Leather weight for shooting bags

[aprayinbear]

:hmm:

Just picked up some 3-4 oz. veggie tanned leather and want to make some shooting bags. Seems very thin to me. What weight do most of you use? And what about the straps?

All suggestions appreciated! :bow:

 

[hobbles]

I use this design for straps and slings. Even made a few belts that way.

 

[Deadeye]

May work but 5 or 6 is better and an even heavier piece for the flap to hold it closed.
Deadeye

 

[BrownBear]

It's surely a "taste" thing, and also a size question. I greatly prefer the 3-4 oz, but I'm not making "Sampson Overnighter" bags either. My bags tend to be smaller than a lot of folks, and if you make them out of 5-6 oz, no amount of flexing, pounding, rock busting and oiling is going to make them soft enough.

 

[shovelhead]

Well its a question of what you like versus what may be historically correct. I think 3-4 oz is going to be pretty close. You can get some pillow ticking and rubber glue it to the inside if you want something a little stiffer. You can get leather belts at thrift shops or use the leather you have and double it up. Some straps appear to have had a blanket type backing- if this is done you can hide an inner third piece to strengthen matters and thus get away with using pretty thin leather for the strap. I think a fair percentage of the orginal bags with lining had it sewn in so you could incorporate a little decorative stitching as well.

 

[BrownBear]

My experience with 3-4 oz in straps is that they're fine if you make them a little wider. I recall TC Albert saying he uses 3-4 for most bags, but buys heavier from the same lot for making his straps. Works for me, but there are enough straps in a heavier hide I haven't got around to it. And I don't have many uses other than straps for the heavier weights.

 

[T.C.Albert]

Brown Bear is right...I do use 3 to 4oz. for the bags and a 6oz. for the straps...I buy a side of each weight when I place an order. The heavier wt. stuff is handy for belt knife sheaths too.
TC

 

[zampilot]

Duffy, be sure to post your work here, if it's even close to the quality of your knives are I'd like one!
PS Got my Lively style forge all set up and ready to go when the cold weather leaves!

 

[BillinOregon]

PrayinBear: When I have used heavier leather, the bags have not been as satisfactory as when using 4-ounce. Just recently, I have played with fabric for bags and am quite impressed with the result of using heavy fustian lined with ticking or linen and beeswaxed for water resistance.


Zam: I forge on a charcoal Lively forge and love the thing, so much so that the propane forge has spiders living in it ...

 

[hoochiepapa]

www.fiberwoodart.com for woven straps. :thumbsup:
What is a lively forge?

 

[zampilot]

A Livley forge? One of these, just hook up a blower and go! Aprayinbear uses one also and makes some very nice knives. http://www.iforgeiron.com/gallery/image/17595-tim-livley-style-washtub-forge/

 

[MSW]

I also use 3-4 oz veg tanned ... works well for me. (i'm makig a bag from Albert's book, which you should have if you don't already) and this one's from some sort of scrap i scrouonged from my daughter's leather business, but it's not veg tanned and doesn't have the same feel to it.

just one guy's free- range opinion, and no doubt worth what you just paid.

 

[BillinOregon]

Zam: Yep. Have his video too.

Man I wish the local Tandy store hadn't closed, It's a three-hour drive for veg-tanned leather now ...