Adventures of an Imperfect Man In Search of a Handmade Life
I had a friend shoot a few pictures of the rucksack in action. My only regret is that it could be slightly bigger. But then again, I’d just fill it with more stuff.
It should last a lifetime and beyond.
Not exactly dressed up here. I’m wearing the old caulking and painting shorts.
If I remember correctly, the combined volume is about 2375 cubic inches (about 39 litres).
Especially if one is a traveller. On that note, I put together this 18th century style portmanteau to attach to the bottom of my rucksack. It is on the small side for this style bag but the dimensions are based on a convenient size to attach to the backpack and the scrap shoulder I was using. I also foresee this working as a front bag for the scooter or even on the bike.
Outside dimensions are 16″ (40.6 cm) x 7 3/4″ (19.7 cm) diameter for about 680 cubic inches (11 litres). One step closer to a handcrafted life.
I needed a new laptop case and had some nice shoulder leather left over from other projects. It’s a fairly minimalist design but serves to protect the little Mac. A small brass button closure is the only hardware.
After giving this some thought, I realize that a leather case like this should last at least 50 years, possibly more. The lifespan of a computer is about five years so this might end it’s service life as a document holder of some sort. It will make a great music case or something to hold a sketchbook somewhere down the road.
Definitely watch this if you believe in a real handcrafted lifestyle. He has obviously been given the right encouragement and access to knowledge. Many parents would scoff at these things or actively discourage some of these activities. I’m glad to know there are other parents out there with an open mind and encouraging this thirst for knowledge. It’s a fire waiting to be fanned.
Maybe not the most exciting project to document but a vital one. My F-S knife needed a sheath and I’ve been too busy lazy to make one. Well, I finally got down to business and got it done.
Part of the reason to procrastinate this was that I wasn’t sure what style sheath to make. This is a historical knife that was made with a very specific sheath but wanted one that reflected me and my “style”.
After sketching out the blade and handle onto Bristol board, I decided to meld the basic outline of the original sheath (ca. A.D. 1942) with that of a traditional western sheath knife. That is to say, flat seamed with a welt. Knife sheaths do not require much leather so a quick trip to the scrap bin provided plenty of choices. I decided to go with a very heavy oak-tanned leather I have normally used for shoe soles for the body of the sheath, and a lighter 8 oz. for the collar and strap. The only hardware would be the button for the retaining strap.
After cutting the pieces, the edges were smoothed and beveled where necessary. The heavy welt is shown above being glued down prior to sewing.
I didn’t photograph it, but the outer piece of the sheath was skived down very thin along the stitch lines to give a more rounded appearance to the finished product. Double needle saddle stitching was run up the sides and around the top to provide some support against stretching and to give a more finished look. The sheath was then wetted and the knife left inside for a couple hours to help form the shape of the diamond cross-section blade.
Note: This knife is high carbon steel and therefore prone to rust like any other so the blade was heavily waxed prior to being shoved into the wet sheath.
After burnishing the edges, the leather collar was added with the retaining strap and button and the whole thing was then waxed.
I’ll give it about 50 years before it needs to be replaced and I suspect that it won’t be my problem by then!
Author’s Note: The Fairbairn-Sykes knife is about the coolest mass-produced military knife I know. These were churned out by the 100s of thousands during the Second World War in Sheffield, England and have been in use, with very little variation through the present day. Although these were designed specifically for fighting, these make excellent bushcraft knives. They have an appealing aesthetic and are very similar to daggers carried throughout medieval and early historic Europe.
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 