid! So, I just put some modern mink oil concoction on it. :wink:

 

[smo]

Looks good from my neck of the woods! :thumbsup:

 

[Stophel]

I'd like to come up with some more period looking stamps and do another one, but this will suffice for now. :wink:

 

[wattlebuster]

Lookin good to me :thumbsup:

 

[lonehunter]

Looks good Chris! :thumbsup:

 

[Rifleman1776]

Sorry.
The stampings just scream "Tandy" at me.

 

[rabjr]

Nice job Stophel :thumbsup:

 

[Stophel]

Like I said, it's kind of an experiment. Testing "belt bag theory and practice". :haha: And I haven't done any leather stamping since high school, just wanted to practice and see how it went. I do need to get (meaning MAKE) some stamps with various shapes to get a result more like that found on 18th century stuff. :wink:

 

[Rifleman1776]

Like I said, it's kind of an experiment. Testing "belt bag theory and practice". :haha: And I haven't done any leather stamping since high school, just wanted to practice and see how it went. I do need to get (meaning MAKE) some stamps with various shapes to get a result more like that found on 18th century stuff. :wink:

"Testing"? OK.
But, after you make your new stamps and put on and new bag, sent to me for testing. I'll decide if they are then acceptable. :v

 

[Stophel]

Went out and made a few stamps today. Not all that difficult, actually. Circles and diamonds and a horseshoe sort of shape to use for flower petals. Made from bolts and a door hinge pin. :wink:

of course, stamping out the design will be far more tedious! :grin:

 

[Rifleman1776]

Lookin' good and definitely will give a personalized appearance to finished item.

 

[hanshi]

I made one a while back that I use but yours is a lot more bettah than mine.

 

[MSW]

looks nice!

 

[Stophel]

Thanks.

I'm making some more stamps to match (best I can) some of the stamp designs that are on a 1777 dated double hunting bag that I believe was shown on this message board some time ago. I'll probably sew me up another one tomorrow. :wink:

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Looks good Chris!!
That's the way I make my stamps also.
I got into it by attempting barrel stamps some years ago and testing them on lead. At one point I had an old leather belt nearby and tried them unhardened on the leather. Wondered why I did not think of it sooner.

If it's the one I think it is, I'm glad to see you are referring to it as a 1777 dated bag. :grin:

 

[chance]

Looks Awsome!!!!!

 

[rich pierce]

Have you thought about dying it with vinegaroon? Looks good now, just wondering if black appeals to you. Johnny Cash liked black, you know.

 

[Stophel]

I HATE black leather. :grin: I have tried vinegar/iron stain before, and have totally destroyed leather with it. I am told that it absolutely requires REAL OAK tanned leather. Nothing else. Cheaper "vegetable tanned" leather is tanned with mimosa, urine, or who knows what else, which apparently reacts rather unpleasantly with vinegar and iron. And the really good oak tanned leather is not cheap! :grin:

Besides, I'd rather have brown anyway. I have some more leather steeping in my noxious walnut hull concoction right now... :wink:

I might take this bag that I've already made and put in on my pistol belt.

 

[Stophel]

If it's the one I think it is, I'm glad to see you are referring to it as a 1777 dated bag. :grin:

I don't know how old the bag really is. I always question dates on stuff like this, but I have no good reason to doubt it, and I wouldn't come right out and say it is not genuine (on some other things, I have... :haha: ). It could be 1777, or it could be 1820. I don't know.

:wink:

I have never seen any real 18th century leatherwork firsthand, only in photos, and usually the photos stink. What I do see, is often stamped with various designs, or embossed in a more figural way, which I'm not sure how it would really have been done... perhaps sculpted down with rounded shaped punches, rolling them around to make the shapes, Maybe carved in reverse relief in wood and the wood used to stamp the leather, I don't know...