possibles bag strap

[Artificer]

This may be a dumb question, but since I have not worked with a woven strap for a Shot Pouch and considering one needs two pieces of strap material for an adjustable strap, is there any advantage to having the straps woven as two pieces or does one just cut down a long woven strap into two pieces?

Gus

 

[Ole Frog]

I am a bit late to the party here
but I use the 1.5 inch leather straps from Tandy or Springfield leather.
Use the premium blanks (72")

I work my straps a lot
skive the edges
burnish the edges
lightly burnish the back
I also put a grove along each edge with a groover

Then dye the front but never the back
I do take the damp sponge that I smooth the dye with and lightly rub the back of the strap
this darkens the back a bit but doesn't come off on your clothes later

You can see the edges, the grooves and the back side in this picture

 

[KLWeaver]

I suppose that would be a personal preference.. If it were me, I would cut down the pieces from one long woven strap.

 

[Artificer]

Thank you for your response. My question comes from very little experience with woven items for this purpose.

Is it better to use a long piece to cut into two pieces because the colors/width/thickness of the material would be more uniform that way? Would it also be easier to use fabric glue to glue the places to be cut and thus not have the cut ends begin to unravel?

Gus

 

[Silky921]

I absolutely love the deep reds that you brought out in that leather. Thanks for sharing that, and feel free to share more. :thumbsup:

 

Leather is better and more comfortable. Dealing with the cut fabric can be annoying.

Definitely!

Leather is the way to go. Fabric and "woven" straps are ok for lightweight things like leg ties, but woven straps, under a load, tend to stretch and become "narrow". They look good, but also tend to fray over time. IMO

 

[Ole Frog]

I absolutely love the deep reds that you brought out in that leather. Thanks for sharing that, and feel free to share more. :thumbsup:

The dye is just Fiebing's medium brown
I suspect it has a red base

I like to take my pictures in the evening sun
it is the warm qualities of the late evening sun that brings out the red

Take a beaver tail with a red heart and it really stands out

 

[CrackStock]

I have used webbing and it was okay, but I prefer to cut my own straps with a strap cutter. Just a wooden guide frame with a razor blade set at adjustable depths and distances. Takes a while to learn to use effectively, but once you get it working, this is a nice tool and skill to possess.

Quickly made rifle slings, backpack straps, bayonet carriages, cartridge box straps, powder horn straps, shooting bag straps, belts...

CS

 

[KLWeaver]

For uniform sake, yes I'd say cut one long piece. And I suppose you could use fabric glue but I personally use a high quality cotton thay doesn't fringe and as long as you tie off the ends you cut, they shouldnt fringe anyway.

 

[Artificer]

The dye is just Fiebing's medium brown
I suspect it has a red base

It does have a red base/tone to it and I have been using it for almost four decades to dye walnut stocks and handguards. The Fiebing’s Dark Brown, though, has little or no red base/tone in it. When I use the Dark Brown, I mix in a little Fiebing’s Cordovan to get some red base/tone in the dye color.

Crackstock,

I applaud your ability to use a wood frame strap cutter. The first one I purchased was from Tandy and I could never personally get it to work correctly. So I eventually wound up purchasing two “professional” grade, pistol grip strap cutters. One cheaper one with an all metal handle and one with a brass and wood handle. At least for me, I could not get them to work well on anything but very thick hides. (I am not a professionally trained leather worker, though I have been fortunate to have real ones give me some great tips/techniques at times.)

Of course if one uses 3-4 Oz. leather that many folks like for a Shot Pouch/Bag, I have found it almost impossible to use any strap cutter to cut a nice even strap. So what I settled on many years ago was getting one of the 4 Foot long Aluminum Rulers and laying that on the leather over a board surface. I use a common utility knife with replaceable blades and rest the blade along the ruler as I cut the strap. This has even worked splendidly on pre-cut straps that I wanted to cut down to a thinner width. I mention this because perhaps many forum members who are not professionally trained and want to use something they can easily get, will make an excellent guide to cut straps no matter how thick/thin the leather is that they are using.

OhioRamm,

Thank you for the additional information. That is most helpful.
Gus

 

[CrackStock]

"4 Foot long Aluminum Rulers and laying that on the leather over a board surface."

I have also used a long metal straight edge at times to cut some straps - especially very narrow ones. But I have secured the guide in a vise or on the ground so both of my hands could guide the leather into the properly adjusted for width and thickness. Since the tool is held without a hand, one hand pulls and the other guides for a better result. Sharp blades help to keep from binding. I have tried to use a foot to secure, but this requires a lot of practice. The early efforts show the learning curve...

But there are times when a guide is not that helpful. For instance, I cut heavy pistol belts pretty much freehand because I like to follow the natural curve of a used belt from the person for less stress on the wearer's lower back. I just mark and cut these. Dressing the edges correctly covers a lot of the initial cutting errors. The strap cutter tool can work, but it is a bit more difficult to make the leather follow the tool at the critical curve.

CS

Here is a hand axe carriage that I put together for a weekend outing a while back. The strap cutter was used as described above and made the straps very quickly. The whole project was slapped together in about an hour. Not a thing of beauty, but it served its purpose for that event and several hunting trips since:

 

[CrackStock]

Here is a buffet of straps from my box. Cloth, webbing, leather and hybrids. The foldover backpack on the left has buttons for the main straps and has buckles everywhere else. The tomahawk carriage is leather with brass buckles. the bayonet carriage is webbing with sewn leather ends. (It could easily have a leather tab with holes to attach with a buckle, but I knew my exact length from past experience.) Small black shooting bag with leather strap and forged buckle. (Previous owner was learning and could not get the strap done correctly, so this one was salvaged for that reason.) White haversack has folded cloth strap which would be easily adjusted with a friction type buckle. Dark blue haversack with folded cloth strap would be the same, but I was showing the added strap which can be secured to a belt to keep it from bouncing when running. 1812 cartridge box with hybrid cloth webbing strap and leather tips.

