Messenger Bag (from Leodis Leather's packet)

[battlemunky]

Acadia Ruby Premium pull up leather 5/6 oz. Buckleguy cast antique brass oval and triglide. Leodis Leather plans. I still need to get the 1.5" webbing for the strap, not sure if I'm going to get nylon or cotton.

If anyone has any questions or sees room for improvement please let me know. Without further ado:

 

[Aven]

Well done Battlemunky.  That turned out a threat.  I like your choice of leather.

 

[battlemunky]

Thanks @Aven. I have to admit, while the leather is quite beautiful, it is not my favorite to work with. It scratches easily and being soft, it doesn't edge worth crap nor does it burnish. I left the edges raw on the pretty stuff. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it. It's a Christmas present for my brand new daughter-in-law.

I think I'm going to try one with veg-tan and dye it myself.

Edited August 25, 2019 by battlemunky

[Aven]

Congrats on the new daughter-in-law.  I wish them both a lifetime of happiness together.  She is going to love her Christmas gift.

I was looking at the flap thinking that your edge treating options were really limited.  You could do some sort of edge coating.  But honestly, your only other option would have been to turn it over on itself like you did for the top of the body.  I like the rustic look.

[garypl]

Nice job!  I like the color of the leather and I think your daughter in law will love it!

Gary

[battlemunky]

Thanks @garypl!

[toxo]

Nice job munky. Know what you mean about the leather. Edges etc. Am just finishing a bag for my daughter. Should be ready for pics later (at last).

[battlemunky]

Thanks @toxo. This was a great project. I hope you are having/have had as much fun with yours!

[blue duck]

Very nice. She will be very excited.  The one thing I would mention is the strap. Personally, I don't care for the look of webbing on nice leather cases. It just kind of detracts from your hard work. On the practical side, I don't like carrying a web strap, but may be that I have never had one done right either. So maybe consider a leather strap for it? Just an idea.

 

[battlemunky]

Thanks @blue duck! To be brutally honest, I am conflicted with the strap type. Ian uses and suggests webbing or else I'd have defaulted to leather. Mrs. Munky likes the idea of leather too. Since the bag will be in the family, I figured I would tell her to let me know if she has an issue with the webbing and that I can adjust/rework/modify/improve the bag as needed. I was thinking of adding a magnetic closure too but figured I'd let her run it like it is and see her thoughts and change it as she desires. At least that was the thought process anyhow  

[garypl]

46 minutes ago, battlemunky said:

Thanks @blue duck! To be brutally honest, I am conflicted with the strap type. Ian uses and suggests webbing or else I'd have defaulted to leather. Mrs. Munky likes the idea of leather too. Since the bag will be in the family, I figured I would tell her to let me know if she has an issue with the webbing and that I can adjust/rework/modify/improve the bag as needed. I was thinking of adding a magnetic closure too but figured I'd let her run it like it is and see her thoughts and change it as she desires. At least that was the thought process anyhow  

Since you have the clips to connect the strap, why not make two straps - leather and web?  Gives her the choice which one to use when she takes it out.  You know how woman like to change up and accessorize everything!

Gary

[JLSleather]

How about leather wrapped around webbing?  All the strength and stretch resistance of the manufactured but without killin' the look of the bag. 

[battlemunky]

We were out on our walk and stopped into Hobby Lobby. I'm definitely not going with nylon, it looked a bit cheap. The cotton webbing looked far better but I may make both webbing and leather @garypl. 

@JLSleather, how would I go about wrapping it? sew down the middle like a baseball stitch, over lab and sew it down the middle, or so flesh side to flesh side like a rolled handle? This stuff doesn't burnish well at all so I would likely avoid rolling it just because it'd leave that raw edge and may look a bit crude. I'm pretty ok with the mechanics of assembly but the aesthetics is always the hardest part for me.

Edited August 27, 2019 by battlemunky

[MedusaOblongata]

Great looking bag there!

