How Did They Tan The Hides For Moccasins?

[LongrifleDoc]

I realize that moccasins were worn when shoes wore out and, of course, the Longhunters had access to hides. But how did they quickly tan the hides into leather on a frontier trek?

 

[Oudoceus]

I've read the book but haven't tried it but supposedly one can brain tan a deer hide in a day. I'm sure it would be a long hard day. Has anyone here managed to do this? I know there are some on here that brain tan but I just don't know about this one day stuff! :idunno:

 

[Rat Trapper]

If they needed the mocs right away they even made them out of green hides. From everything I have read, seems like they didn't last very long. Have read were every night they were doing repairs on mocs. I think for that reason if you could afford shoes you bought them.

 

[Rifleman1776]

There are many-many books available on the subject as well as info on the 'net. Do some Googling. From what I have read the mountain men often had indian women who made clothes for them. In an emergency, green or rawhide would work.

 

[necchi]

Having decent Mocc's was a big deal, but the thing is they didn't wait till mocc's wore out then suddenly decide they needed another pair.
A good example is the Lewis and Clark trip, they wore out their footwear fast. Their records say they traded for mocc's and each man carried about 12 pair.
Repair of mocc's was constant, and carrying a section of prepped hide was a simple matter.

You mention Longhunter, for these guy's setting a camp for a few days during a long journey was just part of the trip.

It's really about a different kind of mindset, our modern ways can sometimes mess us up when we try to apply it to historical times.

 

[Rifleman1776]

they didn't wait till mocc's wore out then suddenly decide they needed another pair.

True.
I have read accounts of Rev. Riflemen as they set out to join the war their mothers or wives would help provision them. Included in their packs were extra mocs, often stuffed with jerky for the journey.

 

[LaBonte]

They didn't always tan the hides for mocs since they wore out so fast - just dehaired them and maybe softened them a bit - plenty of references to half-tanned and even rawhide used for mocs..

 

[crockett]

Depends a lot on the area. I'm mostly interested in the mountain man aspect. I think it was common to carry a supply of moccasins or to carry a supply of soles to put on moccasins. Both soft soles and raw hide are mentioned in various sources. In emergencies an animal could be shot and the green hide used. I recall reading that such footwear softened up during the day and then dried and shrunk on one's feet at night.
On how long they lasted? Not long if you were on foot but both mountain men and long hunters did a lot of travel on horses/mules.

 

[omarick1948]

Trying to walk down or up a wet grassy hill was also interesting with raw hide or leather moc's!

Don't ask me how I know!... :rotf:

Rick

 

[whiskey]

during the mountainman era they certainly had to make mocs on occaission but if you read the journals and memiors it seems they would trade for them. For a small bit of trade goods you could get several pair of mocs.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Lotta people agreeing with each other here. :shocked2:
This place going downhill fast.

 

[crockett]

Well, getting back to the original Q. I don't know but it would seem it wouldn't be possible to tan hides quickly while on the trail. My best guess is they brought repair soles with them. When I was a young'n I read Col Townsend Whelan's "On Your Own in the Wilderness" He speaks of native people wearing mocs that wore out in 1-3 days and constantly sewing on new soles.

 

[tenngun]

Looking at 'snow packs' i Have often got the feeling it was just a center seam with a new sole. I also imagined in my mindes eye that side seam from mt man times had a sole cut off and a new hard sole put on...the begging of hard sole mocc of the buffalo hunter period.
The fastest I have ever tanned a hide was two days, I dont see how you could get it done in a day.
We do read of Mt men soaking mocc that had dried tight to the foot at night. A greased green hide cut up and worn as a mocc would dry and have flex areas but remain hard rawhide subject to shinking after being wet.

 

[Rick Son]

I know the indian used green buff hides as bull boats just to cross the rivers.Seems to me if i had wool blanket material i'd be wrapping my brogans or moccs with that tp ptotect for awhile,ride for awhile walk for awhile all in the party trading off.I have a book that talks about a guy that lived in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho,Wild Bill Moreland~he would break into and live in ranger stations and finnally made a key from an old tin can,stole a single shot Stevens Falling Block from one station and took them sometime to catch up to him,when they did he had dish rags for socks and old rubber boots and they key he made around his neck,now this was in the 30s if i remember right and he was sleeping in a hollowed out old log ,but he was resourceful as all get out.The title of the book is Living off the land in the city and the country,by Ragnor Benson,if ya see it get it.

