Impressions Making a leather holster for my binoculars

thomas aagaard

Captain
Joined
Nov 19, 2013
Location
Denmark
Over the years I have made some items of leather for my medieval gear, but I always borrowed the tools from a friend of mine.
But two weeks ago I finally deiced to buy my own tools and a hide... (cost me about 250$)

Started out just making a belt... and then when that was done I started making a holster for my binoculars.

All the sewing is temporary, since I had to design it during the production.
First time I don't have my friend to ask and first time I tried having pieces connect at a 90 degree angle in this way.

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So now I just have to pull it apart, color all the leather black and then sow it back together properly...
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But two weeks ago I finally deiced to buy my own tools and a hide... (cost me about 250$)
Good job.
Years ago, I lived ~15 miles from the Tandy Center in Ft Worth. I made a belt—just cut & dye— and a holster for my Modern Ruger “Old Army”. I made a fringed cover for my replica Hawken rifle with Tandy leather— which is coated so it wont take dye.
I really wanted to get more into it. I collected 3 brain-tanned deer hides but need a 4th to made an Indian jacket. I never got the equipment to start a big project like this.

Here is one thing I learned. Black dye is water based. Tan dyes are not. If you apply Black dye, over time it was look splotchy as the dye fades. Instead begin by applying tan dye. After complete drying, apply black dye over it. Maybe new dyes are different these days.
 
Good job.
Years ago, I lived ~15 miles from the Tandy Center in Ft Worth. I made a belt—just cut & dye— and a holster for my Modern Ruger “Old Army”. I made a fringed cover for my replica Hawken rifle with Tandy leather— which is coated so it wont take dye.
I really wanted to get more into it. I collected 3 brain-tanned deer hides but need a 4th to made an Indian jacket. I never got the equipment to start a big project like this.

Here is one thing I learned. Black dye is water based. Tan dyes are not. If you apply Black dye, over time it was look splotchy as the dye fades. Instead begin by applying tan dye. After complete drying, apply black dye over it. Maybe new dyes are different these days.
I think there is a dressing you can put on over your dye to prevent it from "bleeding" through.
 
Here is one thing I learned. Black dye is water based. Tan dyes are not. If you apply Black dye, over time it was look splotchy as the dye fades. Instead begin by applying tan dye. After complete drying, apply black dye over it. Maybe new dyes are different these days.
My "Danish" leather gear all got black boot polish as the main way of giving it color.
It do give it another finish. But in this case I decided to give it some color this way first. And then give it boot polish.

But not sure it can be seen on a photo.

(the cartridge box was not made by me)
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The case in the background was made for the pair on the right, which originally belonged to Lt. Col. Joseph Holmes, commanding the 8th N.Y. Heavy Artillery acting as infantry at the siege of Petersburg. I purchased them in the 1960's in this condition - sans case - along with other items of his being sold by his descendants. During my early reenacting days back in the late 1970's one of our members was Bruce Winders who later ca. 2000 - 2018 served as curator at the Alamo in San Antonio. At that time, however, he was still a college graduate student and occasionally made leather items for members of our unit. I used them for many years and still have both the binoculars and the case, but unfortunately its strap has given way to dry rot and been discarded. Below, they can be seen hanging at my side in this staged photo:

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The case in the background was made for the pair on the right, which originally belonged to Lt. Col. Joseph Holmes, commanding the 8th N.Y. Heavy Artillery acting as infantry at the siege of Petersburg.
Can I get you to take a photo on the back side.
Currently the Topcover or lid? on mine is only held in place by friction. Could not decide on how to keep it in place.

I also was close to having the shoulder strap go all the way "under" the holster like yours do. But in the end I decided on the D rings.
But I think the other solution is more durable over time, since the entire strap carry the weight. And not the sewing.

I made it black because all issued leather (with the sole exception of the canteen) was black.
Officers had to buy their own gear but I would expect that all their leather would similarly be black.


I admit that I just looked at some photos of late 19th century holsters...and some from WWI.
So if one looking into it 1860ties holsters Then it might be that D rings was not even used like this... or some other detail that is wrong.

The same with the actual binoculars. From what I can tell they are a type made by a company in Paris from the mid 19th century and into the 1920ties. And made for all branches of the French military and for civilian use with he same basic model in use for the entire period. So it might only be 100 years old.
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The photo - Is that Grant you are with?
 
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I don't have a photo of the back of the case, but the reverse has a sewn-on leather hinge (and an unseen red velvet lining!); I forget now, but believe I left the details of construction to Bruce who was noted for his research as well as the quality of his work. He also made my Federal cartridge box and sling and my only criticism was the fact he couldn't get the correct pear-shaped brass finial and had to use a round one purchased at Tandy Leather instead. Of course that was in the late 1970's when "proper" accouterments were mostly unavailable and the internet was located firmly in the future. I think I specified the natural finish over a black one but I don't remember why.

When I first posted the photo of the binoculars, someone commented that the pair on the left - which I only got fairly recently at a flea market for $25 - was likely post-Civil War; supposedly the slightly smaller size and offset connecting nosepiece is the giveaway. Col. Holmes' pair is above and marked Jumelle Marine - Paris; notice the centered nosepiece. The ones below are also French-made and marked, but the offset nosepiece is obvious.

The reenactment photo was taken around the time of the 125th anniversaries of either Shiloh or Champion's Hill, and yes, my friend Marty Brazil is portraying Grant!

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In the past score of years attending my favorite monthly flea market I seem to have acquired a small collection, though most are German examples from the Gross Weltkreigs. The first of them was the Bakelite case (only) in the right background, which I stole for $17! The latest was the poor, naked Fernglas '08 at top center which I found for $10 in the post-WWII case at left, which is a perfect fit for the nice Waffenamt-marked pair of 6X30 Spiller und Hoyer glasses sitting on it. (The two 6X30 at right are both by Emil Busch.) The Fernglas has perfect optics, unlike all my prism-mounted 6X30 ones which have darkened because of the glue holding the prisms together, but I wanted a nicer pair of them which I recently found at the flea market, complete with an ersatz late-WWI metal case, metal eyepiece protector, woven cotton strap, and a lot of original finish:

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Over the years I have made some items of leather for my medieval gear, but I always borrowed the tools from a friend of mine.
But two weeks ago I finally deiced to buy my own tools and a hide... (cost me about 250$)

Started out just making a belt... and then when that was done I started making a holster for my binoculars.

All the sewing is temporary, since I had to design it during the production.
First time I don't have my friend to ask and first time I tried having pieces connect at a 90 degree angle in this way.

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So now I just have to pull it apart, color all the leather black and then sow it back together properly...
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Have you got any photos of the tools that you use for leather work? I don’t know very much about working with leather but tools fascinate me, especially one that are designed for specific crafts like leather working. Nice job on the binocular case. 👍
 
Have you got any photos of the tools that you use for leather work? I don’t know very much about working with leather but tools fascinate me, especially one that are designed for specific crafts like leather working. Nice job on the binocular case. 👍
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1 - Strapcutter. For making straps (belts) (use a knife or even scissor for cutting out other types of pieces)
2 - For cutting the edges.
3 - For making a shallow cuts parallels to the edge.
4 - This is then used for making where the sowing holes should be .
5 - For making holes. The small one is used for holes for sewing. (also use the "awl" next to the knife on the right)
6 - needles, waxed flax cord, cutter and beltbuckles.


the "white" lines parallel to the edge was made with nr. 3
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