I definitely agree that a matching strap would look great and a fabric strap looks cheap and out of place.

[battlemunky]

Thanks @MedusaOblongata! I think I'm going to try it both ways and see which one I want to go with. It sucks Christmas is so far out, I'm fighting the urge to ask her. 

[Tugadude]

Nice job on the bag!  I like the rolled edge, you executed that very nicely.  Regarding the scratches, do they buff out?  If so, then it is just a matter of maintenance.  Some like the "patina" that bags develop and actually want them to look used.  To each his/her own I guess.

I have a canvas briefcase that I was given as a thank you by an industry organization.  I actually carry it daily to work.  It has what I believe are nylon web straps and I have to tell you they look great and are holding up extremely well about 3 years in now.  The bag is made by Carhartt so it is expected to be decent quality.  I'm not a huge fan of the shoulder pad and I keep telling myself that I need to fashion one out of leather as a replacement but then I get onto something else.

In the right place, I think fabric straps make sense.  There is a nice look to be attained by mixing materials sometimes.  Color and texture play into it as well.  There are some pieces I've seen that I almost recoiled at because they looked garish or the colors weren't right or whatever.  The key is finding the right strap, color, thickness, width, etc.  I agree that many straps look cheap.  The one on my bag does not.

[JLSleather]

11 hours ago, battlemunky said:

@JLSleather, how would I go about wrapping it? 

• Cut a little more than twice the width of teh web strap.
• Lay leather grain side down on table.
• Mark center line of web strap.
• Lay web down the center of leather (a little rubber cement help keep it in place, or contact cement if you're using that.
• Fold ibe side up over the web, trim on center line of webbing.
• Fold other side of leather up, trim to fit flush with other leather, butt joint.
• Sew both sides maybe 1/8" in from the center... no sewing on the edges.  
• Look nice, match the bag, and be solid.  No rough edge.

 

like this (not my artwork).. only with teh webbing INSIDE the leather.  Trim to a nice tight butt joint on the center line, sew each side the center line.. dun

Depending on how  you gonna attach, fella could make it a couple inches "too long", then fold teh ends over some rings or dees, BEFORE folding teh sides in, and that end would get covered too.

 

Edited August 27, 2019 by JLSleather

[battlemunky]

@Tugadude, thanks. I think I am going to use the cotton webbing and make a pad out of the same leather and see how it looks. If it looks cheap, I'm all in on @JLSleather's idea to wrap it and look the leather through the oval and sew it back on itself like a nice rolled handle. 

[battlemunky]

Here it is with the black cotton webbing strap. I like this quite a bit now that I'm seeing it all together and it feels pretty sturdy. Mrs. Munky likes it too so it can't be too bad. I will give her the option so if she'd prefer leather I can swap out a matching strap in no time or even wrap it if she wants to go that route too. Thanks for the discussion and ideas y'all, I do appreciate not only the different points of view but the chat in general :) 

 

[garypl]

Now that you have the web strap attached I kinda like it - nice contrast with the bag!

Gary

[battlemunky]

Agreed @garypl. I think next time I'll got with the solid brass ez rivets instead of the heavy duty rivets. I couldn't finish them as well as I'd have liked and they are a bit prouder than I usually set them.

[JLSleather]

I'm still wanting a matching leather strap 

But now that I see it, I gotta admit that actually does work here.  Just the purist in me ...

[bikermutt07]

Awesome job, Munk. I always leave the edges on the pull-up raw. 

[blue duck]

Very nice. And most importantly, if Mrs. M is happy, then that settles it. Now you can hang it up and look at it for four months.

[battlemunky]

Thanks everyone! It's going in a box to await her other Christmas presents. My wife is making her a body pillowcase with floppy flowers all over it (my son is in the USN and will be gone all the time so she'll have a snuggle buddy) and my daughter is making her a crocheted blanket for laying on the couch.