A scout is Thrifty - handmade tools

"A scout is thrifty" - The Scout Law 

A number of tools were hand made in order to have the proper tools on hand for leatherworking!  Making them saved about $200 vs purchasing them at retail.

A big thanks to;

• the several companies & people that donated hardwoods to make mallets (including Tyler, Chuck, Curtis, Hardwood Industries, Lakeside Lumber, Pete's Arborist)
• leather experts who taught and guided tool making techniques (including Eric & Jai & Andy) 
• woodworking experts who taught and guided tool making (including DJ & Jared)

APPLE WOOD EDGING TOOLS FOR LEATHER 

HAND MADE AWL - from gutter spike & horse leather

LEATHER PUNCH - made of rosewood & conduit pipe 

 Turned rosewood on a lathe

 Measure the handle with a gauge

Finished leather punch

Scraping tool for gourd bird feeders

Handmade hardwood mallets

Meranti 

 Oak wood

 Cherry wood

 Oak pallet piece

Applewood & Holly

Dogwood & Irish yew

 Balou, white oak & meranti

 Oak & thermal dried ash

 Kenkatong, Meranti & white ash

Ironwood & maple

Leatherwork merit badge - COONSKIN CAPS & SKUNK SKIN CAPS

Working with another group of scouts on the leatherwork merit badge, which requires you to make something of leather.  Most of the boys chose coonskin with a few going for the skunk hat.

Here are some pictures of the various steps.  To earn the badge your project must include 5 of these steps - design work, pattern transfer, cutting leather, stamping, punching holes, assembly by stitching, dying, dressing edges.  

Shipment of pelts from fur trader in Washington;

Learning to care for leather item (winter boots);

 Creating hat designs

 Leather name tags made for the hats;

Working on cutting & assembly  / sewing of hats;

Finished coonskin caps & skunk skin caps;

We also visited an amazing taxidermist & his gallery; (this fills the requirement to visit a leather related business)