Hey fellas, I know that there are some gifted tinkerers and downright pros on here with leather. I am not one of them. I want to make a simple haversack and was hoping to get any tips or design suggestions that you guys have to offer. I received ~ 10 sq. ft. of goat skin in the mail today (I think it's 4 oz weight) and I've drawn up plans. I've calculated a surface area of 3.76 sq. ft. (which doesn't include the edges where I would mate and sew it together). Where I'm really stuck at is how to work the design or if I'm just overthinking the whole thing. Should the sides and bottom be all one piece and the front and back be sewn on separately? Or should I make the front, bottom and back one piece and sew the sides on? Is one solid piece the way to go? Either way, will it matter where I sew the shoulder straps on (will it tear easier or last longer at one place or another)? These are the types of things that I'd like to make sure I do correctly. Thanks in advance for any feedback or advice.
My advice is to make an "envelope" style rather than a "box". Easier, and generally just as useful, most historical haversacks were of the envelope design.
Yep, that's my work, thanks. It's one of my favorite bags, in that pic it has a one liter bottle, rain shell, GB Hatchet, and other odds and ends. The envelope style holds plenty, you just have to make it a little bigger since it expands using the material on the sides.
if you go with gussets on the sides, make them wider at the bottom -- it'll hang and hold stuff better. doesn't have to be a lot wider -- 1/2" is plenty. if you do a 3-piece bag: front, back, gussett -- make the gusset out of thicker material or glue 2 layers of goatskin together. this will make it stronger and last longer. because goat leather is so thin, if you line the bag with cloth, it'll last longer.
Hey guys, after looking at how much leather I have and considering I've never worked it before, I've decided to try and start off small. I made a 13" drawstring tinder bag. I think the next thing I'll try to tackle is an envelope style bag like Zack mentioned, only smaller than a traditional haversack. That way I can get some practice in with it and maybe have some material left over for another small project. Erik addressed a few things that I was also concerned about. I'll see how this stuff holds up. Maybe my choice in material was a bit too thin to begin with. Thanks for all of your advice fellas.
Here's an idea, take a cardboard shipping box, cut it so you can lay it out flat. There's your "sides" pattern. That's how I figured out how to cut nylon to get a "box" with sides.
Hey guys, I got a little swamped with work and wanted to touch back down sooner. I turned out a little fire kit bag in the meantime and got to practice a little bit of stitching. Thanks again for the kind words and pointers. @Wildbill247365 thanks for dropping in. You do some good looking work. Seeing it on the forum always gives me the itch to give it a try. I put a double row of stitches down the inside. I punched first with a set that I was fortunate enough to borrow and then I stitched with a stitching awl and some waxed nylon thread. I put a surgeon's knot to tie off my stitches, tapped them flat with a mallet, and dabbed a little Gorilla Glue contact adhesive over my knots. I tried to freehand a row of stitches on some scrap pieces beforehand. I marked out evenly-spaced dots and just went at it. It was tough. This stuff just kept stretching without puncturing. It made me think about Kevlar vests and how they stop bullets. Here was everything I used, including my paper template. I made a couple of them and liked this one the best. I thought back to what @Wolfman Zack said about going a little bigger in my design and I think he was right. After packing this thing full, my original template would have definitely been a little on the small side. Probably too small.
Yep, for envelope style bags and pouches you have to oversize. As far as punching holes, do you have access to a drill press?? If so, chuck a large needle into it and use that on a backing of softwood to make your holes. It's a lot easier.
I sure do. I've been using all hand tools. They certainly work well but they take time and my wife and son have to put up with the noise. Thanks man.
Hey guys, I ended up making that bag after all. I didn't know what exactly I'd do with the rest of my leather so I decided to give it a shot. It ended up coming in at 12" x 15". I used some 1.5" cotton webbing that I waxed to make the strap. It holds the two smaller bags I made, my beat up 3, a quart of H2O, and a pouch that I made from the back pockets of an old pair of jeans. It was a fun little project that I enjoyed. I learned a few new skills and earned some new calluses. Thanks for all your help and encouragement, especially @Wolfman Zack .
That looks great, and should serve you well. I've used that same webbing before, and it held up well even without wax.