I plan on making a buckskin case from the deer I recently killed and I need some ideas. Have any of you done this and could you please post pictures of your finished product as well as any tips you may have. I am not new to leather work but i've never made a gun case before. And of course i am trying to keep a very traditional design.
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buckskin gun cases
- Thread starter elkslayer
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J D Hoffman
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Traditional rifle cases had fringe along the muzzle end easier to yank the case of in a hurry! also 3 or 4 inches of the stock was left exposed for the same purpose, not legal for hunting though. I lay my rifle on the pattern material and rough trace a line along the whole length cut it out and fold it over the rifle to check the fit I adjust things if needed and transfer to the leather. I always use Va-la canvas and leather glue on my edge before sewing. Good luck
Well a lot of the mountain man gun cases appear to have straps/slings that might have been worn across the chest. If you hunt on foot and in wooded areas then I think a sling is a good idea because you can case and sling the gun and then have two hands free to deal with the animal. The straps on some cases appear to be stitched around the case leather/buckskin and then beaded. The effect being a beaded band around the case at the point where the sling/strap is attached. I think fringe just on the tip/end might look ok- its PC and less fringe to get in the way of things.
My then-wife gave me a commercial full length leather case about 30 years ago. I don't use it much except for transporting though as it has a zipper on the butt end. I made my own case from scraps left over from my first capote, put fringe on the muzzle end, made it long enough to fold over and tie the butt end closed.
1834 Comanche - image by Catlin
The following are all later period piece but the cut and overall style go back to at least the 1830's - earlier pieces would just not be as heavily beaded.
circa 1880's with shoulder strap
circa 1840's
1860's owned by Kit Carson
circa 1840-50's one of mine based on several originals - it also has a shoulder strap
hope that helps.......alos take a look through the A. J. Miller prints from the late 1830's available at several places in line including here: http://art.thewalters.org/search/?query=alfred+jacob+miller&type=search&all_fields=true
all of the abover were made from braintan as would have been the majority of originals - a some what less expensive alternative is the German Tan from Crazy Crow and they often sell seconds at a reduced price.....
The following are all later period piece but the cut and overall style go back to at least the 1830's - earlier pieces would just not be as heavily beaded.
circa 1880's with shoulder strap
circa 1840's
1860's owned by Kit Carson
circa 1840-50's one of mine based on several originals - it also has a shoulder strap
hope that helps.......alos take a look through the A. J. Miller prints from the late 1830's available at several places in line including here: http://art.thewalters.org/search/?query=alfred+jacob+miller&type=search&all_fields=true
all of the abover were made from braintan as would have been the majority of originals - a some what less expensive alternative is the German Tan from Crazy Crow and they often sell seconds at a reduced price.....
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hoochiepapa
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Labonte,
The butt of the gun sticking out of the scabbard-looks like oak?
The butt of the gun sticking out of the scabbard-looks like oak?
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One thing I can't figure in the Catlin painting is the way that cased gun is riding. I can't imagine what it would be like having that thing outside your leg as you were pounding around on a horse. Spend a little time on a horse, much less a lot, and you're going to want the gun under your leg or in front.
I can't see how it's lashed on either, so maybe a little "artistic license" at work, to better show off the detail of the case.
They're all great examples, in any case.
Thanks! :hatsoff:
I can't see how it's lashed on either, so maybe a little "artistic license" at work, to better show off the detail of the case.
They're all great examples, in any case.
Thanks! :hatsoff:
paulvallandigham
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Fringe on hunting shirts, and gun sleeves were there for a purpose- not merely decoration.
Long fringe was there to serve as short length of thong, that could be quickly cut off, then tied together to make a longer rope if needed.
On the shirts and sleeves, the long fringe served as both camouflage, breaking up the straight line of the edge of the sleeve. It also served to dry the sleeve or shirt quickly after rain, drawing the water off the case, where it will more quickly evaporate from the greater surface area of the fringe, catching wind.
Sadly much of the patterns you see and example you see made and sold of "hunting shirts" have short fringe that does nothing.I must assume that some trader got a big laugh selling such a shirt to some easterner with no experience actually living on the frontier. The shirt traded had been well worn, and all the fringe cut off for one reason or another.
That is the kind of thing that winds up in our modern museums.
I saw a kid's bow and arrow in the Museum of Natural History in Chicago, represented as being what was used to shoot buffalo by plains Indians. Problem was that it was in a Potawatomi Indian display, and that tribe lived in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin until the 1833 Trail of Tears moved the tribe to Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma territory. There had not been any buffalo in Illinois since the 1650s, when the French settlers killed off the herds making money shipping tongues, and livers down to New Orleans for shipping back to France.
I am sure that somewhere back East, fringe was shortened as a fashion statement, even back in the 18th century. But, that does not negate the fact that fringe was originally long, and had multiple purposes in Native American culture. And, those ways were adopted by European hunters, trappers, and traders who lived among the Indians for long periods of the year, adopting their ways, and their dress when their own "store bought" or hand made clothing simply wore out. :hmm: :hatsoff:
Long fringe was there to serve as short length of thong, that could be quickly cut off, then tied together to make a longer rope if needed.
On the shirts and sleeves, the long fringe served as both camouflage, breaking up the straight line of the edge of the sleeve. It also served to dry the sleeve or shirt quickly after rain, drawing the water off the case, where it will more quickly evaporate from the greater surface area of the fringe, catching wind.
Sadly much of the patterns you see and example you see made and sold of "hunting shirts" have short fringe that does nothing.I must assume that some trader got a big laugh selling such a shirt to some easterner with no experience actually living on the frontier. The shirt traded had been well worn, and all the fringe cut off for one reason or another.
That is the kind of thing that winds up in our modern museums.
I saw a kid's bow and arrow in the Museum of Natural History in Chicago, represented as being what was used to shoot buffalo by plains Indians. Problem was that it was in a Potawatomi Indian display, and that tribe lived in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin until the 1833 Trail of Tears moved the tribe to Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma territory. There had not been any buffalo in Illinois since the 1650s, when the French settlers killed off the herds making money shipping tongues, and livers down to New Orleans for shipping back to France.
I am sure that somewhere back East, fringe was shortened as a fashion statement, even back in the 18th century. But, that does not negate the fact that fringe was originally long, and had multiple purposes in Native American culture. And, those ways were adopted by European hunters, trappers, and traders who lived among the Indians for long periods of the year, adopting their ways, and their dress when their own "store bought" or hand made clothing simply wore out. :hmm: :hatsoff:
BrownBear said:
Actually carryinb a rifle in front was common during the RMFT era both in the written doc and in the images of AJ Miller and while not all were held in place some did have a sort of strap that went over the horn to help hold in place. There are several original rifles/guns that weren't carried in a case that show heavy wear on the forestock from rubbing against the front fork.
Having ridden beaucoup miles with a gun in that position I can tell you it's not bad.
