19th century bison shotgun chaps

[AlZilla]

On 4/24/2023 at 1:44 PM, doubleh said:

Although you did a nice job Dwight is right. I don't keep up with the well dressed cowboy, real or wanna-be,  these days but fringe just looks silly on a guy IMO. 

 

I thought I read somewhere that fringe serves to help wick moisture away.

[billybopp]

8 hours ago, AlZilla said:

 

I thought I read somewhere that fringe serves to help wick moisture away.

You are correct.  Fringe was intended, originally at least, to give water a place to go where it wouldn't soak through the main part of the leather, and allow it to dry more quickly due to the increased surface area.  Attractive nor not, it served a purpose.

- Bill

[fredk]

Fringe also helps keep one cool in hot weather; it catches any light breeze and also acts as a radiator

[doubleh]

Yes, but when you are straddling a horse the sun is mostly on you upper legs, not so much down around where the fringe is on the pictured chaps. Leather is HOT in the summer and damn cold in the winter, no getting around it. I see it as a fad. I live in cowboy country  although I don't see any anymore except the youngsters parked at a cafe with their horses standing in a hot covered trailer while they wear their spurs inside while eating. I never realised a dining chair is so difficult to control.

[chuck123wapati]

Fringe was an American native thing from what i 've read and seen of them in museums I feel they were an embellishment mostly. Native Americans did like to have nice things and their clothes were as much a status symbol as ours are now.  They tied hair to them put beads on them and even dyed them.  I also feel they probably helped break up the human outline so an asset to hunting in them. I'm sure they may wick some of the moisture away but not much although I have not found any definite proof of exactly why they used it.

If any of you folks are ever in CODY visit the museum, one the finest on western American history both native and not, plan on a two day visit! 

[Wild Bill46]

Everyone has opinions Ok enough, mine, is that you did a great job in coming as close as you can to what you were going for !

I love the color, You achieved craftsmanship too  Its, a good thing and a win, Hickock 55

[fredk]

On 4/26/2023 at 7:12 PM, chuck123wapati said:

. . . . I'm sure they may wick some of the moisture away but not much although I have not found any definite proof of exactly why they used it.

When I did a lot of motorcycling I wore gauntlet gloves. An old trick for wet weather riding was to tie some natural string loosely around each wrist and elbow, leaving several tails about 4 or 5 inches long. In the rain those string tails wicked off the water on hands and arms and let the wind take it away. It was surprising how much difference that string made  Kinda like how leather fringe would work

[hickok55]

Thank you Wild bill46

[MikeRock]

Dwight,

Older, as in 1890, and newer ones as well, were tied with the multi hole lace method.  Older ones had more holes to lace, newer ones fewer.  You can date them by the number of holes.

 

[chuck123wapati]

13 hours ago, fredk said:

When I did a lot of motorcycling I wore gauntlet gloves. An old trick for wet weather riding was to tie some natural string loosely around each wrist and elbow, leaving several tails about 4 or 5 inches long. In the rain those string tails wicked off the water on hands and arms and let the wind take it away. It was surprising how much difference that string made  Kinda like how leather fringe would work

Interesting indeed Fred I never knew that. fringe could have started life as a multipurpose thing. if you think about it does add a lot of extra surface area for evaporation. I haven't worn or used enough leather clothes to really know what use they could have originated from i guess. Maybe a i should make me a huntin shirt and do some research  this fall lol.

Hmmm  i wonder if fringe on wool would help now that is a material that wicks down as it dries. My daugther could knit me some fringe on my woolies.