gourd canteen

[lew wetzel]

some pics of a gourd canteen  and possibles pouch and some leggings knee straps.i really made alot of this stuff before i got bit by the gun building bug.

[LynnC]

Hey Lew - Good use for a gourd - I enjoy fooling with the small gourds for powder and balls/shot.  Are you flattening your gourds for a slimmer more comfortable carry?  Can't tell from the pics......................Lynn

[lew wetzel]

lynn,no i havent flattened them,didnt know you could.do you boil them??i do use bees wax on the inside and a corn cob for a plug.they are very comfortable to wear and hold a fair amount of water or whatever you would want to drink...

[Edd]

Lynn, I used your method of making the gourds flat by making a little box-like device to put on the gourd while it was still a baby gourd. Man-n-n...I didn't expect the gourds to be so strong while they grew larger. One gourd was so strong that it pulled the nails out of the little wooden box. I resorted to using screws in in the little wooden box, in an effort to make a flat gourd...

Edd

[lew wetzel]

edd,gourds are very tough,i have banged mine on trees and fell and most of my weight was on it and never broke it.do you have pics of what you are talking about as far as trying to make them flat.would really like to see this..

[Z. Buck]

there is also round flat growing gourds available, i have found a site where i can order then from havnt gotten around to ordering yet so i cant comment on service, its been too busy building my house this year for a garden http://www.bayougourds.com/canteen_seeds.htm    after i grow some, seeds will be available from me at the small cost of a SASE, ill keep everyone posted

[lew wetzel]

zack,just checked out that site on gourds.very cool,thanks for the lead...i am going to start offering to the public my gourd canteens.not sure what to charge yet for them.takes 4-5 hrs to sew one up and then the cost of leather and rings and buckles.

[LynnC]

Never heard of a gourd that would grow flat Zack - I'll have check that gourd site out.

Ed & Lew - I just take 2 boards and screw in 2 spacers and drop the growing gourd in between and that works well.  I suppose if you made a complete box you could grow Square gourds     I tried 2 scraps & a spacer and the gourd would push it apart some.  Just not as flat as I wanted.

I'm tempted to boil a dry one to try to flatten it but am afraid that once its cooked it will lose its strength.  One gourd = no great loss - may try it yet

Ever tasted the seed and stuff in a gourd - BITTER
cleaned out good I guess you get the bitter stuff out but I've never tried a canteen.  Hows the water taste?  Do you use a wax sealer inside?

[LynnC]

Lew, I should read closer - Bee's wax sealer - Good Idea.............Lynn

[T*O*F]

[lew wetzel]

lynn,when i cut the top off i put peat gravel in and shake the heck out of it,that gets all the dry membrane out,then i put boiling water in it to kill any germs and soften up the inside a bit,next i melt some bees wax and pour in a swish around and and pour the excess out and let dry,i repeat this 3-4 times.gourd will be ready to drink from!!!!

[Randy Hedden]

Lew,

I find that putting something inside the gourd that has square corners works better than round pea gravel. Use regular angular gravel or even a couple of hands full of 1/2" nuts. Old square nuts work very good.

Randy Hedden

www.harddogrifles.com

[lew wetzel]

randy,ya that maked sense,i have never had a floaties in my water from using pea gravel,but it does take some shaking to get all the membrane out.and every once in a while i re-wax the inside.

[Edd]

Ever tasted the seed and stuff in a gourd - BITTER
cleaned out good I guess you get the bitter stuff out but I've never tried a canteen.  Hows the water taste?  Do you use a wax sealer inside?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A local lady who does quite a lot of gourd making and design, suggested using baking soda in the gourd to remove the bitterness. I tried her suggestion and I guess its ok. Strange thing was, I have never found the dipper gourds that I grow, to be bitter right from the garden anyhow...

Edd

[lew wetzel]

i have never grown them.how long do they take to grow and is it to late in the year to start them??

[Edd]

i have never grown them.how long do they take to grow and is it to late in the year to start them??

The dipper gourds that I grow, needs about five months growing time when planted here in southern Virginia.  My seeds are taken right from last year's gourds, which I save each year.  These seeds are extremely sexy or something...I've never seen anything like the way they pop up out of the hill and grow like there is no tomorrow.  I have seen the vines leave the garden and head for the hills. No kiddin'

Lew you are farther north than I am. There may be some gourds that would still make it up there. Might want to check with your local official regarding this subject.

Edd

[Michigan Flinter]

I have a round flat canteen gourd that I has been in use for 35 years and still going strong .tried growing some this year but the woodchucks liked them and ate everyone!!  Eric D. Lau Riverdale Mi.

[Trkdriver99]

Has anyone made any of the gourd canteens by using the bottoms of 2 gourds? I have a friend who bought one off ebay. They were cut so that one slide up snugly into the other, a small notch was cut in both and the spout was slotted so that it held the sides together. It was all sealed with bee's wax. There was a wide
rawhide strip around it and small ones in an X pattern holding that on. I have a couple of gourd that fit the size pattern and am going to try to make one my self.

Ronnie

[lew wetzel]

wht try to fit two together when one works perfectly fine.seems like it would be subject to breaking if you lost footing and landed on it....

[Edd]

The local lady who I alluded to in an earlier post, suggested thinning the branches or vines in an effort to get a thicker gourd. She had some on display that appeared to be about twice as thick, after she employed the method of thinning the vines, while the gourd plant was growing...

Edd