"calf's knees"

[Bunyan]

While sitting in a drizzly stand on saturday I got to thinking about making one of those calf's knees I've heard about to cover the action on my flintlock. Are these actually made from a calf's knee or is it called that because it looks like one? Can I make one from some deerhide? Or do I need to use a deer's knee? Sadly, I'm being serious. Thanks!

 

[fatboy]

I have used deer hide and water proofed it and use 2 leather thongs cut from the same peice of hide or leather bootlace to tie it on. I just lay it over the lock and have it cut long enough so it covers well you will be suprised at how well this helps. If you dont want to make one check out the leatherman http://www.blackpowderbags.com/cgi-bin/miva?Merchant2/merchant.mv+Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TLM&Product_Code=LC-900&Category_Code=AC

 

[roundball]

FYI...I have a Leatherman 'cow's knee'...good quality and not expensive...and I found that it works great for tying it on while walking to & from stand locations in the dark to keep branches from catching in the lock mechanism.

But once on stand ready to hunt, I take it off and put it in my pocket, and I just keep the lock area of the rifle up under my hunting coat where it's warm and dry...don't have to worry about taking anything off when a deer comes into view

 

[ibson]

I just made 3 of them the other day out of some scrap deerhide I had laying around. One for me and two from my brothers. Took me a little over an hour as they are so increadibly easy to make yourself. I used the pattern described in Mark Baker's "A Pilgrim's Journey". I waterprofed them by melting in a mix of beeswax and lard. Works terriffic and a hand made one looks better too.

 

[Bunyan]

Thanks guys! I think I'd like to make my own. Is the hide you're using tanned or raw? Is it buckskin or is the hair still on it? If its tanned is a brain tanned hide better than the modern chemical processed skin?

 

brain tanned or comercial dosen't matter. You are going to saturate it with grease, until it will hold no more, in the waterproofing process. Even rawhide will get flexable with enough of this treatment!

 

[Stumpkiller]

I'm using waxed (beeswax& mutton tallow 50:50) deerskin (side, not knee) currently, but have one made from canvas treated with asphault cut in turpentine that rolled up smaller for carrying in a pouch. That one eventually developed thin spots and was a bit messy to produce.