This case was made at the insistence of Jive Ong. I tried to talk him out of it because frankly I have always thought that these envelope cases are too wide and bulky. I have a Brian Bonner case and as a 2x4 it's huge. Even though I have always appreciated the style I have just sort of felt that they were not to my liking and so I didn't put much effort into making them. We did do a simple pancake envelope a year or so ago and it turned out nice but still not something I would carry myself. So now Jive shows up and won't leave me alone until I agree to make this case. Well he wasn't that insistent but he certainly knew what he wanted.
So, me being me, I had to change a few things on the style. Number one is I added padding in the top flap. When it's closed the flap has a cushy top to help protect the cues and keep debris out. Number two I went with a 2x3 sized tube and reconfigured it to a 2x4 to reduce the bulk. Then we figured out a way to do the handle so that it flows nicely with the body by being sewn into the seam. (don't worry there are some hidden reinforcements to insure that the seam is not taking the stress.) We also hid the rivets which hold the strap retainers and the snaps on the shoulder straps because the customer wanted to have a minimum of metal showing.
Then comes the strap and pocket. We decided to do a different kind of pocket that goes along with the revealed seam style of the main case. And it's 16" and attached to the strap which brought some challenges. So what I ended up with is a split belt system with a closed position that allows the excess length to fit in the pocket's retainer. In the open position the belt is adjustable to about ten positions and the excess is tucked neatly through a sewn in belt loop.
We did a magnetic puzzle latch on the front to keep it sleek. We decided against the traditional retainer band because we felt that it would break the flow in addition to being a pain to use.
I have come to love this case. It's very light and compact. I was surprised by the weight reduction when there is no lid or base. Makes me rethink how we do our other cases.
Lastly and most importantly, this case is dedicated to my friend Chas Clements. Chas is a great case maker who has gone through hell on Earth and lost the things most dear to him including his ability to work leather. Chas is the person who taught me the value of building cases to outlast the people using them. I try to be faithful to those lessons and this case is no exception.
So, enough of my talking, let the case speak.....
So, me being me, I had to change a few things on the style. Number one is I added padding in the top flap. When it's closed the flap has a cushy top to help protect the cues and keep debris out. Number two I went with a 2x3 sized tube and reconfigured it to a 2x4 to reduce the bulk. Then we figured out a way to do the handle so that it flows nicely with the body by being sewn into the seam. (don't worry there are some hidden reinforcements to insure that the seam is not taking the stress.) We also hid the rivets which hold the strap retainers and the snaps on the shoulder straps because the customer wanted to have a minimum of metal showing.
Then comes the strap and pocket. We decided to do a different kind of pocket that goes along with the revealed seam style of the main case. And it's 16" and attached to the strap which brought some challenges. So what I ended up with is a split belt system with a closed position that allows the excess length to fit in the pocket's retainer. In the open position the belt is adjustable to about ten positions and the excess is tucked neatly through a sewn in belt loop.
We did a magnetic puzzle latch on the front to keep it sleek. We decided against the traditional retainer band because we felt that it would break the flow in addition to being a pain to use.
I have come to love this case. It's very light and compact. I was surprised by the weight reduction when there is no lid or base. Makes me rethink how we do our other cases.
Lastly and most importantly, this case is dedicated to my friend Chas Clements. Chas is a great case maker who has gone through hell on Earth and lost the things most dear to him including his ability to work leather. Chas is the person who taught me the value of building cases to outlast the people using them. I try to be faithful to those lessons and this case is no exception.
So, enough of my talking, let the case speak.....
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