Reel Cases - James Acord's Leather
All reel cases, as all of Jimmy's works, will be made as custom orders only. There is nothing ready-made to purchase.
Jimmy makes custom reel cases for whatever type and size reel you have. They're all hand sewn leather with shearling linings. Or smooth top grain leather can be used for the lining. Findings are solid brass. Anything you want can be hand tooled and painted on the case. (Jimmy doesn't use stamps for any of his work. It's all hand done.) As with all of Jimmy's work, these cases are numbered, dated, and signed.
A variation on the Gunderson Double Reel Case. A new variation on Jimmy's newest design is this double reel case, created for Al Medved of Herminie, PA. With one large image on the front, hand-tooled borders of leaves on both sides of the top, and three initials on the back, Jimmy added a small oak leaf on each end piece of the top. A case ordered with this amount of tooling will cost $600. plus shipping. This style will start at $400 (see case below this one, to view another variation.) Prices go up, according to the amount of carving. There are three sizes for this case, according to your reel size.
This is the inside of the case above. It's fully lined with real shearling. Jimmy makes the case's size according to the reels you're going to carry.
Here you can see the custom-designed and hand-tooled set of initials and the leaf on the endpiece.
Here's a close-up of the brown trout hand tooled and hand painted on the above reel case.
The Gunderson Double Reel Case. Jimmy's newest design is this double reel case, created for Dave Gunderson of Spokane, WA. With one large image on the front and three initials on the back, a case ordered like this one will cost $450 plus shipping. This style will start at $400. Prices go up, according to the amount of carving. There are three sizes for this case, according to your reel size.
Scenic Clamshell Reel Case. This case was made for Lani Waller, ordered by his friend Richard Larsen of Alexandria, VA. The illustration on the top of the case is taken from the cover photo on Waller's book "River of Dreams." As with all of his cases' illustration, Jimmy first hand-carved the design into the leather, before he painted it.
Waller's reel case is fully lined with shearling, and is sized extra large for a specific reel. To order a custom case like this, with an elaborate scene such as this, would cost $600. Prices will be more or less for an order of a scenic reel case, based on size and complexity of artwork.
Coffee Can Style Reel Case
This first reel case is Jimmy's new design. It's styled after an antique reel case Jimmy saw, made in the 20s. This case measures 3"h x 5 1/4"w, with an inside size of 2 3/8"h x 4 3/8"w and lush shearling padding. The case has a Sam Brown closure and a wide leather hinge in back.
This piece is sold, but one like it will cost $300. plus shipping. You can choose any fly or other image, or have more images tooled on, as well, including your initials on the top or bottom. Price will go up as you add on more time consuming work, but this style of case has lots of nice, flat surface for showing off Jimmy's elegant tooled and painted leather hand work.
This is the streamer
fly on the lid of the case shown above. It's a Badger Frey streamer, designed
by Carrie Stevens, who was a famous fly tyer from Maine.
Like all the artwork on Jimmy's leather, he made this fly entirely with slow hand carving, tooling, and painting. Its surface is dimensional, because some of his hand tools lift the surface up, while others flatten it. Without painting, all the detail of the fly would still be present.
You can have Jimmy create any Salmon Fly or other fly, as well as any visual image on the piece you order. He has a vast reference library of flies and fish, but you can even supply him with something you've designed yourself, or your company logo, a landscape photo of a special place, or your pet's image. Because the work is all custom ordered (except for a few pieces he makes up ahead, like this one), you can get exactly what you want in your custom order.
If you want this piece, call him now!
Here
is a reel case Jimmy custom made for a rodbuilder in Austria, in honor
of his graduation from medical school. This design features a very simple
and elegant closure and lid. Order
price starts at $250.
Above: New reel case design with hand carved dry fly and oak leaves. Hand sewn and hand tooled, with sheep shearling lining. $400, plus shipping. The case shown is sold, but you can order one similar to it. Simple reel cases start at $250.
The reel case above was a Christmas order one year. The differences between it and the case above are that the linings are different. This one has a sheep's fleece lining. Also this case is designed differently, having a different loop, gusset, and closure. One like this costs $300. Simple reel prices begin at $250, plus shipping.
Check out the hat. Susi and Jimmy had a bet over whether our nephew Jake would like one of these. Jimmy lost the bet. This was when Jimmy guided Jake through making his own leather belt, his first leather lesson. And now, Jake's taller than Jimmy! Time flies!
James Acord's Leather
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Web site design © Susan Shie 1997-2010. Site opened October 15, 1997. Made on a Macintosh iMac, using Dreamweaver.
This page last updated March 7, 2010.