Had a Saddleback. Got something better now.

GSDNPWC said:
The lack of rivets along with what seems to be waxed cotton thread make me question the long term durability. It is unlined, which will carry nicer, but if you spill something or have a pen leak you will never get the stain out.I would be worried about the bag buckling when picked up with a very heavy load. That is the advantage to Saddlebacks aluminum bar.
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Thats a nice bag. What GSDNPWC has stated is very much the truth. The bag you have made is well built but its not overbuilt which saddleback bags are. You are on the right path.
 
GSDNPWC said:
The lack of rivets along with what seems to be waxed cotton thread make me question the long term durability. It is unlined, which will carry nicer, but if you spill something or have a pen leak you will never get the stain out.I would be worried about the bag buckling when picked up with a very heavy load. That is the advantage to Saddlebacks aluminum bar.
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All good points.

I may still put rivets in at certain stress points, but so far there doesn't seem to be any need; the stitching is more than strong enough.

The lack of lining save significant weight, and if there is a spill like you mention, it really won't matter on the unlined leather will it? A pen leak heavy enough to get through the leather would certainly overload any lining anyway.

I debated putting in some kind of reinforcement under than handle, but I really wanted to avoid that heavy metal bar. I looked at several options, and the best compromise between weight and stiffness actually seemed be sewing in an array of bamboo skewers, cut to length. They are very light and, when arranged in a plane along the surface, are surprisingly difficult to bend. However, I decided to try it with the leather base alone and see how that supported the weight of the bag, both empty, and fully loaded (about 19-20 lbs.). It worked just fine, and I have not found that any extra support was needed. I think the bar is needed in the SB design because the leather they use has the floppy characteristic I objected to in the first place.

On the other hand, I don't ever plan to overload it. 20 pounds is enough to carry around to and from the office. Yeah, bowling balls are pretty much out. :p
 
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roughneckrob said:
Thats a nice bag. What GSDNPWC has stated is very much the truth. The bag you have made is well built but its not overbuilt which saddleback bags are. You are on the right path.
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Thanks, as a martial artist, that's a great thing to hear!
 
I've been re-thinking the veg tan for a range bag I want to build for myself...it will be heavy but probably best for a range bag.
 
gtshin said:
Why is that?
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To make myself clear, I was thinking it (range bag) didn't need to be of 5/6oz veg tan...but something a little more supple.
But now I'm thinking for it to be a little more "boxy" and hold it's shape longer, maybe veggie is best.
It may be heavier than I thought it should be, but it's not like I'm gonna be hauling it around all day.....still thinking on it.
 
That could certainly be an eye-catching piece, particularly as most range bags are made of synthetic materials. It might not be too heavy if it were kept moderately sized. Some range bags look quite big, but a good design would certainly keep all your hardware well protected and organized without too much weight penalty.
 
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