small containers

[George]

I've collected an assortment of small containers to keep a variety of stuff in over the years. They are of two main categories, gourds and rawhide bags. I've always thought colonials must have used gourds a lot, they are such a natural and obvious solution, and I know they used them for larger storage, for gunpowder, as drinking dippers, etc., so I made a few for those small jobs. I just cut the end off, dropped some gravel into them and shook them until all the soft stuff inside was loosened, fashioned some sort of top, and bob's your uncle. They are all small, largest one here is 6" long.

There is a kind of small hard bag made of rawhide sewn with sinew. It is sewn together, soaked in water until pliable, then stuffed with sand or some such and allowed to dry. Makes neat little ball bags, which is what I mostly use them for. They are only 3"-4" long, just right to drop into a shooting pouch. Bought these at shoots, never tried making them.

Spence

 

[lonehunter]

Pretty darn cool! :thumbsup:

 

[hawk]

neat :thumbsup:

 

[rkmeyer]

The rawhide bags are fun to make. If you use sand just be very sure to get it all removed before you use them. I like to use #9 lead shot for stuffing and there is nothing to worry about.
Dusty :wink:

 

[wayne1967]

Hey, how do you dry your gourds? I had a vine come up from a dropped seed while I was cleaning one I bought out. Had 4 nice ones and I heard you leave them on the vine and they dry out naturally. Didn't work, they got mushy.

 

[George]

Hey, how do you dry your gourds?

Sorry, Wayne, can't tell you. I've never grown any. Mine were given to me by gardening friends, already dry. I'll see if I can contact any of them and find out.

Spence

 

[George]

Thinking about these gourd containers brought to mind one which I doubt many of you young whippersnappers ('scuse) have ever seen. When I was a child a visit to my grandparent's home in the country meant drinking from the well in the yard, from a wooden water bucket, using a dipper made of a gourd. They were standard equipment in most every home, and I have nostalgic feelings whenever I remember them. The gourd used came to be called the dipper gourd. Here's a small one I made for old time's sake, about 10" long, a little larger than half the size of the originals.

Water always tasted special when I drank it from one of those. Water from the gourd canteens I use in my reenacting has that same delicious taste and brings back good memories.

Spence

 

[pab1]

Nice work! :thumbsup:

 

[BillinOregon]

Spence: Nice work. There's a fellow named Ray from Wyoming who posts here from time to time, and he has written a very informative booklet on making those rawhide ball bags, with templates for making them for different caliber balls. He asks but a few dollars for it, and it's worth having.
I've been growing bowl/canteen gourds the past couple of years, but need to grow some dippers and bottle gourds, too.
I remember drinking well water from a gourd, too. It has been at least 50 years ago ...

 

[George]

Wayne, talked to my gardner friend, and she said she lets the gourds dry on the vine. Google "drying gourds" and you will find articles which say the same thing and give good details. One on Amish gourds was good.

Spence

 

[wayne1967]

Thanks.

 

[Hammerhead]

very neat and handy containers

 

[hoochiepapa]

Spence, every time I read one of your posts I learn something new. Never thought about gravel.
Bill, I don't think that we at this latitude have a long enough growing season to get gourds. I planted some last spring that I started in the basement, the young plants were about 4 inches tall when pklanted outside, and the gourds were green still at first frost. Then they rotted. :shake:

 

[BillinOregon]

Mike: They do take a long season to ripen enough to cure. I do leave them on the vine and let them cure (the vines climb on a wire fence) through the fall and into the winter. Didn't think it would work at first, as they get all black and grungy with mold. But if the gourd was ripe when the frost came and killed the vine, they cure right up despite the rain, snow and cold.

 

[hoochiepapa]

I will try that next time, THANKS!
Right now they are drying? in the garage and basement.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!! :hatsoff: