I really like this pouch.  It is a dainty thing, about 5 inches by 6 inches, made from dark brown stained bark tanned groundhog hide.  I have one just like this I made for myself that I take out when I hunt squirrels.  Big enough to carry some lead balls and patches, a turnscrew, a vent pick and a spare flint or two.  The antique horn on this one is a day horn at best and will carry enough powder for a dozen shots or so, measuring 6 inches around the outside curve.  The pillow ticking strap was dyed with onion skins giving it a yellow color somewhat indicating the bedding might have been well worn and not exactly clean before it became the strap.  This set would make a nice companion for your squirrel rifle or a ladies/boys set.  I am asking $250.

Here is a nice antiqued Southwestern VA/East TN pouch, very primitive with a banded southern horn.  The pouch is made from dark brown stained bark tanned deer hide from the shoulder area and a bit thicker than usual.  It is about 7 inches high by about 7 wide at the top flaring to 8 inches wide at the bottom and sewn with waxed linen thread as all of mine are.  It has a 60 grain powder measure attached to the oil tanned cowhide strap.  The strap is adjustable with an iron buckle.  The powder horn is  13 inches around the outside curve and has a turned antler spout and will carry the better part of a pound of powder and keep it dry.  I like this pouch as its contents are easily accessible.  Not lined and has no interior pocket. I have attached a fine long hunter knife in a sheath on the back of the bag.  The knife is made from 1095 steel with an antler handle.  For sale for $350.

Early Appalachian pouch, 6" x 6" bark tanned deer hide.Adjustable oil tanned cowhide strap with a forged iron buckle. Attached powder horn about 13 inches around the curve. Nice long hunter knife is attached to the back of the pouch. I feel this is a set typical of what a long hunter might have carried in the last half of the 18th century. It is smaller than many modern hunters are used to but when you think about it carries all you should need to shoot and care for your long arm without forcing you to fish around in the bag for something. Originals were small bags, the hunters carried only what they needed, being on your feet all day ounces turn into pounds. I am selling this set for $350.

I made this early Virginia pouch from bark tanned deer hide, oil tanned strap, a buckle to adjust the strap length, a short bag knife mounted on the back of the bag (1084 steel and cherry handle), and a simple horn 13" around the outside curve and 2.5" diameter butt plug.  I worked the leather wet and let it dry in the sun to stiffen a bit more.  I then waxed it with brown shoe polish.  There is no internal pocket or lining to the bag. I would sell this combination for $350.

Late Spring Project:

A French Dragoon pistol for William Shipman of Maryland.  Walnut stocked brass mounted from an MBS kit.  I stained the walnut with LMF Maple to get some red in it and sealed the pores with Chambers Stock Filler.  I am in the process of building up a finish with my own oil varnish.  It has 3 coats and looks like at least 3 maybe 4 or 5 more very thin coats, rubbed with pumice in between.  I wanted to get some pictures out to Mr. Shipman and am sharing them here also.

A couple years ago I got a load of wrought iron from a salvage job in Petersburg.  There was a renovation project going on in the historic district.  A Civil War era house was being restored and an old iron fence was being removed and replaced with a new mild steel "wrought iron" replacement.  I was able to get a trunk load of the old fencing.  It turned out to be pretty good puddled or wrought iron - the real stuff.

I am making an early Western North Carolina flintlock rifle similar to but not exactly the "Old Holston" gun.  It will be iron mounted, with a shorter 38" barrel, and  I will make a wooden patchbox like the Holston gun.  I'd like to have it ready for Ft. Frederick.

Friday I hammered out the trigger guard from the wrought iron and it went pretty well.  The metal is 1/2" square and about 7" long.  I also flattened out a few pieces into 1/4" X 3/4" flats and will bring some of these to sell at Ft. Fred.  Will also bring some squares to sell so if you are going and want to buy some decent wrought iron I have some to sell you.  I work it hot, orange-yellow and hit it hard.  Once it gets heated up it works very nice, I've never had any wrought iron you didn't have to get real hot to work without it splitting.

Update 07/2020:  I got the gun done in time for Ft, Frederick.  No one there seemed to know anything about the "Old Holston Gun".  I think I will make another like this one only with a 44 inch barrel.  As I look at it I think it would look much better with a longer barrel.  This one will be good for a still hunt or woods walk though. Took the gun to Martin's Station and it received much more attention.  I still have some work to do to finish her up for sale hopefully before hunting season.

Back at work and ready for the spring event season.  Had to miss Ft. Dobbs as the doctor had not cleared me to travel yet and that is a shame as I was looking forward to the War for Empire.  Still, I am cleared to get back out in the shop and make some sawdust.  I have several projects that have been brewing so I will start posting pictures as I get them,

I have an early Southern rifle (think Woodbury style) on the bench right now, with a fairly plain sugar maple stock and a Chambers round faced Colonial Va. style lock.  I have the barrel in, the lock in, the trigger in and yesterday I finished the buttplate.  Need to button everything down and get the sideplate on.  Will try to get Aaron out to take pictures this week.  Should make someone a nice hunting rifle.

I am working on 4 French and Indian horns, all plugged and shaped and ready to scratch on.  One will be filled with religious symbolism with Easter around the corner, one a fairly simple motif with floral decorations and a few words of wisdom, one a rather large simple horn and and another double twist with engrailed throat and fancy spout I plan for a map horn.  Not sure of the map, have been wanting to do a Ft. Pitt or Cherokee country horn for a while but the jury is still out on that.

I have four knives blades that need handles and I want to do bone handles because I have a pile of deer femurs that need to be used.  These are mainly scalpers but I would also like to have a couple rifleman's knives for Fort Fred.

I have a stack of linen pouches I made while recuperating from surgery.  These need to be tin clothed and dyed.  Plus a new endeavor, I have 4 long hunter linen shirts, size large and 1 size medium that I want to put up on the table at Ft. Frederick and Martin's Station.  I have 4 more cut out that I need to get too this month.

As you can see I am plenty busy and I am not counting the gun orders I have in the queue.  Right now I am 6-8 months on those, the Woodbury above, an officer's fusil, a dragoon pistol, another Woodbury and a Christian Springs.  I also have a Peter Angstadt, ala Eric Kettenburg that I am making for myself lurking around the shop that gets attention now and then that I thought I'd make a photo series about.  Then there are the dueling pistols I have been coaxing along for the last two years.

 Hope to see you as an event this year, come by and let me see you and be sure to think of us for that project you have in mind.