meecesaddlery

Dyed yokes for this project

He is on a ranch in Northern Nevada and it definitely can get downright cold but I don't really think he is going to wear these for any ranch work. I hear ya on the counter productive but you know how people think. Since I moved back to Texas I have tried to convince people that chinks are a lot cooler in the summer but every one wants shotguns in these parts. I just cant understand wearing shotguns when its 110! I'm going to examine the hides this morning and decide whether to piece them together or line.

I was the Chief of Instructor of the Marine Corps Mule packing program in the Eastern Sierras and the customer that sent the hides was a corpsman for a different course. He killed one bear in California and the he ended up with two hides because the tanner felt bad about the one he brought not turning out right. Both where small black bears. Alaska brown or blacks are probably large enough to make from one hide. lol

I have received two small bear skin hides from a customer who wants them made into chinks. I have not made any before or woolies so advice would be appreciated. My plan is to make a base from light chap leather and glue and sew the bear skin to it then apply yokes, side pieces, etc. Ones I have seen appeared to be this way as the bear skin did not wrap completely around the leg but stopped at about the inner pant seam line. Does this sound right and would work well? Is there anything else I might not be thinking of that someone who has done this can advise? I do know I will have to shave down the hair under yokes, etc. to glue like with hair on cowhide but there is always little things that come up in new projects. I also attached the 1st yoke I just finished tooling. Still needs dyeing, antiquing, etc. but comments are welcome on it too.