Crusader Pouch

I have a number of larger pouches suitable for carrying smartphones and notepads and all that sort of stuff but it's been bugging me for awhile that I haven't had any smaller pouches.  Nothing that would be good just for some pocket change or tissues.  So yesterday I sat down, drafted, and built this little guy.  I reckon you could put a dozen of them on a belt and wind up with something a lot like Batman's utility belt.  I'm not so sure where I could find bright yellow leather though...

Up & Coming Pouch Pattern

I had a new side and a new notion for a pouch pattern to test out and it turns out they both worked out pretty well.  Compared to the pouches that close with a snap this one is faster to close but doesn't close as securely.  The utility leather that I used for the gusset/walls help it hold its shape a fair bit better than suede though.

Mr. Gibbs Custom Collar

Mr. Gibbs had some very specific requirements for his collar and for the most part there was no problem matching those specs.  I almost sent it out a couple of days early but fortunately I held on to it overnight to see how the acrylics would cure.  They came out almost black (instead of dark green) so a little touching up and it was good to go!

Paisley Guitar Strap

This was another of those orders that I had to photograph too quickly so I could get it to the post quickly enough.  I'm getting quicker with these paisley patterns though despite changing the design for each order.

Tags overhauled

I've just finished overhauling the tags for the +75 blurbs on the blog here so that they'll hopefully be more useful.  When I first started the blog last summer I wasn't entirely sure how it might best be useful.  Since then I've realized that it's a fairly good way of cataloging and comparing different options for prospective clients.  To better support that objective I've replaced the "willy-nilly" tags with a more codified system.  Every project now has at least one tag for color (black, nickel, etc), materials (usually abbreviated like Lthr-SO for Stoned Oil Leather), and category (Belt, Braid, Pouch, etc).  This will best be used in conjunction with a Materials page that I intend to write as soon as I've got good weather for some photography.  I know it'll make things easier for me to reference and share and I'm hoping the same will be true for everyone else.

Klingon Battle Pouch

This was a very exciting order from a gentleman building his own set of Klingon armor from scratch.  He was specifically looking for a replica of the pouch worn by Christopher Lloyd in Star Trek III, which was just as well because that was the one we could more than one image for.  There's been a few variations over the years, and even within that one film.  Looking at the images, I've wagered that the prop department took somebody's old couch and wrapped the upholster around a block of wood to make their pouch.  It'd certainly be a fast way to knock a pouch together if they weren't worried about it being useable.

I was able to calculate the dimensions using a little photogammetry as 6.5" tall, 2" deep, and 2.75" wide (just right if you're looking to carry a whack of pencils and pens I guess).  I didn't have any old couches on hand (and these days upholstery's all artificial leather anyway) so I went with stone oiled leather.  To get the rigidity and sharp corners I made what amounts to a latigo box or lining and then wrapped the pouch around that.  With the outer layer holding all the latigo in place the whole box is surprisingly sturdy.  So much so that I'd compare it to 1/4" plywood or plexiglass, except that this won't risk cracking or splintering.

A note on the photos: As is increasingly the case, I didn't have time to wait for the perfect outdoor conditions before shipping the order.  In this case it was a particularly overcast day and all the diffuse natural light is making the matte black leather look more silver or grey.  

Jeweler's Loop

I have to admit, I'm not sure what a jeweller would use a 32" long loop with a trigger snap at one end for, but I was happy to braid one up.  I'm particularly pleased with how the braid interfaced with the snap.  When it was all done I hung a 25 lb weight from the loop to stretch it out to its full length and the whole thing stayed pretty rock solid.