SailmakingTools

Is that a fid in your ditty bag or are you just happy to see me?

Homemade sailmaker's tools and ditty bag in the style of Emiliano Marino's The Sailmaker's Apprentice. Im not saying these exemplify his recommendations, the ditty bag was a great learning experience for a first time sewing palm user. I ended up giving my palm a felt lining which made all the difference. Manila is not the easiest rope to tame but is much easier waxed. I also waxed the hemp for the Turks head knots on the fid handles to aid in tying. Check out animatedknots.com for knot tying.
The 'scorpion tail' bench hook was purchased from Sailrite and modified using a pneumatic cut-off wheel, then the diamond file in my Leatherman. I did this in stages to prevent overheating the metal and filed it to a needle point with a well defined shoulder. A small disc of fabric helps to further distribute force at the shoulder.
The seam rubber is simply bandsawn and sanded/filed to shape while maintaining a flat bottom. The fids are turned on my old craftsman lathe and sanded to 220. The ends are chopped off and the butt end is faired with a mill bastard. The business end is sharpened with a regular pencil sharpner and touched up to 220. Finally boiled linseed oil is applied and the fid is finished off with a Turks head knot in the groove.
The seam rubber and fids are made of local(NY/PA) black locust from Suburban Mills in Tyler Hill PA. Ditty bag supplies, Sailmaker's Apprentice book and unmodified bench hook from Sailrite.
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