Aghrivaine

five magnets between two layers of leather. It'll stick to a car body or whatever, and hold loose screws, nuts and whatnot.

Thanks Andy, I've admired your work for a while now.

Peter, one of my next projects was going to be a sporran, maybe. Did you make a pattern?

This is based on a portmanteau design, but I created my own pattern. I included secret compartments on the sides to stash a pipe, some tobacco, some whisky. (And maybe a copy of Hemingway.) Made from 8-9oz veg-tan leather, lined with very thin pig-skin. Dyed with Tandy's pro medium brown (crimson on the lining.) Solid brass fittings and conchos. I recognize it's a bit off, and markedy imperfect, but for a first time piece of luggage with a custom pattern, I'm pretty pleased with it. The second photo is of the "secret compartment" on the sides.

Beautiful detail, very well done!

I saw the commercial before I saw this thread, and I thought to myself, "Wow, that armor is amazing, it looks like the stuff that Prince makes." And lo and behold, Prince did! It's jaw-droppingly beautiful. Truly arresting, and the most standout visual in that commercial, which is full of interesting visuals. A masterpiece.

I'll be happy to go in a little more detail, but let me say - I'm a beginner, not an expert at all, and other people here know better than me and make better stuff. Second, check out here for tradtional costrel methods of construction and patterns: http://leatherworkingreverend.wordpress.com/the-reverend-hys-bigge-booke-of-leather/ What I did was take a 3" PVC pipe cap, and wet form some fairly thin veg-tan leather over it. I held it in place with a ratcheting metal pipe collar. When the cap had dried, I trimmed it down to an even 1" edge. I made a pattern out of paper for the body. I suppose I could have used high school geometry to figure out the circumference of a 3" diameter circle, but I use the prosaic method of a measuring tape. The long edge of the pattern was the circumference of the circle, plus about 4" on top to cut and shape the spout and carrying-strap slots from. I measured the paper pattern against the leather edge caps, and it all fit, so I cut it out of leather. I marked the edges with a pricking wheel for where I was going to sew later. I used that really strong rubber-cement type glue you can get at Tandy to glue it all together. I held it in place while it dried with clips from the office - those kinds with a metal body and little handles you fold back to open the clip? That kind. Once it dried (I let it sit for a day) I pulled it out. Al Stohlman forgive me, but I used a Dremel to drill the holes where the pricking wheel had left marks, removing clips as I got to them. I sewed everything together. I chose artificial sinew because I think it looks cool. I got the mouth of the costrel wet so the leather would stretch, and put a 1" diameter dowel in while it dried. It took some work to get the dowel in there, but it's important that your spout be nicely formed and about the size to get a cork in to properly seal it. When the leather had dried (about a day) I sealed it. Now, I have found three methods for sealing leather vessels; brewer's pitch, wax and epoxy. Brewer's pitch on the inside and wax on the outside is traditional. I personally prefer expoxy because it's easier and can be used for both hot and cold liquids. (within reason) I do have an old crockpot full of beeswax, and I do sometimes use both wax and epoxy, especially if I've really botched the stitching and need to plug some holes. With beeswax, get it just melted and not much hotter, or you'll cook the leather. Dip the leather until it stops bubbling, and then wipe off the excess wax. Epoxy is much easier. I use Enviro-Tex lite, which is intended for food prep surfaces and non-toxic. Mix up about an ounce or two of expoxy. Pour it in to your vessel, and put it on wax paper. The epoxy will flow to the bottom, so after about ten minutes turn it on its side, then repeat at every angle to get a nice even coating. It takes about 8 hours to harden and 72 hours to completely cure. You can test waterproof properties after 8 hours, but if you see little puddles of expoxy on your wax paper, you'll know there were some holes. No worries, it usually takes two or three coats anyway. The epoxy will eventually seep into all the pores of your leather, and color the exterior, too. I don't usually bother dyeing the leather - the picture above is uncolored, that's just the epoxy. Important safety tip - don't put a cork in the mouth while there's epoxy drying!

Wow! I did not know that, but I'm glad you told me. Very cool, thanks!

Weird, the attached picture isn't showing up. I'll try again.

My latest attempt. Hey, at least it's water-tight!

I've made tiny box pouches for a utility belt using what appears to be about the same pattern. Never crossed my mind to go big and turn it into a briefcase...but of course that's brilliant!

Hi Andy, I just checked out your Blackthorn page - beautiful stuff. I too am in scenic Los Angeles, can you recommend any suppliers in the area? I make stuff for larp and re-enactors. In fact, I run a LARP in the area, if you're ever interested in actually playing!

Where did you find the horsehair tail? Did you use a pattern?

Where did you get the stainless steel plates? It's a great looking piece of armor, I'd love to work on something similar.

I got the Enviro-Tex Lite (it's available from Amazon) and it worked very neatly on a mug, bottle, and flask that I'd made. When i was at the SCA Great Western War, I talked to a leather crafter there who'd been making leather jacks and the like for years, and he said he'd always used Enviro-Tex Lite, and that it had kept a mug he's used for 10 years or so waterproof and, as far as he can tell, safe for use. So...I'm convinced!

I have only heard second-hand that this stuff is okay for drinking vessels - I'm just reporting what other dealers of leather tankards and flasks have used. I can't find, anywhere, anyone who has named a product that is an epoxy resin that is also food-safe. I'm all ears if anyone has a better product!

I actually heard back from one artisan, who wouldn't tell me what they use - apparently it's a secret - but did let me know that many other leather crafters use "Envirotex" for a mostly heat-proof and food safe resin seal. So I'm going to give it a try and I'll report back on how it works.

Hello everyone! I'm brand new here, and this is my first post. I'm getting started with leatherworking, and want to make some tankards for my upcoming wedding as a gift for my groomsmen. (It's going to be a pirate wedding on Catalina!) We're doing a lot of this stuff in a DIY fashion. I've seen leather jacks and tankards at Renn Faires and Pirate Festivals, as well as on Etsy, that claim to be safe for hot liquids. As I'm a devoted coffee drinker, this would be highly desirable for me. Does anyone have any idea what resin these crafters are using? I've googled to heck and back and found nothing. Zip. Bupkus! I turn to you, noble leatherworkers, and your infinite wisdom. Will anyone help a humble pirate in need?