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 … Continue reading Possibles Bag
Sometimes it's nice to have the security of a bag strapped closely to the body and not swinging around your neck and shoulders. This little 9 x 5 x 2 inch design has done quite well over the past year and has been a popular seller in the shop. Made from 7 oz. veg-tanned leather … Continue reading Small Possibles Bag for the Belt
This will be the last one for a while as I have other projects in the hopper. Two-toned 7 oz. leather. The complete kit will get you started and, if frugal, can start several fires. The strikers are custom made by my friend Eric at Colonial Iron. A bundle of juniper bark and ample charred … Continue reading Flint and Steel
I like to add a little character and variety, even if I'm just making the same thing again and again. I want to believe that this is what my ancestors would have done, toiling away in the craft to make a living. It keeps things interesting and more human than the soulless, mass-produced consumables. Here's … Continue reading Catching Up
I decided that my kit bags, although nearly perfect for their function, could use a little more room. Outdoorsmen and women can never have too many nooks and crannies about themselves to store little necessities. With this in mind, I have made the bellows sides bigger to accommodate about an inch in thickness. It might … Continue reading Improving on a Design
These Flint and Steel Fire Kits are hard to keep in stock. Since I don't mass-produce things, I'm pretty slow at filling the shop. We did well enough last year that I still haven't caught up but hope to in the coming weeks and months. Please check out the shop and consider making it a … Continue reading Fire Kits Again
The shop has been a little slow with outside projects and day work taking over my hours. However, I do get a few things done along the way and some projects are coming to a completion. I have a load of FLINT & STEEL fire kits on the way for late winter purchase and have … Continue reading Fire Kits on the Production Bench
Here are some throwback photos from Ghillie shoe making classes from 2009 and 2011. The first pair is from a small class at the Bois d'Arc Rendezvous in southwest Missouri (note the lush green of late summer). Maybe not as sexy as the arrow-making class but it is a very real and useful skill. I … Continue reading Ghillie Shoe Class
These ratty old moccasins have spent a lot of time in the woods. These have been my winter moccasins for over two decades. I can't remember exactly when I made them but it was a quick and dirty sewing job. They have been re-soled at least twice and need it again. The uppers are an … Continue reading Moccasin upgrade time again
Kentucky Hunter's Pouch - Few words are needed to show this project. It is a Kentucky Hunter style pouch of a style popular throughout the 17th and 18th centuries in America. Its antecedents come from Britain and mainland Europe but changed with the times as North America was colonized. In the days before the common … Continue reading Hunter’s Pouch
Another possibles bag completed and out the door. This one was designed, at the request of a customer, to fit a specific case that would fit inside. This is clearly my favorite "go to" design and will make an excellent bushcrafter's kit. This one is about 3 1/2" deep and a little over 12" by … Continue reading Large Possibles Bag
More shameless promotion from the workshop. This is my new, deluxe model possibles bag for the right mountain man or woman. This design has proven to be practical and popular. The leather is veg-tanned Hermann-Oak and all sewing is double-needle saddle-stitch. The hardware is premium solid harness brass. This bag will only get better with … Continue reading Deluxe Possibles Bag
Here is an update on the most recent possibles bag I have been working on: Sorry the photos aren't so great but here is the description: Made from 7 oz (~3 mm) Hermann-Oak full-grain harness leather top dyed and antiqued Fiebings medium brown with a single patch pocket inside. It still needs a little edge … Continue reading Possibles Bag
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 