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Post by spence on Oct 20, 2019 19:30:06 GMT -7
I have a ball bag which has served me well for many years, crafted in a very simple way, but does the job and takes abuse in stride. It's made of goat skin, very thin and flexible. Two pieces were cut and sewed around the edges with the flesh side out, then turned so the hair side is out. The neck was made wide enough that a spout of cane would just barely fit into it. The upper part of the leather neck and a bit of the spout were wrapped closely and tightly with linen thread using the blind end technique. Beeswax was melted into the thread and smoothed when it cooled to lock everything in place. A cork stopper finished the project.   I mostly carry it in my shot pouch, but sometimes tuck it into my belt or sash so that a bit of the top hangs over and down, with 2-3 balls in that part. A ball will fall out as soon as the stopper is removed. I've learned to quickly remove the stopper, catch one ball and replace the stopper with one hand for a "fast" reload.  Spence |
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Post by brokennock on Oct 20, 2019 21:49:45 GMT -7
I've made a few of similar to same construction of various sizes and shapes. My "cane" is actually bamboo from a craft store. And, I tend to make the plugs from apple or cedar branches. I've had cork break off inside things and become a nuisance.
My cordage wraps aren't quite as neat and tidy as yours.
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Post by hawkeyes on Oct 21, 2019 4:23:40 GMT -7
Very nicely constructed, my necks are usually hollowed antler or bone with maple or apple plugs.
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Post by spence on Oct 21, 2019 8:27:28 GMT -7
I frequently whittle out wooden plugs for various containers, but corks were readily available from early on in the 18th century.
The Pennsylvania Gazette
March 16, 1732
Those that send clean Bottles with good Corks , may have the best Beer for 4s. the Dozen, and Middling Beer for 2s. the Dozen.
THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAZETTE
June 2, 1733
Charleston, South Carolina
Lately Imported, ...Sealing Wax, Wafers; Vinegar, Lime-juice, Corks , &c.
THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAZETTE
April 20, 1734
Charleston, South Carolina
TO be SOLD by George Austin....Scotch Snuff, Stationary Ware, Casks of Corks , Rum, Lime-juice, Bottle Cyder
THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAZETTE
September 21, 1734
Charleston, South Carolina
To be sold by Yeomans and Escott....Indian trading Guns, Beeds and none so pretties, cotton checks, corks , New England Axes best sort, salt fish, ....
THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAZETTE
November 30, 1734
Charleston, South Carolina
Just imported and to be Sold by John Watson ... anchovies, capers, olives walnuts. Glew, Indigo, starch, salt-peter, vinegar, train oyl, corks , shoes sundry sorts
THE VIRGINIA GAZETTE
September 19, 1766
Sold at John Greenhow's store, near the Church, in Williamsburg,
....half gallon case bottles, wide mouth bottles, sets of surveying instruments, seine corks, grindstones, hand millstones
The Pennsylvania Gazette
August 11, 1743
To be SOLD by William Norton, at his Store on Fishbourn's Wharff; New England RUM, Mackrel, a riding Chair, Leather Chairs, ....Iron Pots, Kettles, dry'd Fish, and Velvet Corks , &c.
The Pennsylvania Gazette
November 7, 1745
Just Imported by Peter Turner,...parchments, pins, corks , pistol and common gunpowder, ship muskets, neat light fowling pieces, London steel
The Pennsylvania Gazette
December 6, 1745
Just imported, and to be sold by Daniel Benezet,....A Large Assortment of Corks, very cheap for ready Money.
The Pennsylvania Gazette
August 14, 1746
To be Sold very cheap for Ready Money, A CHOICE Parcel of fine CORKS of various Sizes, and uncut CORKS , at William Davis's, Chairmaker,
The Pennsylvania Gazette
January 3, 1749
…. dowels, jointers, and doweling bitts; corks by the groce, or smaller quantity,
There were tradesmen specializing in corks, too.
The Pennsylvania Gazette
November 21, 1751
Just imported in the ship Phila....A parcel of likely servants, chiefly tradesman; such as ship carpenters, house carpenters, joiners, black and white smiths, watch makers, barbers, corkers, silversmiths, jewellers, brass founders , bakers, shoemakers, taylor, wool combers, wheelwrights, sawyers, surgeons, gardiners, apothecaries, book keepers, bookbinders, coopers, painters, hatters, scowers, dyers, vintners, coachmen, sailmakers, brickmakers, hostlers, chymists, butchers, and other trades, and labourers; to be sold by Levy and Franks.
THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAZETTE
December 24, 1736
LONDON, September 30.
One Night last Week an unpolite Fellow, a Cork Cutter in Shephard's Alley near Garlick Hill, coming home late, tho' sooner than expected, and going into his Bedchamber, catched a Surgeon, just getting out of Bed from his Wife, and was putting on his Breeches; on which the Cork Cutter immediately drew his Knife out, and cut him across the Breast, and stabbed him in two or three Places on the side of his Belly; he languished till Monday last and then died:
The Pennsylvania Gazette
March 6, 1750
PETER KNOLTON, Free Fan Maker, from London, In Sassafras street, near the Moravian Meeting, Makes, mends, mounts and sells, wholesail and retail, all sorts of fans and fan sticks, and makes short fans longer. He likewise cuts and sells corks of all kinds.
They liked cork-soled shoes:
THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAZETTE; AND COUNTRY JOURNAL
June 15, 1773
I never bathe or wash my feet, except when cleanliness tells me it is necessary, ....I always wear cork-soled shoes (of which I have different sizes) and warm woollen socks.
The South-Carolina GAZETTE
June 27, 1748
CHARLES-TOWN
....neatest Women's boots, shoes, pumps and slippers, inside or outside Cork-shoes, either silk or breeded, with hand clogs, toe'd clogs, and pattoons for Women:
Apologies, far too long, I know, but I can't resist including this from the Annals of Philadelphia, 1830:
Give Chloe a bushel of horse hair and wool,
Of paste and pomatum a pound,
Ten yards of gay ribbon to deck her sweet skull,
And gauze to encompass it round.
Let her flags fly behind for a yard at the least,
Let her curls meet just under her chin,
Let these curls be supported, to keep up the jest,
With an hundred----instead of one pin.
Let her gown be tuck’d up to the hip on each side,
Shoes too high for to walk or to jump,
And to deck the sweet creature complete for a bride,
Let the cork-cutter make her a rump.
Thus finish’d in taste, while on Chloe you gaze,
You may take the dear charmer for life,
But never undress her---for out of her stays,
You’ll find you have lost half your wife!
I got the idea of carrying my bullet bag under my sash from Doddridge.
Joseph Doddridge, _Notes on the Settlements and Indian Wars of the Western Parts of Virginia and Pennsylvania from 1763 to 1783_
"The belt, which is always tied behind, answered several purposes, besides that of holding the dress together. In cold weather the mittens, and sometimes the bullet-bag, occupied the front part of it."
Spence
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Post by brokennock on Oct 21, 2019 18:30:15 GMT -7
It is too bad you are so close to retirement age Spence, you should work for the Smithsonian or someplace like it.
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