NOW ON THE SHOP HERE: https://slingshot-world.ecwid.com/
Are you a hunter? A moocher? Someone who wants to come and go like a silent predator, taking feather, fur or even fowl in season, for the pot? Then access to your catapult and ammo in a trice is crucial. These ammo pouches and ammo pouches with built-in catapult holsters are made by Kenneth Dykes of Red Thorn Leather, who was the subject of Makers Mark in issue four of Slingshot World magazine. His skill is to take the essence of old (and ancient for that matter) bushcraft techniques and methods, learn how to apply them and then create awesome things.
The basis of these is the ammo pouch. Made of vegetable tanned leather produced in the USA, it is modelled around the closure of a British WW1 leather ammo pouch made by Webley, that Ken found in a flea market. The shape though, is low profile, will hold enough ammo to last a day’s hunting (as against plinking every leaf) and is made to be able to slip thumb and forefinger into to get the next ball. Closing it is a flip-down of the lid, a flip up of the strap and a press to push the strap over the Chicago screw post in brass that makes the stud closure.
I gather Ken likes old British leather goods. The version with the holster is simple to look at yet clever in design. Another push stud closure and the frame sits neatly right under the pouch.
Seen here with a Bandolero from Performance Catapults, which is fitting, as both are American things! The odd thing about catapult holsters is that most have the facility to be unclipped from your belt, rather than you needing to undo your belt and unthread it. The one from MontieGear had a steel belt clip and Paul Dore uses special belt loops with press studs and D ring fittings to loop through these, for folks to be able to add and remove his holsters and sheaths at will.
Paul reasoned that you might want to go into a petrol station on the way to a bushcraft event and reckoned it was uncool to wear (in my case) a razor sharp poultry chopper in a sheath with pheasants on it and a slingshot dangling from my belt in public! Ken’s stuff uses a simpler and comfortable method of a block of solid leather, thus…
Your belt goes in the gap and it stays put unless you breathe in to pull it up and out – if you are thin enough or just loosen your belt and slip the item up and out, should you feel the need to remove it. They fit by way of hooking on thus. Kenneth said, “The belt attachment is modelled after one I saw on an old pistol holster and I liked how it would not scratch a leather belt in use. Plus it is proper poaching gear…” and he offered a chuckle.
And having faith in the quality of the workmanship, I wanted to help make some of the lovely items he creates, available in the UK. Thing is, by the time each order has to bear the £11 get out of bed charge per shipment by UK customs, plus a VAT fee, plus shipping, they become daft expensive in the UK.
Unless someone does a bit of a deal on ten pieces and pays just £1.10 per item in customs fees and then the slice of VAT/duty charged! I did this and a box of goodies has arrived, hence the pictures on the same old table top! They are sumptuous and are firm and stiff as new leather. They will soften and gain patina and shine with wear. Improving with age for the first hundred years.
I have just SIX of the ammo pouches and FOUR of the awesome combined ammo-pouch-with-sling-holsters. They are going to last a lifetime and will be a rare UK import of Red Thorn Leather products. You will never be permitted to import a turtles foot ammo pouch. These are far from cheap and yet they are still amazing value for your money spent on your hobby. You are worth it! Or perhaps, you love a catapult hunter enough to want to buy them one of these for Christmas and keep it a secret!
The ammo pouches are £45, plus 24Hr tracked postage.
The combination ammo pouches with holsters are £65, reflecting the extra work, fixture and materials involved. Post on these is additional, via 24hr tracked postage.
