round hip flask cover

[trikegeoff]

hello, i need help

i have purchased a round hip flask with the intention of covering it with a leather cover. i had hoped to carve a design and join it at the edges with some decorative lacing.

the flask in question is about 3 inches in diameter about 3/4 inch wide. the edges of the flask are rounded.

my questions are

can this be done and have a quality product produced?

will the leather have to be wetformed?

should i cut the leather pieces measuring from the middle of the edges, carve the 2 pieces and lace together while still wet?

what would be the best leather to use?

i thank you in advance for any help that you can give me.

maybe i should just fill it with rum and slowly empty it while i think. why did i want to cover this in the first place?? lol

[Jim]

Deer skin is the answer to your problem. (Follow me on this.) You can cut a round piece of veg tan just smaller than the diameter of the flask, say about 2 1/4". This will allow the carved veg tan leather to be sewn to the deer skin and then trimmed as needed for the fit over the flask. (Trim the deer skin, that is.)

The other side will be deer skin also. It and the front piece will need to be cut to a size that will allow them to be stitched together as they wrap around enclosing the flask.

Does any of that make sense, because if it doesn't, I can make you a sketch.

Holler at me,

Jim

Edited September 26, 2009 by Jim

[trikegeoff]

Deer skin is the answer to your problem. (Follow me on this.) You can cut a round piece of veg tan just smaller than the diameter of the flask, say about 2 1/4". This will allow the carved veg tan leather to be sewn to the deer skin and then trimmed as needed for the fit over the flask. (Trim the deer skin, that is.)

The other side will be deer skin also. It and the front piece will need to be cut to a size that will allow them to be stitched together as they wrap around enclosing the flask.

Does any of that make sense, because if it doesn't, I can make you a sketch.

Holler at me,

Jim

jim

thank you for your reply

the deerskin sounds like an awsome idea. my intension was to highlight my carving (however bas it is) with some decorative lacing. is this possable with the thin deerskin?

[iwannabeacowboy]

Something like this.

[DaveT]

I used to make these all the time at the saddle shop where I worked. First off, make a pattern out of paper. Ok, you don't have to do that. Just cut the leather in a circle, about 1/2" oversize. I used a flexible sewing tape measure to figure out about how big I needed my leather. I used 4-6oz, out of the belly. Yes, you'll have to mold it eventually and using the softer leather makes it a LOT easier. Once you have the circles cut out, do your tooling on either or both sides. Remember to stop the tooling before the curve of the flask. Now, while it is still cased, really soak the edges, outside the tooled area. Mold it around the flask. I used plastic clothes pins or binder clips with duct tape on the jaws (To protect the leather, binder clips will stain it.) to clamp things together as they dry. When dry, decide if you want to color it first, or assemble. We always assembled and then finished with oil. Separate the two halves, trim around the spout and glue the edges. Put it all back together, let the glue dry with clamps (I use white glue for a lot of my personal stuff, at the shop we used barge cement, no drying). Then trim and lace.

Hope this helps

Dave T.

[trikegeoff]

I used to make these all the time at the saddle shop where I worked. First off, make a pattern out of paper. Ok, you don't have to do that. Just cut the leather in a circle, about 1/2" oversize. I used a flexible sewing tape measure to figure out about how big I needed my leather. I used 4-6oz, out of the belly. Yes, you'll have to mold it eventually and using the softer leather makes it a LOT easier. Once you have the circles cut out, do your tooling on either or both sides. Remember to stop the tooling before the curve of the flask. Now, while it is still cased, really soak the edges, outside the tooled area. Mold it around the flask. I used plastic clothes pins or binder clips with duct tape on the jaws (To protect the leather, binder clips will stain it.) to clamp things together as they dry. When dry, decide if you want to color it first, or assemble. We always assembled and then finished with oil. Separate the two halves, trim around the spout and glue the edges. Put it all back together, let the glue dry with clamps (I use white glue for a lot of my personal stuff, at the shop we used barge cement, no drying). Then trim and lace.

Hope this helps

Dave T.

dave thank you for your instructional advise

you have discribed what i thought was the way to go about this. the tip regarding the belly leather is a great one. im going to have a go at this very soon so i hope to be able to post pis of the completed product (or ill hide my head with embarasment)

thank you again for your help

geoff

[bex DK]

Something like this was one of the first projects I did when starting leather work.

I used furniture or garment leather for the main piece around the flask. Then I carved a tooling leather patch that I laced onto it.

I also used tooling leather for the top and bottom. I don't know that you'll consider it fully professional, but it was a first for me.

my flask picture

bex

in Denmark