Harry Marinakis
36 Cl.
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2021
- Messages
- 63
- Reaction score
- 134
Another (Better?) Cow's Knee
I've never been successful at stretching and shaping leather into the desired shape, even thin leather. And I don't have piece of leather from an actual cow's knee. So I've always resorted to cutting and sewing. There's a pattern out there that's commonly suggested for a cow's knee, but I hate that template. I've tried that design, and a few other designs, but I've never really been satisfied with the results. That top seam always bothered me as a weak point in the cut-and-sew design.
So this time I tried something new.
I cut two mirror images of 2/3 oz. leather into the general shape of a real cow's knee, and stitched them together (saddle stitch) with a narrow leather strip over the top seam. This time I am satisfied with the results. It actually looks like a cow's knee, and I'd say that's a leak-proof design.
Finished with a ton of bear grease and beeswax, inside and out (especially the stitching).
HOW TO:
Lay your rifle down on its side on some craft paper, and trace a smoothed outline of your rifle on the paper. Make it look like a cow's knee in profile.
Add about 1/2 inch to the top of the tracing for the seam, and to reach around the top of the lock.
Add an inch or two to the bottom of the tracing to wrap around the trigger guard. You can cut that down to proper size later, after you've completed sewing.
The length of your cow's knee has to be determined at this point, because you can't shorten it later without cutting through the stitching.
Check your paper template against your rifle to ensure that it will actually fit properly. Adjust your template accordingly.
Cut two MIRROR IMAGES from 2/3 or 4/5 oz. (your preference) leather.
Using a 1/4-inch stitching chisel, punch holes along the top edge. I use a 3/16-to 1/4 inch margin between the row of punched holes and the edge of the leather.
Cut another long strip of thin 2/3 oz. leather, at least as long as the top profile of you cow's knee. Cut it about 1-1/2 inches wide with straight edges.
Using the same 1/4-inch stitching chisel, punch a row of holes about 1/4-inch from one edge of this narrow strip. Fold this strip lengthwise over the top seam of your cow's knee to figure out where to punch the parallel row of holes. Once all the holes are punched, trim the margins of the narrow strip as your desire. Again, I use a 3/16 to 1/4-inch margin.
Using a two-needle saddle stitch, stitch the two halves of the cow's knee together with the narrow strip folded over the top of the seam. Stitch all three pieces of leather together at the same time, on the first go. Using a stitching chisel ensures that all of your holes are uniformly spaced and will line up properly.
Trim the completed cow's knee as desired and waterproof. Add straps or ties.
I've never been successful at stretching and shaping leather into the desired shape, even thin leather. And I don't have piece of leather from an actual cow's knee. So I've always resorted to cutting and sewing. There's a pattern out there that's commonly suggested for a cow's knee, but I hate that template. I've tried that design, and a few other designs, but I've never really been satisfied with the results. That top seam always bothered me as a weak point in the cut-and-sew design.
So this time I tried something new.
I cut two mirror images of 2/3 oz. leather into the general shape of a real cow's knee, and stitched them together (saddle stitch) with a narrow leather strip over the top seam. This time I am satisfied with the results. It actually looks like a cow's knee, and I'd say that's a leak-proof design.
Finished with a ton of bear grease and beeswax, inside and out (especially the stitching).
HOW TO:
Lay your rifle down on its side on some craft paper, and trace a smoothed outline of your rifle on the paper. Make it look like a cow's knee in profile.
Add about 1/2 inch to the top of the tracing for the seam, and to reach around the top of the lock.
Add an inch or two to the bottom of the tracing to wrap around the trigger guard. You can cut that down to proper size later, after you've completed sewing.
The length of your cow's knee has to be determined at this point, because you can't shorten it later without cutting through the stitching.
Check your paper template against your rifle to ensure that it will actually fit properly. Adjust your template accordingly.
Cut two MIRROR IMAGES from 2/3 or 4/5 oz. (your preference) leather.
Using a 1/4-inch stitching chisel, punch holes along the top edge. I use a 3/16-to 1/4 inch margin between the row of punched holes and the edge of the leather.
Cut another long strip of thin 2/3 oz. leather, at least as long as the top profile of you cow's knee. Cut it about 1-1/2 inches wide with straight edges.
Using the same 1/4-inch stitching chisel, punch a row of holes about 1/4-inch from one edge of this narrow strip. Fold this strip lengthwise over the top seam of your cow's knee to figure out where to punch the parallel row of holes. Once all the holes are punched, trim the margins of the narrow strip as your desire. Again, I use a 3/16 to 1/4-inch margin.
Using a two-needle saddle stitch, stitch the two halves of the cow's knee together with the narrow strip folded over the top of the seam. Stitch all three pieces of leather together at the same time, on the first go. Using a stitching chisel ensures that all of your holes are uniformly spaced and will line up properly.
Trim the completed cow's knee as desired and waterproof. Add straps or ties.
Last edited:
