doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com British Cartridge Bags - Canvas or Leather?

Gentleman:

As I fall deeper into the transition to "nicer things," I plan on ordering a cartridge bag and gun slip with my initials placed on them.

In your experiences, what are the pros and cons of canvas VS leather? I like the durability of a canvas and leather slip. Do the canvas bags hold up?

Thank you in advance for any input.

I feel like it would heavily depend on the construction. Not all materials are created equal.

All things the same, I'd say canvas will run lighter than a full grain leather bag. Leather is more easily refurbished with treatments, in my experience with the products.

I hope you like the "nicer things" better than I did. I bought a very nice leather British style cartridge bag several years ago and might have used it once. It does not fit my style. It's stiff and cumbersome. I much prefer my old McAlister oiled canvas bag. It's just a lot more "me".

Oh yeah, the canvas bags hold up very well. Mine is still going strong after probably 15 years of hard duck hunting, and other uses as well.

SRH

Of the loaders I saw last August in Yorkshire, all used leather cartridge bags. I'm sure some of our UK friends will have a more informed opinion.

My view from the UK - is that leather is considered 'better quality'. It is certainly more expensive - and I suspect if well looked after would last longer. I have a leather bag, bought new 40 years ago. It remains in excellent condition despite a lot of use ........ but so does its canvas shoulder strap!
It is easier to wipe mud from leather.
Personally, I'd buy leather, but most important is the quality, stitching, strap attachments (some the strap goes right round underneath to take the weight) whichever material you choose.

Buy a nice leather cartridge bag and give it to your wife as a purse. After a couple of years, maybe less, you'll get it back to use as a cartridge bag.

Just to be controversial I use both canvas and leather cartridge bags. On a driven pheasant day you quite often have a drive or two that are for partridges only. I like to use different cartridges for partridges than for pheasants hence the use of two bags to easily select the correct ones. I much prefer the leather bag, it is softer and more comfortable to use. I find the canvas bag stiff and unyielding even though it is 15 years older than the leather one. As previously mentioned a leather bag is easy to wipe down after use in a muddy field whereas the canvas bag has to be brushed hard to get the muck out of the woven surface of the canvas.
bob

I've used a leather-trimmed canvas cartridge bag on several driven shoots in Scotland. British-made (Croots). Very little sign of wear. Seems to work OK to keep my powder dry in the rain.

I have started using one (leather) when shooting clays. The courses where I can walk it seems better to use one of them then carry a regular sporting bag loaded with shells.
I can just throw the speedbag over my shoulder.

I like the bags for walking clays courses. Have a small canvas use for 20 only bought from a friend, it works ok but won't stay open very well. My leather bag from Patrick Leather in Birmingham is just right. Durable easy to clean and top quality. Patrick also sells a Canvas bag that appears to be high quality. Might get one of his for 20 G only.

Patrick under the JP Shooter brand sells direct,, web site has little detail best phone him. If you google Farlows Pall Mall they have photos of Patrick's bags and Gun slips. Looked at many never found better quality.

Boats