If you make your own Tiger Cub Immediate Recognition from leather...

[kari_cardi]

Can you tell me how to do this? I have leather, I have some leather working tools, but I am not sure how to design my own totem. Does it need to look like the plastic one? Does it fasten to the belt or the pocket button?

 

TIA!

[ScoutNut]

Why are you making your own Tiger Totem?

 

The cost is comparable. The BSA Totem might even come out cheaper because you get the beads with it.

 

That said, my Pack did our own combined Tiger/Wolf/Bear totem a few years back when the BSA Wolf/Bear totem was recalled.

 

I purchased a large sized leather arrowhead shape for the totem. Using a leather punch, I punched holes along the sides and bottom edges for the lanyards and beads. I also punched a hole at the top, and attached a loop to hang it from their pocket button. Final touch was to stamp Pack ### on the face of the arrowhead.

[ScoutLass]

You can purchase the precut, preholed immediate rec. fobs from Tandy leather. The discounted price for scout packs is $3 for three fobs. You then decorate them as you want. If you don't have a Tandy factory in your area, they take phone orders. The fob item # is 47100-11

[kari_cardi]

ScoutNut, the idea of making my own is appealing because I think the official version is tacky and hard to use. It is difficult to button and unbutton and the plastic laces don't hold beads very well. We have a small den so the cost isn't as important as it could be.

 

ScoutLass, thank you for help. I'll check it out!

[scouts-a-lot]

http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/search/searchresults/4452-25.aspx?feature=Product_6&kw=fob

 

Here is what you are looking for.

[ScoutNut]

You will find the same plastic laces on the Wolf/Bear Immediate Recognition Totem.

 

There is a trick to keeping the beads on the slippery plastic laces.

 

After putting the beads on, do not tie a knot in the lace below the last bead. Instead, take the last bead, slip it on the lace, then take the end of the lace, coming out of the bottom of the bead, and bring it around the bead and back into the hole in the top of the bead. Pull the lace tight, and if you have left about 1-2 inches of lace hanging below the bead, the bead will not slip off of the lace (without help that is!).

[kari_cardi]

Thanks, I found it!

 

ScoutNut, we've tried that trick. I don't know why it doesn't work for us, but we still lose beads. I think I might have fidgety boys who play with them. I know that natural fiber cords work better for us, and I like the idea of moving the totem to the belt. So I thought we could try making our own leather version this year and see how that works out.

[ScoutNut]

Belt totems never really worked well for us. Back when BSA first had Tigers use a totem it was on their belt because they wore t-shirts, and not the blue uniform. However many of our little guys did not wear belts, so their totems ended up sitting in a drawer at home. The ones that did were constantly wacking them on the floor while playing games.

 

Fast forward to today. Our Tigers in the blue uniform, STILL do not always wear a belt. Actually, very few of any of our Cubs do unless they have a bunch of belt loops they want to show off. Most do wear their uniform shirt however.

 

This is the leather shape we use for our Pack Totems -

 

http://www.ssww.com/item/leather-shape-arrowhead-LE3037/cmc=SRCH/v=YXJyb3doZWFk/p=1/

 

Have fun making your leather totems, and I hope they work well for you!