Hawk on shooting bag

[Ned Christy]

Hello everyone,

I would like to carry my ft. meigs belt ax on the back of my shooting bag but I cant figure out how to do so. If anyone has done this I sure would appreciate knowing how you did it. A photo would help a lot! Thanks,

Ned Christy

 

[jethro224]

I have not done it but it should be fairly simple to stitch a sheath to the back of your bag so that the axe handle drops thru leaving the blade covered. Or you could just use a loop for the handle if you already have a blade cover. Or maybe a edge cover "sheath" stitched to the bag and a loop for the handle also stitched to the bag. :hmm:
I know what I'm thinkin' but ain't got pics.

 

[BrownBear]

I've experimented using a hammer and some of my existing bags. Haven't bought a hawk yet, and I'm not going to till I'm sure I can carry it comfortably on the back of my bag. Simply don't want one if I have to carry it anywhere else.

Here's what my fiddling has taught me:

Bags made from 3-4 oz leather are too soft all by their lonesome. I'd want the sheath made out of 8 oz leather or so. Might even consider sewing a stiffener panel of 8 oz into the back of a bag or making the back of the bag along with the sheath entirely out of 8 oz.

I keep popping back to the 8 oz because that's the heaviest weight I've got on hand. Another might work as well or better, but I'd be reluctant to go lighter. I've got a bag I made out of 8 oz, and though it was a rassel to make it, the resulting stiffer bag just seems to hold the weight of a hawk..... excuse me :redface: .... a hammer...better than softer bags.

The problem I'm trying to get around is that the weight of the hammer or whatever on the back of a soft bag really distorts it and causes problems for me when trying to use the bag as intended. Other designs than what I'm using (the fowler bag from the pattern here on the site and variations) will almost certainly be different.

 

[tnguy]

easiest way to solve the sagging problem is to suspend the axe case from the bag straps. it will still be held between you and the bag, but the bag strap will bear the weight. theres a lot of contemporary pouches being made with small axes and almost all are suspended from the straps, not the pouch itself. it follows the same designs/methods of attaching a powder horn to the front of the strap.

 

[paulvallandigham]

The head of the Ft. Meigs style axe weighs only 6 oz, and with a shortened handle, you have about 11 oz. of weigh total. Stiffening the back of the bag IS needed, but this is a thin bladed axe, that will lay up against the bag nicely. I use mine only for cutting the sternum and hip girdle on deer, or for trimming sticks for camp fire stands. It is too light for serious chopping work. I found it available in Dixie Gun Work's Catalog.
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_104_536_543&products_id=1505

 

[Ned Christy]

Thank you all! You have helped me a great deal...I think I can go from here with no problems.

Ned

 

[wwpete52]

Years ago I carried a Ft. Meigs axe on my hunting pouch. I used a piece of vegetable tanned leather which I dyed the same color as my bag. I stitched it on the back of the bag. Here's a pattern you could use.

 

[dodgecity]

The top bag has a simple loop sewn on the front of the pouch, under the flap to carry a small bag ax with a simple sheath to cover the cutting edge. This carries well for me and, if you have many bags but only one ax, you can sew a loop on each bag and just change the ax to the bag you are using. The bottom carry works well too. The ax carrier is suspended over the shoulder and the bag worn over it. Again same carrier, variety of bags. This one also has the advantage of allowing the ax to be carried over the shoulder even when not wearing the pouch. Both have worked well for me, but I still tinker in pursuit of the elusive perfect rig.

 

[Ned Christy]

Those are both very good ideas...thank you!

Ned