Ideas for leather possibles bag and ball bags

[maint1517]

ok. As soon as my shipment of leather stuff comes in I'm going to make a possibles bag and a ball pouch. But I need your help and opinions.
How should the possibles bag be laid out inside?And what size should it be?
As far as the ball bag, hold 50 balls or 100? Drawstring closure or flap?
All of your opinions will be greatly appreciated. And pictures will really be helpful if possible.

 

[4v50 Gary]

You customize it to suit your needs. The pouch in the Colonial Era was a small affair. Some people put their patch knife on the strap and powder measure and capper. On the outside of the bag may be a loop for a ball starter.

Consider the contents:

Bullet board for speed loading.
Spare flints, caps
Knapper
Small screwdriver to tighten screws.
Patches
small tin for bullet puller, worm, cleaning jag (these may be in the patchbox if there is one).

 

[Armored farmer]

As far as the ball bag, hold 50 balls or 100? Drawstring closure or flap?

As far as the ball bag goes, most balls come in 100rd pkgs. Furthermore, if you cast....100 rounds is an easy goal for one sitting.
As far as the closure, the drawstring, or wrapped neck would be easiest. That is what i made. My favorite is one that i bought that has a wooden plug stopper.

 

[paul harm]

20 balls are more than enough. I put pockets on the inside back of the bag. Usually two. My smoothbore bag was a double pouch bag. Having two bags in place of one came in handy. Also a small bag to hold the tools - hand made screwdriver, flint knapper, cleaning jags, etc. On the strap was where the patch knife went. The double pouch had everything normally used in the front pouch, and in the back which had two pockets is where the wads went when shooting shot instead of ball. I have seven bags hanging and each one was for a certain gun. Sit down and think how you're going to be using it and what you'll need. Some guys make em small to go on their belt. If you're also wearing a powder horn, the measure can be tied to it's strap so it's easy to use and won't get lost. Don't forget a lube for the patch material, or pre-lubed patches/material. If pre-lubed you may need something to keep it in. I'm done, but I'm sure I'll think of something else latter.

 

[Armored farmer]

You customize it to suit your needs. The pouch in the Colonial Era was a small affair. Some people put their patch knife on the strap and powder measure and capper. On the outside of the bag may be a loop for a ball starter.

Consider the contents:

Bullet board for speed loading.
Spare flints, caps
Knapper
Small screwdriver to tighten screws.
Patches
small tin for bullet puller, worm, cleaning jag (these may be in the patchbox if there is one).

You just described my shooting bag.

 

[CraigC]

Ken Scott has excellent DVD's on this.

 

[paul harm]

One thing I forgot. It's so much easier to sew it up without a welt, but don't do it. The bags front and back coming tight together will just make it had to retrieve small items off the bottom of the bag. An inch or even two spacing them apart is nice.

 

[CraigC]

You talking about a welt or gusset?

 

[maint1517]

Im afraid I dont know what the difference is between the two.

 

[paul harm]

Maybe I used the wrong term. I meant a 1 or 2" spacer between the front and back. I think sewing a sheath it was called a welt, but could be wrong. I'm getting old.

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

I've always understood the term "Welt" in stitching to basically indicate something sewn in-between something else so a spacer like you describe would qualify to me.
I would think of a gusset as being flexible so if the spacer was fabric or thin leather it would be a gusset to my way of thinking. If it was rigid, or stiff I'd call it a welt like you did.

 

[whisler]

A welt is used to protect the stitching and is just a thickness of leather sewn between the 2 sides at the edge. A gusset is a width of material used to increase capacity of the item, one edge sewn to one side and the other edge to the other side. At least, that is how I have seen the terms used.
For ball bags, I use a flask shape with pieces of heavier leather attached to the top inch or so. When the neck of the "flask" is squeezed it opens and allows you to dispense one or two balls at a time.
Flint wallets are also a neat little project.

 

[oldsnow]

Years ago a friend of mine made a possibles bag out of a Snapping Turtles Shell by lacing a tanned Deer hide to the back and a flap laced to the top of the shell that went over the back. He also made a ball bag out of a Beavers tail, by skinning it out in two pieces tanning it and stitching it together. It had a deer hide drawstring.

 

[1MoreFord]

Don't forget room for a ball starter with short and long rods on it. Very helpful IMO.

 

[CraigC]

Maybe I used the wrong term. I meant a 1 or 2" spacer between the front and back.

That's a gusset.

 

[paul harm]

Whisler described it best - thanks. At least I remembered correctly what it was called when I was sewing knife sheaths. It's he!! getting old. Really, there's no end to bags and how they can be equipped for different items. For my Matchlock bag on the strap I have all these little fancy shaped hollow wooden dowels with a removable top that held my powder charges. I forget what they were called .Had my friend make them up, there was 13 of them - traded him a small Damascus knife I had made. I braided some thick black sewing thread and used it to hang each one. Looked cool and that was the number needed for a Trade gun walk through. I also forget what they are called.