An archer in the local SCA group I participate in recently challenged me to make a tooled leather quiver. This sparked a new re-interest in archery. If I was going to make a quiver, I should probably have plans to use it. If I was going to have plans to use the quiver, I best get some arrows. After pricing the wooden arrows which are used in SCA archery, I decided to make my own. I have all the supplies I need, but with the recent stint of extremely hot weather, I have to wait a while before it cools enough for me to be able to apply the finish to the shafts I bought. I purchased three dozen arrow shafts. Even though I have plans to make a tooled leather quiver I'll need a place to store the rest of the arrows. I really liked a few bag quivers I saw that some folks made. The gent who challenged me made one as well. It is based on a period pattern and looks REALLY cool when loaded up with arrows. I liked the way it looked so much that I started my own bag quiver.
Here is the starting chunk of leather. It is a circle of 6.5 inches with 1/2 inch openings for the arrows.
I cut a piece of deer antler (from a past hunting trip) and used a metal file to notch a groove in the end. I also rounded out the end slightly. I then used this antler as a smoother to press the raw edges of the leather into a nice smooth, pretty edge.
I hate to say it, but I used a commercial overstitch wheel to mark the stitching holes. I was thinking about making my own, but heck I already owned one and the kids were already in bed. To late for me to start banging and cutting metal in the garage.
I took a damp sponge and wet the entire surface and then used the smoothing tool I made to round out all the arrow holes neatly. The finishing touch was my EG3D stamp on the top. Hard to accidently pick up my bag quiver with my makers mark right on the top.
This tool was a project I did a few years ago.
