Wabash Pouch by T.C. Albert

Wabash pouch and sheath made by T.C. Albert. Tim also forged the iron hook for the primer.

The horn is the work of Jeff Bottiger.

Kyle Willyard forged the antler-handled bag knife.

Brad Mills crafted the measure, pick & brush set and the copper primer.

I am working on a series of patterns for pouches "inspired" by the history of frontier settlement that reflects the style of bag I would think served the rifles being used when that particular region was first being settled...taking into account as much of that regions actual early history and heritage as I can, and using that with what I know about the evolution and regionality of pouches to design an appropriately "inspired" pattern.

The Wabash was settled rather late by eastern standards, and that bag accordingly has a bit of western and late influence in its design construction technique...its what I think would have been at home on the "Wabash" in the first quarter of the 19th century say around Shawnee Town etc...

I have plans for a "Cumberland Falls" pouch reflecting bags of an earlier style from the times when that region was explored....a "Big Sandy", reflecting bags styled from about 1795 from that region near the Ky. / Ohio early settlement era...a Susquehanna bag from that region and era maybe reflecting the more" golden Age" rifles and those bags...an "Illinois' plain jane bag from the Black Hawk war era...and even a far west Powder river bag for the western fur trade....etc,,,

Thats the general idea of how I'm designing this series of patterns, and as Dave says, they are not bench copies of any one bag, but rather interpretive pieces "inspired" by the settlement of these famous Rivers and valleys as they were settled and the basic styles in vogue at that time as I understand them, and my own artistic vision... T.C.A.

Photos supplied by Dave Beaman.