My First Effort At Making a Quiver
This section keeps expanding... First was the original quiver... then the Mark II version... now someone has asked to see how it is worn or used. The pix and text are in the order described. I'm going to make a couple of other versions, so there will undoubtedly be further "expansion".
The First Effort
I haven't liked the quivers I have tried, and I have several. The hip quivers aren't deep enough, the side belt quiver is awkward, and I can't reach arrows out of the back quiver without getting a "click" from my shoulder. I have seen pictures of the Lakota quiver both in Primitive Archer's Bible and on Stickbow. My wife had some soft leather (possibly too soft, but hey, the price was right) left from a leather boat interior she did a couple of years ago. I claimed that and spent half a day getting my old industrial treadle sewing machine re-organized and set up for sewing leather. Then I made a pattern, tested it with paper and scoth tape, and then had at it. It is definitely a "Mark I" model. I could do worlds bettern on a second attempt, and in 1/4 the time. However, I am not displeased... it looks decent and works well at the job it is designed for. Also weighs maybe 1/5th what my buffalo hide back quiver does. IMHO it makes a perfect companion for my Osage orange self-bow and wood arrows. Here it is:
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It's made rough side out, since the leather, having been meant for a designer upholstery job, was slick finished and creamy beige on the other side. If you aren't familiar with this quiver, it is stiffened by a wooden dowel or arrow rod in the top. The two bead strings are mounted in holes in the stiffener and keep it from sliding in either direction. I could have sewed it in, but this is decorative and makes any future repair much easier. The quiver is worn on the left side (for a rightie) simply hanging loose. It can be easily shifted around to the back as necessary, or around front and up to the chest to control it while in brush. The arrows are held quietly, but come out easily, and the fletching is protected from rain... not that we ever get that in the Northwest. :^) The buckle isn't exactly authentic, but it will sure make adjustment easier to allow for summer and winter clothing.
The bow is an Osage Orange selfbow I got at the Moses Lake shoot. It's a take down and pulls a very smooth 50# at 25".
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Lakota Quiver - MK II
While I didn't need a second one of these, it was fun to do, and I had a bunch of ideas for either improvements or ways to make the making of it easier. End result was I had to try again. I had intended to do that this morning, but another opportunity knocked... I have been trying to prevail upon my wife to sew a floor into my wall tent, and she got up this morning and said, "Let's do it, " so who was I to say no? We got that job done in the morning (what a brute!) and this afternoon I got busy on the second quiver.
I made a more or less permanent masonite template that speeds up the marking and cutting out. The pattern I made can provide for an adjustment in length if needed to accomodate either very short or very long arrows. It can also provide for a model without the fringe, would would be even easier to make. As I think I mentioned, the pattern is one piece plus straps. I increased the circumference of the quiver by 1" so it will hold a more generous supply of arrows... a dozen shouldn't be a problem. I also increased the length of the fringe more than required by the previous adjustment, so that it hangs a bit below the bottom of the quiver. I also increased the strap size from 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" and went to a laced adjustment rather than the buckle (though for myself, I like that). I also stitched the strap ends... the deer buttons are now purely decorative. Maybe not as nice, but much more strength in the strap. Unfortunately, I am out of feathers, so no feather hangers on this one. Anyway, here is the Mark II model.
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shows detail of button and lacing. For some reason this picture makes the leather look brown... it's not. It's the kind of light beige that shows in the photos above and below.
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Here's the one real bad mistake I made... at one stage you have to fold Part 1 over Part 2, then fold Part 3 over both of those and make a long seam. It's kind of hard to position things so that you make the seam and control the material so as not to miss any part of the edge of the inside part you can't see. I got "clever" and made a preliminary seam to tack down Part 1, then ran the long outside seam. On the front you see only the final seam, but on the back you can see the second seam, and since they aren't parallel but wander just a bit, it doesn't look good. If I do it again I'll glue tack the inside piece.
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OK... Now you've seen Mark II. Tomorrow morning I may tackle a Mark III... with no fringe, just to see what it looks like. Any comments critque, suggestions much appreciated.
Using the Lakota Quiver
Randy said he had never seen this quiver "as worn", so here are some pix of that. Basically, the quiver hangs on the off-side hip... left hip for right handed shooter. It can be worn at whatever angle either horizontally or vertically that the shooter finds comfortable. The arrows will not fall out, nor can they be snagged in brush and such.
Here's as it would be worn doing a 3D shoot or such... maybe swung back a bit more, but basically just a convenient, light weight side quiver.
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If you're moving through heavy brush or such, it is very easy to swing the quiver forward and up and control it on the front of your body. I don't have the experience myself, but I've talked to folks who hunt and claim this is a really great feature.
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If necessary or convenient, the quiver can be temporarily swung up and back... the arrows will stay put within reason. If this need is going to be for a long while and/or if you are moving violently, such as rock climbing, take it off and put it on the other shoulder and it temporarily becomes a back quiver!
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I hope these new pix help, Randy. I'm going to be trying some other variations... to be honest, these things are just plain fun. I'm going to a shoot next weekend and I thing I will take some along and see what kind of horse trading I can do. I'm still looking for a low end or old 3 piece take down to turn into a carp bow.
Lakota Quiver Mark III
Here is the Plain Jane version... no fringe and minimal decoration (i.e. I got tired of stringing those d--- beads!). I like this one a lot. This one went back to the smaller original size, which will hold a dozen arrows but a bit crowded, and used up the last of one of my hides. I have enough of the other, slightly darke hide to make maybe three more, but I think I will try to get some regular lightweight saddle leather... not as heavy as quivers are usually made from, but stiffer than this, just to see what the difference is. Folks have kind of dissed soft leather for quivers, but this stuff is a pleasure. The straps are so soft and the whole thing so light you almost feel like you're not wearing one. The Plain Jane weighs 9.5 oz. My side quiver weighs 18 oz. and my back quiver weighs 24 oz. The fringed Lakotas weigh 11 oz.
again, here, the color is a trick of the light. The window threw the balance off... true color is like below
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Clean, businesslike... should be a good hunting quiver.
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In case you guys missed it, I'm having fun!
Dick