I think of this type of bag as a forager bag, mainly because it is the type I carried in the late 80s while working on a High Adventure summer program teaching outdoor skills. It’s really just a classic shooting bag; the type that could be found just about anywhere in North America or Europe for the past three hundred years in similar form.
7 ounce Hermann Oak leather is thick but supple. Antler toggle closure keeps contents secure.
Double needle saddle stitching for flap and pocket.
Interior pocket to separate small items.
Heavy, harness brass buckle and pure brass rivets complete the bag.
I’m dedicating the next few weeks to my small leatherwork business. When I’m making things with my hands and simple tools, I feel a real connection with our ancestors. It’s nice to get lost in the projects and learn new techniques along the way. When I’m away from this portion of my world it seems that there is a lag when restarting as the hands and mind relearn their movements and the order of things.
Hopefully, I’ll be able to restock the Etsy store with some exciting goods while the weather is cold. I’m looking forward to spring and the time to get out into the wild to gather materials and supplies from nature; a much overlooked time-consumer for the primitive technology teacher. And just maybe, we’ll be able to gather together again soon to share our skills and camaraderie of our community.
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 the most recent fire-kit with another beautiful vintage button. This will be sold through the Etsy shop at LostWorldCrafts: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LostWorldCraftsMade from 7 oz. Hermann Oak leather drum-dyed for the brown part and natural for gusset.
Thanks for looking. If you are interested, these generally don’t last a day on Etsy so check it out soon if you want one. Please follow the shop if you would like to keep up with the latest offerings.
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 not sound like much but it does add up as survival gear can be a very fluid thing.
Fire Kit Complete
This is a traditional fire kit with TINDERBOX, FLINT, and FIRE STRIKER. This handmade leather belt pouch is constructed from 7 oz veg tanned cowhide and closes with a vintage pewter button. The pouch measures approximately 5 x 3 inches and bellows out approximately 1 inch (interior). The pouch is hung from a belt loop that will accommodate a 2 1/2″ belt.
The FIRE STEEL is a collaboration with my good friend Eric at Colonial Iron. It is hand forged high-carbon steel and sparks beautifully. I am including a flint blade made from Knife River Flint (North Dakota). The sheet metal TINDER BOX is a mint tin that is perfectly sized for the job of making and storing charred cloth or punkwood.
The body of the bag is double needle saddle stitched sewn freehand using yellow saddle thread. The bag has been treated with dubbin (beeswax – neatsfoot oil formula made here in the shop). The pouch works well independent of the kit if you carry the fire kit in your pack.
This is a handmade item so please look carefully at the photos for details of the construction and appearance.
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 Favorite to keep up on the new listings.
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 put the first up in the shop today (https://www.etsy.com/shop/LostWorldCrafts). There are a surprising number of steps to getting even a simple composite toolkit like these together from the metalwork, leather cutting, dying, sewing, adding the findings and closures, and finally photographing to get them posted in the shop.
Fire Steels from Eric Bartch of Colonial Iron.
I had already designed the pouch style early in the summer and a few sold quickly so my next step was to get some high quality fire steels from within my Maker Family. I put in the order with my old friend Eric and he produced these extremely beautiful strikers for the project.
Simple pouch design that I feel is perfect for my fire kit.
I decided to sew up this round without measuring or marking the stitch line to give them a rustic look. I have mixed feelings about this so I may go back to the more uniform looking stitch marker for the upcoming bags. Each bag will be a little different, with variations on the closures and any added features as whimsy strikes me along the way.
Recycled tinderboxes are an affordable and sturdy option.
If you aren’t familiar with flint & steel fire-making the tinderbox serves a two-fold purpose; to provide a chamber to make charred tinder and to hold and protect the tinder from moisture over time.
The striker doesn’t have to be this beautiful to be functional but to have both form and function makes for a loved tool.
To up the ante, so to speak, on this kit I included a flint from Knife River North Dakota. Some real primo stuff. Needless to say, the high carbon steel strikes very well and produces great sparks. A kit like this will become an heirloom and will only improve with age.
Form and function.
As always, my designs are informed by 18th Century style and are designed for hard use in the wild. If you are interested, wander over to the shop or follow the blog to find out when the next round will be in the market.
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 have been honing the teaching method since I was taught how to fit and make these back in 1986.
One of the appeals this design has for many people is that they require very little sewing. If you don’t work with leather regularly, stitching can be intimidating. Some careful cutting and you can make some stylish shoes in a short time.
An hour of work and you’re ready to walk the world. More importantly, with the knowledge in your head you can always make more and keep right on walking.
This post came from looking through a few class photos from Rabbitstick several years ago based on an inquiry. This is one of the years I taught my favorite sandal design, an ancient one though still cleverly marketed as a modern style.
I call them saint sandals as they look like something you would see on a medieval depiction of some holy wanderer from Europe or the Middle East. To me, these are the greatest sandals I have ever owned.
This design is a good introduction to leather working and specifically, making footwear, which can be a bit more complex than most people know. Shoes really need to fit well in order to not cause pain or damage to the feet so an open design is a good way to start on this craft.
As I make them, the sewing is fairly minimal and can be eliminated entirely with the use Barge Cement. The sewing makes them a stronger design and I think adds a sense if beauty and craftsmanship to the final product. It is also a good introduction to double needle saddle stitching.
With a little dedication, these can be made in a long half day and are ready for use immediately.
Thank you to all the patient students who have learned this and taken home to teach others. I look forward to this class each time I offer it.
I’m happy to say that I will be heading to the annual primitive skills gathering known as Winter Count down in the Sonoran Desert. Thankfully, it has moved to a more remote location further into the desert and far away from the Phoenix sprawl.
I will be teaching a course that I have been doing for some time now; Constructing the Ancient Frame Saw. I say “ancient” because this style saw goes back to the very beginning of metal working. It is a way to create an extreme amount of tension, and thereby stiffness, on a very small piece of metal; saving on a very precious resource.
Even though this, in essence, can be thought of as a one-off craft project. I hope that people will take time to learn the skills and take away more knowledge than a simple material good.
I think it might be easy, at first glance, to think of a project like this as a cheap way to get something that you might not be able to afford otherwise; and that is fine. However, learning basic skills like layout, simple joinery, and the use of hand tools are transferable skills that can be used for a myriad of other projects; from constructing a spear-thrower to timber frame building. There is even plenty of opportunity to add one’s own style and artistic flare to the project. Learning to operate even a few simple hand tools, edges and wedges in this case, connect your brain to your body in a way that pushing buttons and looking at screens could never do.
I’ve been working on a new hand reel to keep in my pack with my travel fishing kit. I didn’t have much of a plan when I started so I drilled out a couple of one-inch holes a little further apart than the width of my hand and started from there. The wood came from the scrap pile and is a very solid chunk of walnut. I’m a little concerned about the possibility of cracking but this piece is old, well-aged, and extremely solid so I suspect it will be okay in the end. It will be heavily waxed to waterproof the wood and I’m working on making and trying a few silk leaders. Anyone with experience with hand-made fishing gear have any thoughts on this?
The hand reel and the primary tools used.
These little projects are a nice way to spend the evening in a productive way. After looking at so many artifacts over my career it becomes apparent that our ancestors often created works of art and beauty that truly come from within maker and their influences throughout their lives.
When you make for yourself, your tools and possessions become a reflection of who you are, not where you shop.
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 