Sun Bag #42

This bag is made the same as all of my bags are. The bag size is 6" wide by 7 3/4" deep, 1 3/8" gusset tapering up the side of the bag with welted seams.
The strap is 1" wide fitted with a forged iron buckle. Tooling done on the flap and strap of the bag. Small inside pocket.

Looking Forward

Summer is almost over and Fall is just around the corner. I can't wait to get out in the woods again to enjoy what Mother Nature will have to offer.

Finished Belt Pouch

Finished size is 6" wide by 5" deep. The bag flairs out to 7" and has a tapered 1" gusset. Made with 3/4oz veg. tanned leather, hand sewn, dyed a dark brown and treated with neats-foot & bee's wax. Inside is a small 4" wide by 2 1/2" deep pocket.

Belt Pouch & Fire Starting Kit

Here are a few photos of a small belt pouch and fire starting kit that I put together and will donated to the Schoenbrunn Village Trade Fair, held in October. It is complete with a flint & steel, the steel fits in a leather case, burning glass also in a leather case. The small tin holds char and tinder and flint also in the pouch is a small amount of tow. Everything to start a fire. "The steel was made and donated by Ben Hoffman of Hoffman Reproduction"

Finished Order Shot Bag & Accouterments #41

Leather Shot Bag, for the 2016 CLA Auction #40

This excellent early 18th century style shot bag is donated by Darrel Lang.  This bag is of a style that would come from a professional leather worker, perhaps a shoemaker or harness maker raising a little extra cash.  It is totally hand sewn, each and every piece, using veg. tanned leather, waxed linen thread, and hand dying.  The precise hand stitching is itself a decorative element.  Darrel finishes each bag with neat’s-foot oil and bee’s wax, giving that rich warm finish.  Hand forged iron hardware completes this fine bag.  

(Written by: Heinz Ahlers)

Eighteenth century artisans, while experts in their respective trades, were nonetheless known to regularly broaden the scope of their business operations.  It’s a practice that’s quite familiar to their 21^st century counterparts.  One fine addition to the 2016 CLA fundraising auction bears mute testament to the age-old custom of artistic diversification: a straightforward shot bag by Michigan craftsman Darrel Lang.

          “When I make a shot bag,” explains Lang, “I try and produce something that a harness maker or cobbler of the colonies might have made on the side to make a little extra money.”  Lang’s creations consequently reflect the crisp artistry of early America’s professional leather workers.  This handsome shot bag is appropriate for today’s reenactor, but is likewise ready for the demanding conditions of the hunt.  “I keep my bags simple in design,” says the artist, “but make sure that construction of the bag will hold up under use in the field and in the woods.”

          Lang’s exacting craftsmanship ensures that the fortunate owner of this bag can confidently go afield with a fine piece of art.  Deftly crafted from vegetable tanned cow hide, the bag is entirely hand sewn, hand dyed, and then carefully protected with neatsfoot oil and beeswax.  The rig is closed with simple brass button, and the bag’s strap is fully adjustable by means of a hand forged iron buckle.        

          All in all, this shot bag is a well built reflection of Darrel Lang’s no-nonsense creative ethos.  “I want people to use them,” he says, “as they would have been used in the 18^th century, not just to hang on the wall.”  

(Written by: Joshua Shepherd) 

Small Shot Bag & Accouterments #39

A completed shot bag along with a few accouterments for a customer. The shot bag is 6 1/2" wide at the top, 6 1/2" deep, the widest is 8 1/2" I also added a 1 1/4" gusset. It's makes a small bag but it's open enough to get your hand in to get what you need. It also has a nice size inside pocket. The cows knee is made from pig skin light but strong.