leather thickness for a belt pouch

[sonny]

hi all.........i bought a smoked deer hide for making a belt pouch,but now think it will be too soft an flexable to hold any shape when things are put into the bag.I looked at a belt bag but felt i could make one a lot cheaper then was being asked for the one i saw,,,,I wonder what weight thickness in cowhide would be the prefered for making a small belt pouch.Not to thick or too thin.........what weight thickness is prefered???.thanks.........sonny

[BrownBear]

It probably depends on how much weight you'll carry in it and your arrangement of belt loops.

I built one from 4-5 oz veg tanned, and though it works well, it just feels too stiff.

I built another from 2-3 oz, and that was fine stiffness-wise, but then I put a bunch of loose .600 balls in it, and it sagged pretty badly.

Version #2 made with 2-3 oz works fine with a heavier load, but I made the belt loop full length across the back to help distribute weight, rather than a smaller loop at either end.  I don't like really heavy weight in a belt pouch, but if I was going to carry it consistently I might consider using 4-5 oz for the loop only, while using 2-3 for the body and flap.  It might provide a way for you to go ahead and use the deer.

[sonny]

soooo the 4-5 oz is better for making a belt bag with the belt strap across the back of bag an not two loops!........right???.....can deer taned leather be made stiffer an work??.i have a 16 gauge fusile an don't want the bag to droop like a  marble bag with the loose balls an stuff to carry.........???sonny

[BrownBear]

If I was to use 4-5 again (and not a bad idea for your 16), I'd suffice with the two loops so that it could bend a little more and conform a little to my body.  If you wanted a bag from lighter, softer leather I'd use the 4-5 for a single belt loop that ran virtually the full width of the bag.  If you made the bag with reversed seams it would be more flexible.  Mine are made with end panels sewn outside onto a one piece front, back and flap.  That stiffens it considerably, making it virtually rigid.  If you want something rigid, that would be a good strategy.

[Artificer]

Sonny,

I'm not sure what you mean when you wrote "smoked deer hide."  Do you mean it was just smoked and not fully tanned?  If it was brain tanned, it should also have been smoked, so maybe it has been tanned.  Before you go making a pouch out of it, I would want to ensure it was properly tanned.

Gus

[LRB]

  Not all braintan was smoked. Depends on what it's intended use would be.

[Artificer]

 Not all braintan was smoked. Depends on what it's intended use would be.

OK, I can appreciate the last sentence.  But if it wasn't tanned, it would get very hard the first time it got wet if it was smoked and not tanned, wouldn't it?  Not sure if that is what you would want for a belt pouch, i.e. not much different than parfleche?  Or am I missing something?

Gus

[sonny]

deer hide is tanned an has a smoke smell to it.Nice looking darn thing so i had to buy the deer hide. Now when i am looking at the hide an regained my senses,i wonder if it was too flexable.I saw the belt pouch i wanted,but the guy wanted 180 bucks for the darn thing...geez it was only 7x5 with a single button...looked like it was nothing to stich one up.Up one side down the other.........don't you guys feel that 180 bucks was a lot for a simple small square-angle cut ends-black cowhide-single button belt bag???...........sonny