Adventures of an Imperfect Man In Search of a Handmade Life
These have been my most popular item over the years but they are fairly time-consuming to make. They also use a lot of leather and generally a fair bit of hardware, especially if the strap is leather with a buckle. However, they are a lifetime investment and have made quite a few people very happy as they break in and age with use.
More projects underway will be available in the Etsy shop soon: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LostWorldCrafts.
“The truly sociable man is more difficult in his relationships than others; those which consist only in false appearances cannot suit him. He prefers to live far from wicked men without thinking about them, than to see them and hate them.”
— Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Dialogues
This will be the last one for a while as I have other projects in the hopper.
This is available at our online shop Lost World Crafts where you can find a more detailed description of the kit.
Please check out the shop and consider following us as things are constantly being added and sold.
On this day before the coming Burns Night where we celebrate the Bard in virtual lockdown I invite you to pull up a chair, pour a tall drink of something potent, and enjoy a few poems from the master of Scottish vernacular. This evening, I strongly recommend you find a copy of Tam O’Shanter and read it as it will be done all across the globe. Happy birthday Rabbie.
The wintry west extends his blast,
And hail and rain does blaw;
Or the stormy north sends driving forth
The blinding sleet and snaw:
While, tumbling brown, the burn comes down,
And roars frae bank to brae;
And bird and beast in covert rest,
And pass the heartless day.
“The sweeping blast, the sky o’ercast,”
The joyless winter day
Let others fear, to me more dear
Than all the pride of May:
The tempest’s howl, it soothes my soul,
My griefs it seems to join;
The leafless trees my fancy please,
Their fate resembles mine!
Thou Power Supreme, whose mighty scheme
These woes of mine fulfil,
Here firm I rest; they must be best,
Because they are Thy will!
Then all I want-O do Thou grant
This one request of mine!-
Since to enjoy Thou dost deny,
Assist me to resign.
Robert Burns 1781
“And, pray, what can be pleasanter to behold? Talk, indeed, of your pantomimes and gaudy shows; your processions and installations and coronations! Give me, for a beautiful sight, a neat and smart woman, heating her oven and setting in her bread! And, if the bustle does make the sign of labour glisten on her brow, where is the man that would not kiss that off, rather than lick the plaster from the cheek of a duchess.”
William Cobbett – Cottage Economy 1833
I have been wanting to make a few sporrans based on the classic 18th century style. This type, often referred to as a Rob Roy style, is a fairly simple, single pocket design that can have a number of variations. The one I’m making here is from 6 oz full-grain hide and should outlive it’s owner, even under hard use. A versatile belt pouch like this was originally intended to be worn with kilt or trousers as built-in tailored pockets are a rarity in history.
At 6.5 inches wide by 6 inches tall it can hold a fairly complete fire and survival kit in a handy position on almost any belt.
As with most of my leatherwork, this bag is hand sewn using a double-needle saddle stitch for strength and longevity.
The dye is wet in these photos, looking a bit uneven, so I’ll try to shoot a few more in better light when the weather improves.
The bellows design I chose stays flat but will expand to fit more gear as needed. Look for a follow-up soon. It is listed on my Etsy page so it will, hopefully, be finding a new owner in the near future.
Primitive is a loaded word for some people. To me, it means simple and lacking industrial materials. That’s not to say primitive cannot be complex or fine work; in fact, it’s often just the opposite. Sometimes even, it involves recycling the detritus of the modern world, such as tire rubber for shoe soles.
Looking at my high-graded and favorite camping gear I came to the realization a couple of years ago that by removing a few modern items my kit looks about 250 years out of date. That made me kind of happy. I’m not really a reenactor but I do occasionally participate in period events. It seems my tastes really do just lean toward a quieter, handmade, preindustrial world.
Maybe it’s time to institute Highlander Art Mondays for a while.
From James Logan’s The Clans of the Scottish Highlands, published in 1845. Great kilt, bill staff, and some fine pampooties.
“An itinerant fiddler is playing for a humble country family. David Wilkie focuses on the listeners’ different expressions. Only two people seem to respond to the music: the baby and the boy on the right, who is imitating the fiddler by playing the bellows.When this picture was exhibited at the Royal Academy some critics thought the bust on the shelf represented a dissenting minister, and concluded that the family were nonconformists. The power of music to stir the passions of those supposedly suspicious of pleasure was thought to add to the painting’s subtlety.” From the Tate website 2007.
So many historic details in this painting: basket, copper work, cookware, walking stick, spinning wheel, stools, hats, dog, pipe, key, cup, and shovel. A snapshot of late 18th – early 19th century rural life.
Painting by Robert Griffing.
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 