Do-It-Yourself Leather Battery Covers

I really like old, beat up leather details to contrast all the metal on a motorcycle. Leather battery boxes or covers can be made out of things like old ammo pouches or they can be handmade. The one pictured here is by Old Empire Motorcycles. Here's what you'd need to make your own. 

Old Empire Motorcycles 

There's a Tutorial at Boardtrack Primer for making the basic one shown below. Here's a little how-to:

1. Get some tooling leather or any 8 oz utility leather from Tandy Leather.

2. Using posterboard or heavy paper, cut a pattern

3. Trace the pattern onto your leather. Leave an extra 1/32" to fit your battery. 

4. Measure and mark your stitch holes with a ruler.

5. Use a leather punch (for big holes) or an awl (for small holes) to punch your stitching holes. 

6. Lace your preferred stitch pattern

7. Instead of stitching, you can use rivets and a hand riveter to fasten the sides together. 

Inspiration!
This one is from the Club Chopper Forums:

Other examples:

from Biker Net

WWII ammo pouches show how the leather parts are put together.

Steampunk-inspired pieces replace stitching with rivets.

Classic Living Room Designed by Timothy Oulton

I went to work this morning and when I got back, my wife had rearranged the furniture... I like it. 

designed by Timothy Oulton

Leatherface

I like helmets and masks, I don't think that's a secret. The Ukrainian workshop called Bob Basset is full of artistic geniuses. Petrov and his group have done these leather masks for several years and are now showing up on the fashion catwalks. I wish I would have had one of these leather mask-helmets all through elementary school because I would have worn it everyday.
And I mean in the classroom.

Imagine if C-3PO or Darth Vader and the Sandpeople had been designed for some Victorian, nuclear apocalypse. That's what these look like. There's currently one on eBay. Click links for tons more examples of Petrov's work.

I wonder if I could make one of these for riding? Or time travel?