Hunting Pouch by William Smith

By Heinz Ahlers

The hunting pouch and horn are symbols of the American frontier. By the early 19th century you could tell a lot about a man by his pouch and horn, pouches showed distinct regional variations, wide ranges in quality from home made to finest cordwainers work, and variations in size and shape based on use. Bill Smith has donated a pouch representative of the professional quality bag made for frontier use.

Bill has donated a double bag of finely tanned deer skin with double internal compartments. This choclate brown leather bag exhibits very fine workmanship, an example of the best 1750 to 1850 cordwainer’s art. The stitching is so well done as to be decorative in itself. Hand forged iron buckles and a woven strap complete the bag. The multiple compartments would serve the long hunter very well. It would also work equally well for the organized match shooter or the packrat like myself.

Bill Smith is a long time CLA member and a regular supporter of the CLA auction and has a fine display of his bags at the annual CLA meeting. Bill has been making bags for over 20 years and they are very popular with re-enactors and shooters alike.
If you are the winner of this bag at the auction you will have a unique style Bill Smith bag that will serve you, and probably your grandchildren, well. If you miss out, be sure visit his table where his excellent standard bags are available. If you do not have a Bill Smith bag, you need one.