Ian Perryman’s – By Accident Or Design

Firstly, I would like to express my thanks to Peter for giving me a nudge (or two) to give a write up on my foray into a new found hobby, one that has been found to be beneficial in more ways than one for me.

I don’t profess to being a writer in any way shape or form, reading the pages on here with awe, admiration and, if the truth be known, a tinge of envy so please bear with me. To me it is a bit like playing the guitar, something that is just that bit too far out of reach. To those that can write, or play the guitar, I doff my cap to you.

A couple of years ago I found the need to find a distraction from something that had the ability to take over my whole thought process. I needed to do something that I knew nothing about, I have never tried before and something relating to angling that I could, when needed, totally immerse myself into, but what? A surprise gift of an Allcock Aerial changed all that.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a traditional case for the Aerial? I certainly thought that it deserved to be housed in something that was fitting for such a lovely piece of engineering. The search was on and then, after hours of trawling the web, grumbling and muttering to myself I clicked a link to a YouTube video that had me glued. A chap was making a leather box that had what looked like a similar construction to a D block case.

I think I may have found my distraction!

I read lots; too much at times (if there ever is such a thing). I watched endless videos on the computer and scoured junk shops and eBay for old leatherworking tools, bought needles and thread of various shapes, sizes and colours but had no leather. That is another dimension to the hobby that is a science all of its own. What I hoped was a suitable piece of leather was purchased and the wait for the post was quite a nerve wracking few days but I was not disappointed. Without further ado, a plan was hatched to start cutting out the blanks.

Along with the blanks, the strap was made and also a former that was going to be used to help hold the case together whilst the glue was drying and prior to the stitching of the carcass. I ended up not using the former in the end as I didn’t use any glue, it just sort of came together.I was pleased with the final results. It had taken ages, had me cursing like a drunken sailor, and I knew where the mistakes were but for a first attempt at anything leather I was quietly chuffed but more importantly my Allcock had a new home.

MK I

Having made the case I didn’t want to jump straight in and make another just yet, mainly because I didn’t have another reel that would justify the work so I turned my attention to making a float tube with a leather end-cap. Before I knew it seven had been produced over a period of about a year as folks seemed to quite like them.

One day, whilst discussing the price of bacon in Denmark with Peter he expressed a desire to look at the case and after a bit of persuasion I had agreed to take my first proper commission; a big step but I had learned an awful lot from the first one. Yes, I would give it a go. We discussed specifications, leather type (I now had a choice of three!), thread colour and buckle style and the rest was down to me.

This one was to be made from a heavyweight (10 oz) London Vegetable Tan leather that I sourced from a tannery in Northampton, one of the old traditional tanneries that still does all its tanning in the old fashioned way (the smelly way!). It takes months to fully tan the hides but the feel and look of the leather has an edge to it that is impossible to recreate with the more modern chrome tanning process.

Having taken into consideration and having learnt from the mistakes of the first one, this one took shape rather quickly and with far less loss of blood, which is always a bonus. The leather, being a heavier weight than the original, and being heavier than anything I had used before, was surprisingly easy to work with. The case soon resembled what it was supposed to look like with the combination of colours of thread and leather reminiscent of those Hardy’s used back in the day.

MK II

The small window in the side panel is something that Peter specifically requested, although the design was to be a ‘surprise.’ I think that it is a worthy addition and hope the new owner does too.

The interior of the case was an area that I still don’t feel 100% confident with; the velvet and glue are not always good bedfellows, as I did find out. A bit of care and experimenting with various types of glues gave me a growing degree of confidence but the slightest mistake would show up rather obviously, so the whole episode would have to be undertaken with military planning and no alcohol involved. The kitchen table (my workshop!) was now resembling the scrap bin at the ‘Repair Shop’ and the associated grumblings from others in the family, including the dog, made me realise that I would need to find a new home soon, point taken.

As a bit of an update, the reel case has been handed over and discussions are on-going as to the specifications for the next one. I was over the moon and encouraged by the reaction it has got, not only from Peter but a few others that have seen it in the flesh, so much so that I have built a small workshop in the garden that is solely to be used for what my wife calls the ‘kitchen table works.’

I have been keeping a tally of how long it takes to make these and thankfully the hours tally for the second one came in at thirty-three, less than half that of the first. It is the stitching that takes the most time but I am adamant that any and all stitching will only ever be done by hand, keeping with the tradition of the originals.

Writing & Images – Ian Perryman, Autumn 2023