Leather Satchels - Part two

By making and handling all these leather artifacts and reproductions I've discovered a new medium that suits my temperament. As a cabinet maker I enjoy the aesthetic that comes with purpose in the creation of a piece of furniture or a kitchen. This same balance is found in leather satchels but at a fraction of the effort. Results show themselves in hours instead of days.

At the beginning of this blog I showed a few of the satchels and packs I have made. This posting starts with my favourite that has weathered down beautifully since last Summer.

The long straps allow for a sweater to be stowed away as the day gets hot. There's even room for a blanket, should you happen to be carrying a blanket around. Shades of the Oliver Pattern here.

The inside has ample room for books and binders, or lunch fixings, an iPad or a laptop, a wallet, rulers, or anything else you can think of. I also carry cordless drills and chisels in mine.

Not prepared to stop at this I've gone on to make side attachment points. Now I can add a knife and sheath, an earthenware bottle, and a pouch for a small camera or a cellphone.

The possibilities are endless.

And you can even fit it on a bike.

Having created all this gear last summer I realized this might appeal to other people who find themselves over-whelmed by modern trappings when they long for some of that classic eternity lost from a past world (a world that probably never existed ). And so I started to work on the logistics of getting Ashok to make some of this gear in his 1900s style. We have been bouncing emails, mock-ups  and prototypes back and forth for some months now and the first order will arrive soon. One or his newly minted satchels will look like this:

It will need only time and loving care to grow into itself. I will post the new satchels with all relevant information about buying them after I finish my next postings on the Canadian 1916 Dismounted Pattern.

Lastly, I show here some of my developing ideas concerning larger and smaller packs.

The big back pack is designed for pure space, great for taking laundry or groceries on a bike. It has yet to gain its tan by ferrying supplies in a canoe in the summer sun. The small bag has a clasp cast in bronze from a wax carving.... Yet another medium for me to play with.

The possibilities are endless.