DaleksInc

Look into Civil War cap boxes and pistol boxes. That said, you probably won't need a pattern; they're essentially just a basic belt-mounted box with a flap lid. The main difference is the addition of either a second, smaller flap or a piece of shearling (in some cap boxes) to keep the contents from spilling. If you have FreeCAD, I have a pattern I can send you; it's for a belt-mounted glasses case, but the design is similar to that of a pistol (just using saddle-stitched gussets instead of box-stitch.) You'd just need to add something to prevent the shot from spilling as you run around.

Looks very good!

I just picked up a couple of rabbit pelts for cheap (my local Scout camp's trading post had them for whatever reason, and was doing a blow-out sale.) How do you suggest I use them (and/or how do people typically use them)? I generally do figure carving, so I've never used furs before. For reference, I've attached a picture of the pelts.

Unfortunately, I don't have space (again, it's a glasses case.) Would stitching around the rivets help? I see it a lot in American Civil War-era leather goods such as cartridge boxes. Edit: for reference, here's the body and flap of the case. Not the best picture, but it should give a good idea of what I'm working with.

Thanks! Unfortunately, I've already cut, dyed, and varnished everything, so I'll probably have to just leave it on the outside for now. I'll keep that in mind in the future, though!

Skiving. I can never seem to get a consistent depth.

I'm currently working on making myself a belt-mounted glasses case. Since I don't expect the belt loops to hold that much weight, should just rivets & burrs be enough? As it stands, I am planning on two rivets per belt loop (one at the top, one at the bottom.)

Thanks! I'll try this. Ironically, I was just at Harbor Freight yesterday.

For whatever reason, I always have horrible luck when skiving projects. The skiver seems to occasionally "catch," resulting in severe gouging. I suspect this may be due to my skiver (a Tandy SuperSkiver.) Would a well-stropped woodworking plane produce a more even skive?

I can't remember: is it light dye first, then dark, or dark first, then light? Also, while I'm here, where in the process should I apply antique?

Per the title, I'm interested in using some (mid-sized) embossing plates, but don't have a clicker (and probably won't for a while; those things are somewhat expensive.) Is it possible to use an embossing plate without one, or am I out of luck?

Where can I find embossing plates for Union and Confederate leather equipment nowadays? Somebody on here mentioned Weaver et al. several years ago, but it appears that none of them carry 'em anymore. Here's an example of what I'm talking about (end result): By the way, sorry the picture's so big; I didn't realize it until I'd already posted.

Thanks! That's quite helpful.

From what I understand, people often use Angelus leather paints. However, from what I understand, they're basically just acrylic paint. Is there some important difference, or can I just use regular acrylic paint on my projects?

@Mablung I have been using edge bevelers.