Leather covered canteen by Eric Armstrong

I wanted to try applying a leather covering to a wood canteen. This one turned out much more elegant than I intended but it would be representative of something an 18th century officer would have purchased for himself if he were passing through New York and stopped at Gucci (or their predecessor).

It's turned from two Cherry shells, identical except for a lap joint detail. I turned a groove on the faces so that the leather could be wrapped and held by the turned rings. It all went together very nicely. I also turned a groove around the periphery and added a leather band after gluing the shells. The leather is a piece of deerskin that I've had for 40 years or so. The bung is made from cherry and maple and the stopper is turned from maple with a silver inlay.

Copy and photos supplied by Eric Armstrong.