Tell me more! Leather accoutrements -advice please

As requested, here are some pics of the two repro cartridge boxes that I finally got into my sweaty little paws. The first set of pics is for a Union carbine cartridge box that I bought for when I live fire the 1863 Sharps Carbine. This was purchased from Dell's Leathers Works, and let me tell you this thing is a beauty! :inlove: Excellent quality!
View attachment 424499View attachment 424500View attachment 424501View attachment 424502View attachment 424503

This next cartridge box is a repro of an Atlanta Arsenal manufactured cartridge box for .577/.58 caliber muskets. This repro was made by Missouri Boot & Shoe. Another beauty! :inlove:Excellent quality! At the Franklin Show this past weekend, I took some pictures of an original Atlanta Arsenal box, which I was delighted to come across (wasn't expecting that)....haven't yet compared the pictures to the repro but looking forward to doing that.

View attachment 424504View attachment 424505View attachment 424506View attachment 424507View attachment 424508

I usually don't splurge on stuff, but I am soooooooooo glad that i decided to spend the extra money on getting these from quality manufacturers, rather than buying something cheaper that would leave me wondering if I should have gotten something better. I can assure you I won't ever need to buy another one of these cartridge boxes...super-satisfied about the quality of these, the construction, the thickness and feel of the leather....really stoked and can't wait to strap these on in the field. :frantic:

I also bought matching cap pouches, but won't inundate you with more pictures unless people really want to see the cap pouches.
I notice one is stitched with white thread and the other with black. I guess I just assumed that all cartridge boxes would have been stitched with neutral thread back in the day. Is the color of the thread used based on the originals? Or just by choice of the modern manufacturer? In other words, were all Atlanta Arsenal cartridge boxes stitched with black thread back in the day? EDIT TO ADD: I know nothing about cartridge boxes and am just curious.
 
I notice one is stitched with white thread and the other with black. I guess I just assumed that all cartridge boxes would have been stitched with neutral thread back in the day. Is the color of the thread used based on the originals? Or just by choice of the modern manufacturer? In other words, were all Atlanta Arsenal cartridge boxes stitched with black thread back in the day? EDIT TO ADD: I know nothing about cartridge boxes and am just curious.
As always, lelliott19 you have an amazing eye for detail. :thumbsup: :smile coffee: In the pictures, the thread on the Atlanta Arsenal box does appear black, but when I inspect the actual box very closely, I can see that the thread is white, but appears to have been blackened by what appears to be a shoe polish type of finish (probably the final finishing touch applied by the manufacturer; you can see some of it on the brass finial). In fact, the Atlanta box (Missouri Boot & Shoe) has a different feel and shine than the Carbine box (Dell's Leather Works) which clearly does not (based on look and feel) have a shoe polish finish.

I know hardly anything about original leather accoutrements, but I did look at the pictures I took at the Franklin Show of the original Atlanta Arsenal cartridge box, and the thread on that is not black, as you can see here in the attached pics:

20211203_165847.jpg
20211203_165858.jpg
20211203_170126.jpg
 
As always, lelliott19 you have an amazing eye for detail. :thumbsup: :smile coffee: In the pictures, the thread on the Atlanta Arsenal box does appear black, but when I inspect the actual box very closely, I can see that the thread is white, but appears to have been blackened by what appears to be a shoe polish type of finish (probably the final finishing touch applied by the manufacturer; you can see some of it on the brass finial). In fact, the Atlanta box (Missouri Boot & Shoe) has a different feel and shine than the Carbine box (Dell's Leather Works) which clearly does not (based on look and feel) have a shoe polish finish.

I know hardly anything about original leather accoutrements, but I did look at the pictures I took at the Franklin Show of the original Atlanta Arsenal cartridge box, and the thread on that is not black, as you can see here in the attached pics:

View attachment 424558View attachment 424559View attachment 424560
Thanks so much! Inquiring minds just wanted to know. :D
 
One other nuance...the repro manufacturers that I purchased from specified they used "linen thread", which I presume would have been what was used to make the originals, but I'm sure someone more knowledgeable can confirm.
 
Back
Top