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dime_novel_heroI don't expect to ever be truly competitive in Cowboy Action Shooting. I simply don't have the time, money or inclination to do all the shooting necessary to get that good. Therefore, I am making decisions based on aesthetics. Not a bad thing, so long as I'm having fun. Most of the top shooters have golf-bag-like carts to carry all their stuff around the range. Some are fairly simple, others are more elaborate. None are the sort of thing that would be seen in the 1870s. I'm sure I could come up with something appropriately steampunk but that idea just doesn't appeal to me. Having to build it dismantleable so I can pack it into the car is not the way I want to go. My aesthetic sense is that of a dime novel hero getting off of a train in some frontier town.
I hit on the idea of a doctor's bag. A few years back, a friend of mine was looking for one for his steampunk character and I happened to have found one at a flea market for $5. It wasn't in the best of shape, but it wasn't literally falling apart and you can't really go too wrong for only $5. Now I was looking for one for myself and I didn't expect to be that lucky again.
I wasn't, but I didn't make out too bad, finding one on eBay for $25 (plus $16 for shipping).I would have preferred a brown leather bag rather than the black but the bidding on those happened to go higher than I was willing to go.
It is labeled as an "Emdee by Schell" It's hard to tell how old it is but this particular bag design was patented (patent no. 1985521) in 1934, the Emdee name was trademarked in 1947, and the Schell Leather Company operated up until 1985. That's a pretty big window in which to try to judge something's age but I don't think doctors have made house calls with bags like this since before I was born so I think this qualifies as genuine antique.
It also wasn't cared for in the mean time and the leather lining has dried out and peeled away from the base. It's not so brittle that it is breaking apart but you can hear the fibers breaking should you try to move it around at all. I have some leather rejuvenatior but it is really the sort of thing for keeping leather pliable, not pulling it back from beyond the grave.
Thus, a trip to Tandy Leather. It used to be in Murrysville, only a 15 minute drive away. Then they moved out to Delmont, making the trip 20 minutes. But now, they have moved out to Greensburg, 45 minutes away. Much more inconvenient but I suppose it could be worse.
Dr. Jackson's Hide Rejuvenation Cream was recommended. However, I was informed that it sometimes makes it difficult for adhesives to stick so I would need to first glue down where the leather had pulled up and wait for it to cure before having at it with the rejuvenator. I got some Barge for the glue, also recommended.
I have glued down the stuff coming loose on the inside and rejuvenated the outside. It looks very nice. Almost like new. The inside doesn't look quite so new but it doesn't look like it's falling apart.
Its size will allow me to carry several pistols, all the ammo I need, tools and cleaning supplies and still have room left over for some other things as necessary.
Now. How to carry my rifle and shotgun? Maybe something inspired by Lee Van Cleef in "For A Few Dollars More."
I hit on the idea of a doctor's bag. A few years back, a friend of mine was looking for one for his steampunk character and I happened to have found one at a flea market for $5. It wasn't in the best of shape, but it wasn't literally falling apart and you can't really go too wrong for only $5. Now I was looking for one for myself and I didn't expect to be that lucky again.
I wasn't, but I didn't make out too bad, finding one on eBay for $25 (plus $16 for shipping).I would have preferred a brown leather bag rather than the black but the bidding on those happened to go higher than I was willing to go.
It is labeled as an "Emdee by Schell" It's hard to tell how old it is but this particular bag design was patented (patent no. 1985521) in 1934, the Emdee name was trademarked in 1947, and the Schell Leather Company operated up until 1985. That's a pretty big window in which to try to judge something's age but I don't think doctors have made house calls with bags like this since before I was born so I think this qualifies as genuine antique.
It also wasn't cared for in the mean time and the leather lining has dried out and peeled away from the base. It's not so brittle that it is breaking apart but you can hear the fibers breaking should you try to move it around at all. I have some leather rejuvenatior but it is really the sort of thing for keeping leather pliable, not pulling it back from beyond the grave.
Thus, a trip to Tandy Leather. It used to be in Murrysville, only a 15 minute drive away. Then they moved out to Delmont, making the trip 20 minutes. But now, they have moved out to Greensburg, 45 minutes away. Much more inconvenient but I suppose it could be worse.
Dr. Jackson's Hide Rejuvenation Cream was recommended. However, I was informed that it sometimes makes it difficult for adhesives to stick so I would need to first glue down where the leather had pulled up and wait for it to cure before having at it with the rejuvenator. I got some Barge for the glue, also recommended.
I have glued down the stuff coming loose on the inside and rejuvenated the outside. It looks very nice. Almost like new. The inside doesn't look quite so new but it doesn't look like it's falling apart.
Its size will allow me to carry several pistols, all the ammo I need, tools and cleaning supplies and still have room left over for some other things as necessary.
Now. How to carry my rifle and shotgun? Maybe something inspired by Lee Van Cleef in "For A Few Dollars More."
