Tool Bag

Figure 1: Tool Bag.

This bag is based losely on the ditty bag in the "Sailmaker's Apprentice^[604]". I keep my heavier, not necessarily rope related, tools in it. These are tools for longer stays, when I might need to do some carpentry, or heavier repair work.

Contents

Figure 2: Tool Bag Contents.

• A. Heavy Sewing Kit.
  For making and repairing tents and heavy bags.

• B. Bag of Hooks.
  A bag of useful "S" hooks.

• C. Carpentry Tools.
  Saws, files, and the like.

• D. Draw Knife.
  

• E. Whetstone.

• F. Ruler.
  

• G. Tomahawks.
  

Details

Heavy Sewing Kit

Figure 3: Heavy Sewing Kit.

Sometimes a ropemaker has to sew. The heavy sewing kit is for jobs like sewing or repairing a tent. Also handy for some rope whippings and seizings. For jobs like replacing a button, I use the sewing kit in my haversack.

The kit consists of:

• A. A small reamer, made from a cut nail, set in a cord wrapped wooden handle with a copper ferrule.
• B. My sewing palm.
• C. A piece of brass rod. To use as a marlinspike, for pulling threads or cords.
• D. A lump of bees' wax, for waxing thread, wrapped up in some old canvas.
• E. An awl.
• F. A slice of a black walnut. To be used as a button at some point. Now just trash at the bottom of the bag.
• G. An antler tip. A very small fid.
• H. A needle case made from blackberry vine, full of big needles.
• I. A needle case made from a piece of reed, full of even bigger needles.
• J. A maple wood seam rubber to help make straight seams.

Bag of Hooks

Figure 4: Bag of Hooks.

Just a bag of iron "S" hooks. They are handy around camp, but they are easy to lose. Good to have a few spare.

Carpentry Tools

Figure 5: Carpentry Tools.

Sometimes a ropemaker has to be a carpenter. This slim bag holds, from left to right:

• A. A frame saw, with a twelve inch blade, and the stretcher bar.
• B. A piece of cane to hold the pegs and pins that hold the saw together. And spares.
• C. An eighteen inch blade, its stretcher bar, and the piece of canvas to wrap the blades.
• D. A half-round rasp, in a string wrapped wooden sheath.
• E. A rattail bastard.
• F. An auger and cross handle. I know the bit is too modern. I am looking for a good spoon bit.

Draw Knife

Figure 6: Draw Knife.

I haven't come up with a way to convert my bench into a shaving horse, yet. Sometimes, if I ask nicely, and act like I know what I'm doing, a local carpenter will let me spend some time on his horse.

Whetstone

Figure 7: Whetstone.

One way a local carpenter will know you might know what you are doing is by the edge on your tools. Edged tools need to be sharp. Whether that's your knife, draw knife, or tomahawk.

Ruler

Figure 8: Ruler.

This is a one foot long piece of brass that I marked in inches with a cold chisel. The first inch is subdivided into halves, quarters, and eighths. For an itinerant ropemaker, there really aren't many cases where you need this kind of precision. But this was one of the first tools I made, back when this all got started. I carry it mostly for sentimental reasons. And to show that:

• My outstretched hand, from pinkey tip to thumb tip is eight imches.
• My fist, with the thumb out straight, is six inches.
• My fist, with the thumb tucked in, is four inches.
• The first joint of my index finger is one inch.

Tomahawks

Figure 9: Tomahawks.

I have two tomahawks. One is a very nice older tomahawk, with a oval eye, and a square poll. The poll makes this good for cutting heavy rope, or splitting firewood, because you can drive the blade by hitting the poll with a piece of wood.

The newer one (thirty years old?) has a round eye, and a round back. The handle was shaped with the draw knife, above.