I Want To Build A Messenger Bag

[J Hayes]

Hello, I want to make a messenger style bag. Id like to make the front, back and flap from one piece and hand stitch the sides in with the seam out. I have 7/8 oz veg tan that I'd like to use. I'm thinking if I assemble it around a wooden form that would be best. I plan on burnishing the edges so they look finished and nice. A very simple tough lifetime bag. I've done some holsters and my stitches ate getting nice as are my edges. Do I seem to be on the right track?

Thank you for the help

Jeremy

Edited May 9, 2012 by J Hayes

[Glendon]

1336569250[/url]' post='247093']

Hello, I want to make a messenger style bag. Id like to make the front, back and flap from one piece and hand stitch the sides in with the seam out. I have 7/8 oz veg tan that I'd like to use. I'm thinking if I assemble it around a wooden form that would be best. I plan on burnishing the edges so they look finished and nice. A very simple tough lifetime bag. I've done some holsters and my stitches ate getting nice as are my edges. Do I seem to be on the right track?

Thank you for the help

Jeremy

You seem to be on your way. Grab a copy of The art of Making Leather Cases vol. 2. Ii will walk you through a bag just like that which you can tweak to your own style.

[AndyL1]

7/8 may be too thick IMO. You may end up with more of a very rigid briefcase than a messenger bag (I mean unless that is what you want.) I'd go with a 4/5 oz. Just my two pennies.

Cheers,

Andy

[Glendon]

What Andy said. I thought about that when I replied, but was on my iPad so I didn't want to get too wordy. No reason you can't do your first bag in 7/8 oz since you already have it, but 6 oz seems to be where you start moving from soft sided bags to more stiff sided cases. At lest with veg tan that seems to be the rule of thumb.

[particle]

I did a bag out of 5-6oz Herman Oak. it was extremely stiff and it was very difficult to fold the gusset to sew around the corners (granted, I was trying to sew the entire thing on my Boss). Not trying to discourage you, but noting that you could possibly be wasting a lot of money in leather if you don't take the proper precautions, like skiving down the edges of the gusset and really have your pattern figured out. I wasn't able to use my bag, and wasted a ton of leather, dye, etc. It was a 17" laptop bag with a back pocket and 12 internal pockets. It didn't sit flat (bottom corners were uneven), and my pattern wasn't quite right (pocket stitches were exposed on the upper side of the back of the bag), and I missed a few steps as I assembled the bag so i had extra exterior decorative pieces I didn't get to attach because I got the assembly order wrong. Maybe 12 internal pockets was too much for my second bag...

Peronally, I'd look for some thinner oil tan leather on sale to make your first bag from and save the thick/stiff veg tan for holsters and such.

Are you okay with not being able to stand your bag up on its bottom? I carry a bag daily to work, and it drives me nuts not being able to stand my bag up on the table as I scrounge through it for my headphones, lunch bag, etc.

I had great results with my first attempt (a little purse-sized bag) so I jumped in the deep end with my 17" laptop bag and nearly drowned. Now I just stick to the kiddy pool until I get up the nerves to try it again.

[troop]

i use 6/7 for the face and backing, and 4/5 for the gusset. i use W/C english bridle. it is much softer and easier to manipulate those corners that Particle was talking about. i think it makes a nicer looking bag than the straight veg tanned. just my two cents

Tony

[J Hayes]

What if I wet form the gusset before assembly?

How much will veg tan loosen with a couple of heavy coats of neatsfoot?

Jeremy

[troop]

What if I wet form the gusset before assembly?

How much will veg tan loosen with a couple of heavy coats of neatsfoot?

Jeremy

wet forming the gussett would work. i did that with my first little bag made of veg tanned just to see if i could do it. you may discolor the leather a bit but it works for the molding.

Tony

[J Hayes]

Anybody use the crazy horse 5/6 from Zack White?

Linen thread suitable for a bag, I'm assuming it is since its good on holsters.

Thanks

Jeremy

[hazymat]

Hey

Whilst Troop's point about using 6/7 for the face and 4/5 for the gusset is probably sensible, I reckon you can get away with anything up to about 8oz for the gusset.

DISCLAIMER: I have *zero* experience with this, I am literally new to leatherworking, and in fact I haven't even made my first project yet. Troop has made some gorgeous bags, I've made nothing so far.

Then why am I so audacious to suggest the above?

The reason is that I spent most of today staring at a piece of 8oz veg-tanned cowhide shoulder. I cut a prototype gusset piece to 4cm width, which is a narrow gusset for such rigid, thick leather. It will make a nice thin messenger bag. I wet-formed the leather and here is the result:

On reflection I think 4cm width is too thin for a gusset piece in 8oz, but 5cm is just perfect for an 8oz leather wet-formed. Definitely at the upper limit of what's do-able though!

(Also, as a side-note, I decided not to go with an all-in-one gusset piece for my design, instead opting for a three-piece gusset: side / bottom / side.)

Comments welcome. Someone tell me I shouldn't jump in at the deep end with this bag I'm trying to make...

Edited May 22, 2012 by hazymat

[J Hayes]

Hey

Whilst Troop's point about using 6/7 for the face and 4/5 for the gusset is probably sensible, I reckon you can get away with anything up to about 8oz for the gusset.

DISCLAIMER: I have *zero* experience with this, I am literally new to leatherworking, and in fact I haven't even made my first project yet. Troop has made some gorgeous bags, I've made nothing so far.

