Project: Tool Bag design No.2

I have been thinking for a while of redesigning the 'Tool-Box' bag I made a while back. I really like the form of the bag, it has enough space to bring essentials for office dweller, i.e: Your lunch, keys, sun-glasses and other loose items. It's also very compact and forgiving to other commuter on the bus or train.

I had that chance last week. First up is to re-jig the sizing, I want the bag to have a slightly different ratio, this will (in my opinion) gives the bag a more appealing form factor, this also makes the bag smaller. Second is handle and closure placement, I want both of them to be more integrated for cleaner look, this is to complement the new leather.

Construction method is very similar to the first model, one long piece for the body and two gusset for the sides, standard for my line of bag. I uses aluminium rivet this time, I hand brush the rivet before fastening it for that worn look. Stitching is done with standard saddle-stitch this time.

There is no shoulder strap or wrap around strap this time. I wanted a clean and simple bag.

As always, some photo of the finished product.

Front

Top

Side Profile

Side

Back

Inside

Closure details

Leather Button

I've been playing with few different ideas for making closure for the bag. One of them is a leather button. In order for the button to work, the button need to be sturdy enough. One way of achieving this is via a method called 'cuir-bouilli' or boiled leather.

There isn't an exact procedure how to achieve the desirable end product, this is because every vegetable-tanned leather has different tanning composition. By boiling the leather, some or all part of the leather will be polymerised.

The method that I used was first soaking the leather into cold water then pour a boiling water into the leather surface without soaking it. I was hoping to fully polymerise the leather surface only and somewhat half polymerise the inside of the leather.

Few observation:
1. The hot water did what it supposed to do, polymerising the leather
2. There is shrinkage but was less that I expected. The shrinkage occurred on the surface that touch the hot water hence the curve upward shape.
3. The color has changed to dark brown permanently
4. Final result is brittle, can be torn with hands.

I need to experiment or fine-tune the boiling method to prevent the cracking at the end. It's been a fun experiment.

As always, some photos of the experiment:

Cutting the leather into circular shape

Soaked completely in cold water

Pouring boiling water into the leather surface

After effect, notice the curve

Some shrinkage. Also notice the color

Fully dried

Hole punched. Notice the cracking on the edge