Possibles Bag Patterns

[barebackjack]

Does anybody know where I could find patterns for possibles bags, or have a pattern for a bag they like? Im looking for something along the lines of a traditional longhunters bag. Or a traditional beaver tail, I have alot of leftover buffalo and deer leather, (Im thinking buff for the exterior, and deer for the pockets and maybe a divider).

Thanks fellas.

Boone

 

[musketman]

Here are a few shops that carry patterns...
[url] http://possibleshop.com/acc-pattern.htm[/url]
[url] http://www.sbearstradingpost.com/gifts.html[/url]

 

[rice1817]

Hey BarebackJack:

I have been making bags for myself and friends for about 10 years now. I started off using one of the store bought patterns, but have long since been designing my own. Not much too them really. I will tell you though that I have gotten away from making the suitcase sized bags and now make a more traditionally size bag that is usually no more than 9 inches at the longest dimension. If guys want one larger, I will do it but then you are getting away from a hunting pouch and more into a true possibles bag, which is a shoulder slug rucksack.

Go to the nearest Wally World or staples and get a bunch of the big manilla folders used to line file drawers. Good heavy stock, they last once you get an established pattern. They are pretty good sized even when folded over, which is good because you draw half a pattern on it, cut it out and both sides come out even. Cut the paper pattern a little oversized, maybe 1/2 to 3/4 bigger than what you want the finished product to be. You do that to allow for the fact that leather will not fold as flat as paper. Your imaginination is the limit. I figured out how to do double bags using this method and trial and error: you are only out a 2 cent piece of paper if you ruin it.
Wish I had a camera and I would shoot you over some patterns and some examples of the finished products.

Mark

 

Manila file folders for patterns, now that's a great idea! That would work great for moccasin patterns too.
Thanks,
Don

 

[musketman]

Another option would be to take your wife's purse apart and make a pattern from it, them modify the flap and strap to suit your needs... :winking: :grin:

 

[rice1817]

We have a guy who does mocs and he uses them too. As I said, I was making gusseted bags with bellows, lots of pockets, etc. but the more I got into it the more I got back into the functional simplicit of the older, smaller bags. Soft leather, line with fabric, allows for plenty of expansion without the need for a gusset panel, will not stretch with the fabric liner, and is cheaper in the way of materials vs the 4-5 wt leather vegatable tanned that I used to use. With the manila you can draw up heart shaped bags, kidney shaped, rectangular, etc. and vary the flap designs to shoot your taste. Don't like it? Cut it down or better yet just throw it away.

 

[CrackStock]

Another option would be to take your wife's purse apart and make a pattern from it, them modify the flap and strap to suit your needs...

The biggest difference between a purse and a shooting bag is the fact that purses have straps sewn on the sides while our man bags have straps sewn on the back.

I have found that you can create a pattern with a few moments of thought and some cloth or thin cardboard as has been suggested above.

I used glossy newspaper ads and some tape to creat a starting bag pattern and then proofed it in cloth which I used as a small haversack before finally making a leather bag.

It was all a learning process, but then, that bag does not look like everybody else's.

CS

 

[barebackjack]

Great ideas guys.

I dont think my girlfriend would like me ripping apart her purse however.. :grin:

Mines gonna be a bit larger, as most of my hunts take me a loooooong way from the vehicle. Im thinkin a cross between a "possibles" bag, and a longhunters bag.

I liked the manila envelope idea.

Thanks again guys

Boone

 

[chipper]

The pattern part is the easy part. Stitch is what makes a chunk of leather look good or bad. I've sewn pieces of leather together from a nice precut kit and it came out looking really bad. I would highly recomend a good set of leather stitching tools that includes the following: stitching pony, leather awl, bees wax, leather needles, linen thread, and a little tool that looks like a western boot spur attached to a wooden handlen (I can't remember the name). Tandy sells a great starter kit for $50.
As for the pattern, I simply pick out some patterns by looking at pictures of stuff you like in magazines like Muzzleblasts. I then just go to cutting leather. I use a rotary cutter that my wife uses for making quits. The rotary cutter looks like a pizza cutter and slices leather like a knife through hot butter.
I hope that helps
Regards

 

[fho]

I have a thing (don't know what it is called)that I got from Tandy's that puts a line on the leather about 3/16 inch in from the edge. This is where I punch the holes to stich the leather.

To get the hole spacing to stich the leathe, I use a fence post staple that I hammer together(to get the distance between the points)and punch the holes to stich the leather.

Get as big a fence post staple as you can get.

Hope this helps
Olie

 

[cheapeats]

If you have a compass(for making circles) or a divider you can scribe lines at an even distance from the edge of the leather use the pointy part not the pencil to mark your leather. Then set it to the space you want to make your stitches apart a walk it along marking the places to punch holes.

 

[Slash]

The Book of Buckskinning III has several patterns and good instructions for possible bags. Muzzleloader magazine had the article in a past issue. I am not sure which one though.
Slash

 

[barebackjack]

Luckily Ive got alot of leather working tools from when I made my chaps.
I just dont have too much material, (got several other leather projects lined up for what Ive got on hand), and I dont want to waste any on a "botched" try.

Thanks again for the help guys.

Boone