Rick Sheets over at Blackpowder 411 has just posted a very nice review of my book
"Recreating the 18th Century Hunting Pouch".

http://www.blackpowder411.com/book-review/recreating-the-18th-century-hu...

THanks a million Rick...

Rick has a nice site there and is promoting alot of makers and craftsmed involved in the culture of long rifle with a series of reviews and biographies...its definately worth taking a look at his site by pointing and clicking on the above link.
TCA

It's time for the press releases to start hitting the printers for the upcoming CLA auction. This years theme is Certifiably Native, and all items represent things either made by, made for , or used by Native Americans. Theres quill work, forge work, silver work, leather work, cutlery, and even three guns...we have 27 artists and 21 items.

Last night I made up the sheath for the Green River set...and I copied the sheath on the old bag Im basing the Green on....its actually a very crude sheath, and I want to explain why I would copy it...

I think, and evidence of extant examples seems to bear it out, that patch or utility knives were personal items added by the owners of the pouch, and not provided by the maker of the pouch, especially if the maker was a professional leather worker making items for stock and sale.

We are having nothing but rain it seems...its good to get the normal fall soaking, but maybe not with so many beans yet in the fields...

I wanted to pour a lead ferrule on the patch knife I made this weekend for the Green River set, but couldnt get a long enough rain free window to do it...I melt the lead in a big ladle on the kitchen stove, then pour it right out side the back door...theres no way Id pour it inside, and carrying a ladle full of melted lead through the rain from the house to the shed seemed like a bad idea even if I set up to pour in there.

I got the horn made for the Green River set...Since it represents a fairly early set, I wanted an early horn...and decided that a plain lip horn would fit the bill.

My hat is off to Art and Jan Riser and Robert Weil and the Conmtemporary Makers Blog....its a great daily show case of full color pohotos of contemporary made blackpowder guns and accoutrements...they just featured photos of a horn I made awhile ago...and have regularly featured my creations as often as I send them photos.

Im working on the Green River bag now...its the Green of Kentucky not the one out west of Rondyvoo fame...but it sure has a history nearly as fascinating. Its a consigned bag per request, but all of the details are being left up to me...the area its to represent is Ft. Vienna...and Captain Rhoades who settled the area first...he is of German or Pennsylvania Dutch descent, and even though its a Kentucky bag, I want a more professional looking bag than a homespun long hunters rig...this part of the Green in Kentucky was settled and gentrified into big tobacco farms early ...

The fall festivals have come ond gone already...I cant believe how fast the year flew...I usually use the festivals to stock up on raw materials for the next years projects...so rummaging around through all the junk piles at Pecatonica, Spoon River and Utica's own burgoo here in Illinois has become a yearly ritual...some years are always better than others, but this year the yield was very disapointing...no really cool stuff at all...other than a bee keepers knife that I'm restoring for Bonnie.

9/24/09...Fall is here, and Im busier than ever...

I have just posted a picture of a fowler pouch made by Jeff Bibb. He sent me the photo and a letter about it. I think its a great job.
Its under the "General Questions" section of the image gallery. Please take a look and see. Thanks Jeff...
TCA