 

[George]

Some related items:

Caught up with marauding Indians... “They had killed a buffaloe & were busily engaged in cooking & making moccasins of the raw hide.”

Palliser, 1840s, Solitary Rambles, “Before leaving Settlements, provide yourself with lead, tobacco, coffee, sugar, salt, needles, awls, strong thread, and shoemaker’s wax, and also one or two dressed skins, for making and mending moccasins;”

Spencer Records “They wore moccasins made of deer skin. The deer skin was also home tanned. The tanning was often done with oak bark; “

Buffalo Bird Woman, Hidatsa Indian “In olden times every warrior carried a bag of soft skin at his left side supported by a thong over his right shoulder; in this bag he kept needles, sinews, awl, soft tanned skin for making patches for moccasins,” and “Old tent covers, as I have said, were cut up for moccasins,”

Gen. Ssmuel Dale, 1813-14 “I wore a hunting shirt of rust brown color, homespun pants, moccasins and leggings of dressed buckskin,”

“Rabbit toe moccasin”¦ The shoes are made of dressed deer or moose skin without the hair. ”¦” ~Andrew Graham, Hudson’s Bay, 1760’s

Smyth 1784 “On their feet they sometimes wear pumps of their own manufacture, but generally Indian moccossons, of their own construction also, which are made of strong elk’s or buck’s skin, dressed soft as for gloves or breeches,”

Pension Application of Philip Harless 1779 “”¦ a part of the men from the garrison where he was stationed persued after the Indians to rescue a prisoner and persued on untill some of them become bear footed and was compelled to make Mocquinsans out of raw Deerskins.”

Osborne Russell, Journal of a Trapper “”¦ his hose are pieces of Blanket lapped round his feet which are covered with a pair of Moccassins made of Dressed Deer Elk or Buffaloe skins.”

1746 “Lost”¦ eight buck skins, dressed and smoaked, and four dressed in oil”¦”

1767 “STOLEN”¦ 22 drest buckskins of brained leather, ready smoaked”¦”

1769 “BROKE open and robbed”¦ 1 middling buckskin, 1 small ditto, English dressed”¦”

1778 “Was broke open”¦ seven skins of brained leather”¦”

Spence

 

[tenngun]

If you live on a diet of wild meat you may eat from 6-10 lbs aday. If you take 100 lbs of meat from a deer(bigger then most I get)Thats 1 deer size animal every 10 days,36 per year. A brigade of a dozen men would be eating one or more deer sized animals per day.You could get 3 or 4 one piece moccs from a deer skin. Thus in theory you could make about 100 pair of moccs per year just from byproduct of dinner. Just some food for thought or food for feet.

 

[crockett]

Thanks for the good information. Sort of goes along with my general sense that normally soft or "dressed" hides were used but if no other existed- then green hide.
Off hand you would think the rawhide would last longer and hence preferred but if one was on horseback most the day- might not have made that much difference.

 

[wulf]

You nailed it...back when the ndn's used buffalo
hides on their lodges. The upper part was tanned and smoked well from the fires inside. That part
made perfect mocs which wore better and lasted longer.....When they went to canvas lodges things
changed..
Wulf

 

[George]

Finally found a reference about quick tanning which I've been looking for. I knew I had it squirrel away, somewhere.

From _ A New Voyage to Carolina; Containing the Exact Description and Natural History of That Country: Together with the Present State Thereof. And A Journal of a Thousand Miles, Travel'd Thro' Several Nations of Indians. Giving a Particular Account of Their Customs, Manners, &c._, by John Lawson, 1674-1711, printed 1709

"They wear Shooes, of Bucks, and sometimes Bears Skin, which they tan in an Hour or two; with the Bark of Trees boil'd, wherein they put the Leather whilst hot, and let it remain a little while, whereby it becomes so qualify'd, as to endure Water and Dirt, without growing hard. These have no Heels, and are made as fit for the Feet, as a Glove is for the Hand, and are very easie to travel in, when one is a little us'd to them."

Spence