Then why am I so audacious to suggest the above?

The reason is that I spent most of today staring at a piece of 8oz veg-tanned cowhide shoulder. I cut a prototype gusset piece to 4cm width, which is a narrow gusset for such rigid, thick leather. It will make a nice thin messenger bag. I wet-formed the leather and here is the result:

On reflection I think 4cm width is too thin for a gusset piece in 8oz, but 5cm is just perfect for an 8oz leather wet-formed. Definitely at the upper limit of what's do-able though!

(Also, as a side-note, I decided not to go with an all-in-one gusset piece for my design, instead opting for a three-piece gusset: side / bottom / side.)

Comments welcome. Someone tell me I shouldn't jump in at the deep end with this bag I'm trying to make...

Go man go!!! Nothing wrong with pushing yourself! The bag I plan on making will have 2 gussets, one on each end, the front, back and flap will be a single piece. I plan on building a wooden form with a removable piece so it won't get stuck inside the bag. Hopefully by stitching the bag around a form I will be able to keep things square and straight. Hopefully.

Jeremy

[hazymat]

Go man go!!! Nothing wrong with pushing yourself! The bag I plan on making will have 2 gussets, one on each end, the front, back and flap will be a single piece. I plan on building a wooden form with a removable piece so it won't get stuck inside the bag. Hopefully by stitching the bag around a form I will be able to keep things square and straight. Hopefully.

Jeremy

Lovely! I saw the most gorgeous bag (more of a brief case) of the design you describe whilst walking through a lovely part of London over the weekend. I had to stop and stare. It was made by Church's Shoes (have you heard of them?) A real old-fashioned high-end designer shoemaker. I tried to look the bag up online, alas their website is rubbish and doesn't have any bags on.

I remember the edges were perfect, and the form of the piece was absolutely lovely, really simple and unfussy, but really desirable.

Post photos of your progress, I'm interested to see!

[J Hayes]

Lovely! I saw the most gorgeous bag (more of a brief case) of the design you describe whilst walking through a lovely part of London over the weekend. I had to stop and stare. It was made by Church's Shoes (have you heard of them?) A real old-fashioned high-end designer shoemaker. I tried to look the bag up online, alas their website is rubbish and doesn't have any bags on.

I remember the edges were perfect, and the form of the piece was absolutely lovely, really simple and unfussy, but really desirable.

Post photos of your progress, I'm interested to see!

I haven't heard of Church's, but I'm probably on the wrong side of the pond for that. I saw the bag I want to build on a Website, the closer I looked at that bag the more I thought it was beautiful but a bit crude on the stitching and some of the other details I felt were overlooked. Now I am NO expert, but I do feel if I take my time and think it out carefully I will be able to do a nice job. I am at least two weeks out from starting but I will post progress. Meanwhile I'm building it step by step in my head.

Jeremy

[McJeep]

For uniformity of the gusset you are forming, I would build a simple form right off the start. One piece the size and shape of the gusset, on piece to mount that to, and a female piece to clamp down over it makes a simple effective mold. Glue/screw the first piece on to the solid backer board. then once you have the leather nice and wet place it skin side down on top of the mold - use screws or clamps to hold the female piece down over it and leave it for a day. I've used this setup a couple times for small camera cases etc and it's pretty effective AND cheap ;0) Just make sure all of the wood contacting your leather is sanded smooth so as not too leave unnecessary marks on the hide. And yes, I do this with 8 oz leather. Should give you a nice stiff gusset for the case once yer done, and the lack of flexibility should help keep things in shape while stitching I think.

Lookin forward to seeing it - planning one for myself as well

I can take and post a quick pic of my mold if my description isn't clear - picture worth a thousand blah blah blah ;0)

[J Hayes]

For uniformity of the gusset you are forming, I would build a simple form right off the start. One piece the size and shape of the gusset, on piece to mount that to, and a female piece to clamp down over it makes a simple effective mold. Glue/screw the first piece on to the solid backer board. then once you have the leather nice and wet place it skin side down on top of the mold - use screws or clamps to hold the female piece down over it and leave it for a day. I've used this setup a couple times for small camera cases etc and it's pretty effective AND cheap ;0) Just make sure all of the wood contacting your leather is sanded smooth so as not too leave unnecessary marks on the hide. And yes, I do this with 8 oz leather. Should give you a nice stiff gusset for the case once yer done, and the lack of flexibility should help keep things in shape while stitching I think.

Lookin forward to seeing it - planning one for myself as well

I can take and post a quick pic of my mold if my description isn't clear - picture worth a thousand blah blah blah ;0)

I figure I'll build a form for the bag and use that to help form my gussets, put a lip around the bag form and press the gussets into that, hopefully the everything will line up. I have to finish a couple holsters before I can begin the bag. It is for myself so it may get pushed back, you know how that is.

Jeremy

[McJeep]

It is for myself so it may get pushed back, you know how that is.

Jeremy

Ayup - 'cobblers kids always go barefoot

[J Hayes]

[quote name=McJeep' timesta

mp='1337707096' post='249079]

Ayup - 'cobblers kids always go barefoot

Yes sir! Paid work always goes to the front of the line! It is however a good way to get in trouble with the wife, putting paid work in front of her projects, funny though,she always seems okay with it when she gets to spend the proceeds!!

Jeremy

[renegadelizard]

Hey Jeremy, How did the bag come out?