Unless you’re making hunting bags for a living, like some of the folks on this forum, at some point you are going to run into a craft kit. You may want a one time project and don’t want to buy a lot of leather. Then there’s the guy who wants to use a kit as a learning process. There’s the guy who is starting out in muzzleloading. Then there’s the guy who will do it because he can.
This piece is not going to be devoted to How-To-Do-A-Kit, but rather how to enhance one, some sewing machine heresies and, more importantly, how to correct mistakes. Hopefully some of the really seasoned craftsmen who post here will throw in some advice or comments.
So, let’s pick a kit.
I went to CrazyCrow.com for this simple hunting bag. It is billed as being made out of …”Distressed Leather”. Track of the Wolf sells a couple of bags made out of this stuff. On the up side it is very pliable, easy to work with and low cost.
On the downside, it is almost flimsy and saturated with oil…hence the name oil-tanned leather. Its fibers will shred over time under certain conditions, and it will also stiffen as the oil dries over the years.
That down side is not so bad, though. Your bag is going to look a lot like the items in Madison Grants book on The Kentucky Rifle Hunting Pouch. You gotta buy that book.
Here’s the kit as shown on their website;
This thing is begging for a Southern Mountain Rifle, maybe an off the shelf Cabelas Rifle or a barn gun to marry. All the parts are there. A gusset is included. Think of it as the floor of your pouch. It expands the capacity of the pouch without spreading the height/width footprint. This one does not run all the way up the sides of the pouch.
And there is a set of instructions which give you an idea of what to do.
It’s best when you are starting out to follow each step, if for no other reason than over time you will learn better ways and more economy of labor. This is a cardinal rule if your kit has pre-punched holes.
So, right off the bat, there is a mistake in the making here, and that is not having a vision of what you want this bag for and to look like. This particular kit does not have anything elegant about it, so rolling the edge of the front flap or putting extensive decorations on it is out of the question….for me…maybe not you.
I am also in the habit of sewing in a pouch on the outside front of my shooting bag because I use loading blocks, so I made use of the step in the instructions that calls for you to modify the front flap. I like a short flap for ease of access so I used the piece I cut off the make the front pocket.
That’s my own foible, but I thought about it first because rushing the job without a plan will get you hammered every time. A second mistake is when the parts of your project are mis-aligned. This results in an uneven bag where the front tilts a degree or so to the left and the back of the bag tilts a degree or so to the right so the closed flap ends up skewed and not centered.
To correct the mistake potential and align the parts the right way Fold each part along its center. Oil tanned leather discolors mercilessly when folded or crunched up. This is where the oil tanning helps you out.
Don’t stop with the front part of the pouch, fold the gusset, the back and flap and the pouches you want to sew in. Even if the leather is not oil tanned, folding will help you visualize how to center.
The discoloration marking the fold will quickly blend in because the oil saturating the leather will migrate and even out over time.
When following the assembly instructions lay the kit out first so you can visualize how it is going to go together and in what order. If you are starting out, do a search on Every Man A Cobbler and trip over all the posts I put in on how to do stuff.
Another mistake to avoid here; if you are going to sew the pouch inside out and then turn it, consider skiving the edges on the parts to be sewn. Sew at the back end of the taper, away from the edge. Reducing the bulk of leather at its edge after sewing reduced the uneven nature of a seam every time. Call it finish work….all important
You can buy or make skivers as shown here;
Once you have followed he instructions and put your project together there are two issues that may surface. The first is how to close the flap and where the closure is. None of this is factual, and all is subjective. Since I am a shoemaker, for example, I like to make my statement with leather buttons on a bag this basic.
I bought the punch at a flea market and had to sharpen it. Since the pouch is only going to see range and trail walk duty, I cut the front flap back and secured it with a loop over the button for easy access. The small washer fits between the button and the front wall of the pouch to act as a spacer because I find it easier to secure and undo the loop.
Hunters may want a front flap a little more robust because of the elements, Re-enactors may want to make a fashion statement with pewter buttons and the guy blowing the cows horn at night in the Rendezvous probably has to have antler to match his buckskin trouser buttons. Man….you GOTTA accessorize!!!
Once again the main issue is to remember to fold the flap and pouch vertically because oil tan will leave a mark where the center line is, so your fastening will match up.
The last issue isn’t even a mistake, but it happens. There ends up being a mis-match between your original vision and the product you end up with. When I finished this pouch I realized that I just didn’t like it. When that happens, don’t give up on it.
On this bad boy the shoulder strap struck me as too flimsy, and the bag was too small to hang. I had to admit to the transformation that many of us on this forum had to face down;
Somewhere along the line I had transformed my get up from John Wayne to Elmer Fudd. Little sissy shoulder bags wouldn’t do anymore.
I’ll throw myself on the mercy of the court here; a lot of the folks on this forum are complaining about aging. So I expect forgiveness because I cut the shoulder strap and turned it into a cracking belt bag. Ignore the back brace stitched into the belt.
There…now we can be friends again…
Next piece will deal with sewing machines, the great Heresy.
