Back in the “Every Man A Cobbler 9” post when that theoretical Militia Captain walked into that Theoretical Shoemakers shop to procure a small belt bag he had something specific in mind. When he came in a second time to check on progress he took one look at that button hole and started some mutual Beer Garden Jaw. By the time they were brought to their bearings, it was agreed that the shoemaker would correct the issue and not give back the chicken and string beans he originally traded for back in” Every Man A Cobbler 9”..
The last and only time I made a mistake like that was back around 1977. The button would not easily close the bag and I did not have the patience to deal with it so I threw the project out after enlarging the hole. Don’t kid yourself into thinking that there are craftsmen who don’t make mistakes. I was mortified over this one. So, before we finish the edges and add a sheath to my bag, let’s deal with boo-boo’s.
Mistakes generally fall into categories such as poor leather selection, poor planning, improper tools, dull cutting edges, impatient slips and lack of concentration or just plain inexperience. In this case, I built this button hole into the flap, recreating the mistake I made so many years ago.
I had selected stiff, 6 ounce veg-tanned cowhide for my pouch because it was available. You can make the argument that I never should have made a small bag out of cowhide in the first place. That wouldn’t help our theoretical shoemaker who was responding to his customers specs, though.
Back in 1977 it never occurred to me that stiff leather does not favor a button hole as opposed to softer, more supple leather. So I tried to correct it be widening the hole. That’s one of the rules of haste. Without patience, mistakes multiply like bunnies. Had I kept the bag I would have emulated our 18th Century Shoemakers decision; re-design the fastener and add some decoration to make it look plausible. Flip through your Madison Grant book on Kentucky Rifle Hunting Pouches and you will find a rampant pattern of stars, hearts and other decorations on the front of the bag. So, here’s the solution…
Cowhide likes a button on the flap and a loop toward the bottom of the bag so I reset the button, slit a strip of deerskin, tacked it just under where the bottom of the flap is and Bob’s your uncle.
Having written all this, look closely just above the button on the white stitch line of the heart between twelve and one o’clocks. See that stitch thrown? The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers, and their American counterpart, The Honourable Company of Cordwainers, both have references to a belief among some Cordwainers that only God is perfect, so you were obliged to make one mistake in your work. There it is.
Burnishing edges is another item that causes the newbie headaches until you settle in on your process. With experience, you’ll try several things;
Fine grit sandpaper on dry edges
An edging tool to trim the corner of the edge
Combining dampened edges with wax or edging chemicals or dyes
Wood, bone, or denim rubbing tools and vigorous rubbing
Patience and repetition.
Stiffer leathers such as cow will work up well. I like a mixture of beeswax and paraffin on a moist edge with either a piece of denim or my wooden polishing wheel on my sander or drill press.
Now, then. I specified that I want to hang a small camp or patch knife on this bag because of convenience and comfort on the trail. It’ll be one of these two bad boys with their five inch blades.
These are two general knives that I don’t care to document, but I want a sheath that suggests Scandinavian origins because those folks piled into Pennsylvania through Delaware and Philadelphia and I happen to be re-reading Peter Kalm.
When patterning the sheath I will put a couple of ears on the bottom and top. This sheath will be twisted and worked until the seam runs down the front.
I’ll stitch it closed like a normal seam down the edge. Now I’ll soak this puppy and twist and turn it by hand until the seam runs down the side of the sheath rather than along the edge of the blade. I’ll knead it by hand and bend the tip so it flattens.
I’ll insert the blade, pushing as far as it will go without slicing the project open and begin tapping it on a hard surface with my hammer. Tap, push,tap,push until the proper fit.
With enough patience I will get a snug fit with a seam now on the front of the sheath where those ears will secure the blade on the bag. The fender built into the straps will help hold the sheath where I prefer it. The bag flap is a little too small to cover the bag, but will open and close easily on a trail walk
Bah-Dah-Bing.
The last piece in this Every Man A Cobbler set is going to focus on tools. If any of you coyotes have a tool that you use of note, please message me with it so I can show it off in the context of a kit.
Thanks
Capgun
