Originally Posted by
webfoot10
I used to make gourd canteens to sell at rendezvous. Not hard to make, just takes time.
You have to scrape the gourd to get them to dry properly. After they are dry, you have
to coat them with shellac or varnish to help keep them from cracking. Then you need to
coat the inside with beeswax. Even coated with wax, the water never tasted that good
and they were very fragile. I use to have my wife make a macramé net around the gourd
with a carry strap. While I sold quite a few, the guys used them mostly for their persona
as a mountain man or colonial soldier for historical reinactments. Fun to make, but not
practical for everyday use, being so fragile.