There are few items in a hunter’s kit as
crucial as a trusty possibles bag. For
this year’s CLF fundraising auction, a trio of artisans - Dwight Umbel, Kris
Polizzi, and Jerry Eitnier – teamed up to create a visually stunning bag and
horn set that’s sure to become a family heirloom.
The bag itself is the creation of CLA
artist Dwight Umbel. Umbel crafted the
bag from 2-3 oz. commercially tanned deer hide.
The interior of the bag is fitted with an inside pocket, and is lined
with medium weight pillow tick. The
entire piece was painstakingly hand-sewn with waxed linen thread. Umbel’s skills are on full display on the
outside surface of the bag, which was imparted a gracefully aged patina due to
the artists’ homemade mixture of leather dyes.
This bag exhibits an aged amber hue that looks straight from the
frontier. The bag is fitted with a hand-forged
iron buckle, and Umbel likewise crafted a cane powder measure and antler-tipped
vent pick that attaches to the strap by a hand-made copper link chain.
Umbel specializes in one-of-a-kind
pieces. “I can’t say that my bags are
period correct,” he says. “I make what I
feel is a bag that the individual can wear no matter what time period he
depicts. I never know what it will look like until after I dye the bag,
it dries, and is treated. No two bags are alike and that’s the joy of it.”
To help complete this first-class rig,
Umbel enlisted the help of artist Kris Polizzi, who provided a hand-woven
strap. Exhibiting an appropriately
natural color scheme, the cotton strap is woven with an eye-catching geometric pattern
that tastefully complements the hunting pouch.
The horn for this set was donated by
Jerry Eitnier, a consistent contributor to CLF fundraising efforts. “This is what I would call a southern
mountain style horn,” he says, “it is not a horn shop type of horn but a horn
that would have been made by the owner with what he had on hand.” Typical of Eitnier’s work, the horn
exemplifies rugged dependability. “This
horn has an acid stain and is lightly aged for a soft warm look,” explains the
artist, and “the spots on the horn may be of native American influence.” Fitted with a hickory spout plug and pine
base plug sealed with beeswax, this horn is ready for service.
For the artisans involved in this
project, the CLA has been vital to their development as artists. “In the last 21 years,” says Eitnier, “the CLA has brought the art
of the American longrifle into the mainstream of the art world.” It’s an organization that advances
professionalism and camaraderie. “The
CLA,” says Umbel, “defines not only friendship, but craftsmanship from artists
that inspire you to look deeper into the work you do. I can’t say enough about the CLA.”
For more information on the work of the artists, contact:
Dwight Umbel (nazarene@windstream.net)
Kris Polizzi (polizzifam@netzero.net)
Jerry Eitnier (ike47949@yahoo.com)
Text by J Shepherd
Photo 1 by Ric Lambert
Photos 2 through 6 by Heinz Ahlers
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