Kevdbry Report post Posted July 30, 2020 (edited) Good morning fellow leather folk, I've got a slight issue. About 2 yrs ago I purchased a kit from Tandy, the horizontal messenger bag. Since then I've moved and I recently found it and want to put it together for personal use. But, the kit is missing the instructions. I don't want to wing it and get it wrong. I've called Tandy but that was a dead end. Anyone have any idea where I can find the instructions?? Google hasn't help either. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Edited July 31, 2020 by Northmount add info to title Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheilajeanne Report post Posted July 30, 2020 (edited) I am fairly sure I have the instructions for that bag. Is this it? https://tandyleather.ca/collections/kits/products/messenger-bag-kit-vertical Edit: okay, you said horizontal, not vertical...but looking at the two bags, i THINK the instructions would be similar. https://www.amazon.ca/HORIZONTAL-MESSENGER-BAG-LEATHER-TANDY/dp/B00GUTKUJQ Edited July 30, 2020 by Sheilajeanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheilajeanne Report post Posted July 30, 2020 (edited) There's a video online for the vertical kit, but it's so sped up, don't know if it would be any help. Also, the narrator talks about how helpful and easy to follow the printed instructions were... Edited July 30, 2020 by Sheilajeanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevdbry Report post Posted July 30, 2020 52 minutes ago, Sheilajeanne said: I am fairly sure I have the instructions for that bag. Is this it? https://tandyleather.ca/collections/kits/products/messenger-bag-kit-vertical Edit: okay, you said horizontal, not vertical...but looking at the two bags, i THINK the instructions would be similar. https://www.amazon.ca/HORIZONTAL-MESSENGER-BAG-LEATHER-TANDY/dp/B00GUTKUJQ Does the vertical bag have the same internal configuration?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheilajeanne Report post Posted July 30, 2020 (edited) The vertical bag had a pocket on the outside (front of the bag) and on the back, but the inside was open. Here's some pictures of mine - I lined the inside with pigskin, and whipstiched the edge of the front pocket to hide a skivving accident! For assembling most bags, you usually put the bottom layers together first. Then attach the straps to the gussets, and stitch the gussets in place*. The flap can go on at pretty much any time in the assembly. Those bottom layers were a b***h to sew because there were so many, and you had to make sure you got them in the correct order! If I were ever doing a similar bag, I'd eliminate at least one of the pockets, or make it so the pocket wasn't one of the layers at the bottom. When I was putting the gussets in place, I was sewing through FIVE layers of leather! * With the straps being sewn in, I probably could have done it after I assembled the bag. But if you're using rivets, it would be easier to do it before! (I actually don't remember if I did it before or after, I just remember doing a lot of cursing when sewing the gussets!) Make SURE you tack the layers together before sewing. That will help reduce the amount of swearing! Edited July 30, 2020 by Sheilajeanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevdbry Report post Posted July 30, 2020 Beautiful work!! In the horizontal bag, there are 5 internal panels. 3 are center stitched together and all 5 are to be stitched into the gusset. I'm just not sure which pieces are stitched to the front or back of the gusset. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheilajeanne Report post Posted July 30, 2020 Thank you! It was my first time trying to line a bag, and it was really a challenge. Also, the dye didn't want to go on evenly on the front panel, so I had to apply numerous coats, while trying to protect the Celtic design in the center. Yeah, without pictures of an assembled bag, that would be hard to figure out. Maybe there's someone out there who's actually done this same bag who can help. If you posted pictures of the pieces of the bag, that might help too... I mean, there's only so many ways something like that can go together! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevdbry Report post Posted July 30, 2020 I'll send pics Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
