Buckles and construction

Knapsack and Contents

From top left - 

Woollen socks

Spare shirt

Spare trousers

Blanket straps

Knapsack

Linen stock

Sewing kit

Boot brush

Clothes brush

Button stick

Spare laces

Coins

Pipe

Draughts board

Guy rope

Tent peg eyelets

Bill Hook

Rifle tool

Rifle cleaning tools

Candles

Blackball

Clothes pegs

Fire Steel

Flint

Charcloth

Boot repair kit

Shaving kit

Penknife

Cartridge rolling stick

Oil

Mess tin cover

Mess tin

Drinking vessel

Corkscrew

Biscuit ration

Salt and Paprika

Bowl and spoon

Tent pegs.

Boot Repair Kit

I got hold of a scrap piece of saddle and simply cut out the shape of my boots sole. I made a rough fabric pouch, a tried a new method - dyeing in tea and salt (salt helps the colour penetrate the fabric). It worked well, just wring the fabric out and dry and its instantly aged! Top tip, well worth remembering. I added some 25mm blue cut nails and got a very good result.

Blackball 2

I used half a ping pong ball as a mould, some black crayons as dye and candle wax as the main source. First attempt failed as the wax was too hot and distorted the mounds. All very low tech - a tin can on the hob. Once I let it cool it worked fine. 

It is a display only item.

Napoleonic British Stock

This was a pretty simple job, the trimming to size was a bit nerve wracking, one slip... The clasps were purchased from McFarthingbowls in Belgium. 

Things for sale

These are some things I make and are for sale.

Small drawstring bag £2

Pouch (my own design, inspired by a knapsack) £20

Housewife (empty) £6

Rifle bag £15

Mess tin cover £25

Hardwood Button stick £5

1815 pattern knapsack £180

Greatcoat sling £tbc

First attempt at making Blackball

It wasn't too successful but it was a first attempt.