I finally found myself a shoulder bag I could fit all the stuff I need at work when I am walking around into. The problem is it is from WW2 and was never really meant to be a shoulder bag...and didn't have a shoulder strap. So I made really nice side pieces and a shoulder strap worth the title using my wire wrapping skills.

The side pieces and all the fittings for the shoulder strap is 14 gauge black annealed steel wire with copper wire stripped out of CAT 5 cable ornamental wrapping. The clips are my favorite Rubit clips that have served me so well in other settings. The strap material is also WW2 vintage. I suspect that the bag was originally the same color as the strap but that the sun had its way with the color.

I also had to strengthen the middle closure piece. I backed it with a second piece of leather, glued to the originally piece, with really fine (32 gauge) copper wire stitching in the middle to make sure the two pieces stayed together. From all the research I did after noticing that the two outer side closure pieces are a completely different leather to the middle one, I did some research and discovered that bags of that era usually only have two closure pieces. The leather on the two outer closures match the leather on the seams, the middle one not so much. I have oiled all the rest of the leather, which has had a very good effect. Pure liquid lanolin does wonders for dry leather.

I also added the shield to the bag. The shield matches the era and unit of the bag. (internet cookies if you can tell me what unit the shield is from). It is actually what was called a "Cap Badge".

I am very happy with how this came out. The bag is amazingly useful for both work and as about as close to a purse as I will ever come. Apparently they were putting the proverbial black hole into bags as early as WW2...or maybe I just always find the bags, cars and other things that have the black hole feature (read-Bag of Holding).

And before anyone feels the need to growl at me about refitting and using an antique that is 75 or 76 years old, it seems to me that some things are meant to sit in museums and some things that are meant to continue to be used. This was one of those items that was meant to continue to be used. It is a messenger's bag after all.