Friction buckles, traditional buckles, buttons and ties ends all will work to adjust straps, but after a while you might learn the height for your equipment and just start making things to that length.

Good luck!

CS

 

[Artificer]

CS,

That’s a fine plethora of leatherwork. Thanks for showing them.

I used the 4 foot aluminum ruler to cut a leather strap down narrower in width to use for my WBTS canteen strap. Of course the strap had to go through the three loops around the canteen and they don’t precut that width. I was doing a Confederate Officer impression and figured it added some style, but I quickly found out I liked it a whole lot better than the web strap that came with the canteen.

I basically agree that once one finds the correct size/length of strap that is to their liking, they may not need an adjustable strap, but there are exceptions. If one is going to cut the length for summer clothing, it may wind up too short when adding additional clothing for colder months or winter.

I like your idea of adding belt straps to the back of the pouch, in addition to the over the shoulder strap, to keep the pouch from flopping about. What I did on my favorite pouch was to make it long enough that I put the waist belt over the adjustable strap ends just above the pouch. Basically the same idea, just done a little different. Also, when I’m shooting from a standing position and not moving, I can put the flap under the straps to hold it open, for ease of use on a target range.

Gus

Oh, if for the inexplicable reason one finds the strap too short to go over an aging belly, the adjustable strap comes in handy for that as well. That's how the adjustable strap pouch I made in the mid 70's, still fits today. :haha:

 

[CrackStock]

Thanks!

Just wanted to show a collection of options and ideas for people to consider from a box of my equipment. I made all of it except for the body of the cartridge box and the body of the black shooting bag. Webbed straps with sewn on leather tips are easy and look better than you might expect for very little money. The heavier straps work better for heavier loads.

Speaking of canteens, my canteen is Rev War kidney style with a rope strap and I hate it. Digs into the shoulder. Have thought about ways to transition from rope to strap or replace with strap, but never came up with a plan to fit into the tightly curled rope stays, so the rope has stayed.

I am not sure that there is one correct answer historically or practically. Might just be what people managed to make work for them at various periods of time.

So let's see pics of what others have seen or done.

CS

 

[Artificer]

CS,

My first period canteen back in the 70’s was an 18th century half moon with flat back tinned one with the rope suspension and my last one from the late 90’s onward was a British Kidney shaped canteen with rope handle, so I know what you mean about the rope not being comfortable. However, with a Waist Coat and Regimental on and everything else a Highlander Regular British Soldier carried, I didn’t notice the canteen’s rope handle near as much and I always carried a full canteen. With the theory one puts the last thing on that one would expect to take off first, the canteen rope doesn’t dig in as much with all the clothing and haversack strap under it. Yet, I admit I would love for a period correct canteen to have a strap of even webbing, if not leather and still be correct for a British Military impression. No such luck, though.

Gus

 

[CrackStock]

CS,

My first period canteen back in the 70’s was an 18th century half moon with flat back tinned one with the rope suspension and my last one from the late 90’s onward was a British Kidney shaped canteen with rope handle, so I know what you mean about the rope not being comfortable. However, with a Waist Coat and Regimental on and everything else a Highlander Regular British Soldier carried, I didn’t notice the canteen’s rope handle near as much and I always carried a full canteen. With the theory one puts the last thing on that one would expect to take off first, the canteen rope doesn’t dig in as much with all the clothing and haversack strap under it. Yet, I admit I would love for a period correct canteen to have a strap of even webbing, if not leather and still be correct for a British Military impression. No such luck, though.

Gus

All true - especially for uniformed regulars, but we were in the South and often doing summertime militia from either side, so we had some options. Still, I stayed with the rope because it is correct and also on top of the other clothing and gear. But rope is my strap of LAST resort.

 

[running horse]

Could you'll you approach the canteen strap from the angle of repair? You could cut the strap and tie in a piece of leather at least for the top of your shoulder. I would think it would be pc/hc for any persona if it where a "repair" assuming it was done with materials you would have had available in camp or on a march. Shoot the rope and add a little animal blood if you want to take it off a dead guy because you lost yours. I have a strap on my canteen that i really like this one is made from jute and is just twisted into a rope then out to a flat finger weave then back into a twisted rope.
Never posted a picture befor so hopefully this works

[/URL][/img]

 

[Ole Frog]

very nice!

 

[Mean Gene]

Well I got my materials in the mail last week, I bought some gote Hyde (2 oz)in a dark chocolate brown along with some pillow ticking to use as a lining for the bag.

For a couple of months I have been looking at dozens of possibles bags and trying to find good example of an early american bag period correct.

The conclusion that I have come to is there doesn't seem to be any truly pc patern, it just seems it just boiled down to what ever the maker came up with.

Any opinions?

 

[Black Hand]

So few original bags survive from the 19th century and even less from the 18th century. The general characteristics of original bags (primarily 19th century) I've seen in different sources appear to be an unlined, leather, single pouch of modest size, rectangular or D-shaped with a leather (not woven) strap. I suspect 18th century bags were not much different....