Members Wyvern Posted June 27, 2009 Members Report Posted June 27, 2009 OH MY, such awsome work! Please do tell us how you distress that leather like that! Quote Slainte, Sonas, agus Beartus wyvernleatherworks.com
Members ChuckBurrows Posted July 17, 2009 Author Members Report Posted July 17, 2009 (edited) Sorry to be slow responding - got busy and lost track of where I posted this - too many forums too little time! Anyway glad ya'll enjoyed the view so to speak...........now to see if I can answer some questions... Can you please recommend a book to learn the beading that you do? Howdy David - I just got me another flint fowler and have a rifle in the works.... Books - there are in fact several and I recommend perusing as many as possible but if I had to nail it down I'd say my two favorites are: The Technique of North American Indian Beadwork by Monte Smith A Beadwork Companion: A Step by Step Illustrated Workbook for Beading Projects by Jean Heinbuch You can also garner some info on the www.nativetech.org site http://www.nativetech.org/glasbead/glasbead.html to look at a bunch of original work: http://anthro.amnh.org/anthropology/databa...orth_public.htm http://www.nmai.si.edu/searchcollections/home.aspx http://www.splendidheritage.com/nindex.html For fur trade era work I also recommend the pre-1850 beadwork article by Allen Chronister in the Book of Buckskinning VIII For this period I use 8/0 or 10/0 beads and like the French or German Old Time Color beads from Crazy Crow Please do tell us how you distress that leather like that! Howdy Wyvern - not trying to cop out but that's not easy to do since there is no simple 1,2,3 method or is it a quick one - it all depends on the materials used (type of leather , etc.) and the "look" you want........ On this particular piece I used a series of methods: 1) Actual smoking 2) Staining with coffee and black walnut dye 3) Rubbing and buffing to show wear 4) Greasing - using a mix of bear oil (pure lard is a good substitute) and beeswax 5) Hanging out in the weather to age naturally - hot sun, wind, rain all add to the patina....also rubbing it down with dirt.... 7) Bead aging - sorry but I have to consider that a proprietary method since it's taken considerable time and effort to develop it and I'm the only one doing it at least professionally that I know of..... Time wise this took several weeks to achieve the look I got.......basically you want to age it by using pretty much the same materials and methods that would naturally age it but you are accelerating the wear and tear....... Also some folks elsewhere wanted to see the bag I retired (it didn't stay retired long - someone made me an offer I couldn't refuse! it's on it's way to a new home with a few changes to make the strap fit) I've carried this rig from SE Alaska to Northern Mexico, and from the West Coast to Chadron, NE - like my ole bod it's got lots of mileage. The horn is buffalo with a deer antler and wood plug - it is courtesy of a friend from one of the first buffalo taken in the early 1970's with a muzzle loader. The bag body is covered with mink that I trapped - the body design was inspired by the Mariano Modena bag, which I got to see and measure firsthand in 1974. The beaded flap was based on an original 1850's era Crow Shot Bag. The interior has two compartments. The whole thing is lined with lightweight cow hide. The small beaded piece on the back strap is for holding a cleaning jag and the cap horn (the same one shown above) is attached via a forged iron hook on the horn and a D-Ring on the bag. The flap "tie" is human hair - back in the day a long haired buddy of mine and I used to bet hair locks in our shooting contests. The silver Kachina I picked up on my first trip through the Southwest in 1965. The toggle on the back is a piece of buffalo bone from the same buffalo as the horn. While most of it is based on original pieces it is my own style. The bead size, pattern, etc. are based on the historical knowledge base of the early 1970's - we've learned a bit more since then about details. Still it is a pretty good piece, but would be historically more appropriate for the late 1840's and early 1850's rather than the 1820's and 30's. and for a bit of humor - here is Himself with the bag on (though it can't be seen well) back in 1974 - 35 years younger and 60 pounds lighter (I'm 6' and weighed 180 at the time....)- pic was taken in the Big Horn Mtns outside of Buffalo, Wyoming at the 1974 NMLRA western rendezvous... Edited July 17, 2009 by ChuckBurrows Quote Wild Rose Trading Company Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
Members SteveJ Posted July 21, 2009 Members Report Posted July 21, 2009 Chuck my man , you are my hero. That's the type of work I aspire to. I love the toggle idea that tucks under your belt and holds the bag against the body. So simple , I love it. Your bags and accoutrements are outstanding. So , you actually got to examine Mariano Modena's pouch? What a treat ! Thanks for sharing sir , and enjoy the new flinters Quote
David Posted July 21, 2009 Report Posted July 21, 2009 (edited) Chuck, Thanks so much for the great information and please don't forget to post pictures of those new rifles when you have them finished. Or better yet, some in-progress pictures. Best to you David Theobald Edited July 21, 2009 by David Quote
Members ChuckBurrows Posted July 22, 2009 Author Members Report Posted July 22, 2009 Steve - thank you for your generous words and if I can offer any advice feel free to ask. And yes examining old originals is a special joy........ David - You're welcome and I for one look forward to seeing some beadwork. BTW - the German Tan sold by Crazy Crow is an excellent substitute for real braintan and iseconds are currently on sale at a much reduced price, especially if you have a business license and can thus order whole sale. I use a lot of it for cost effectiveness for thos customers who can't/won't pay the price for real braintan, but then again there is nothing exactly like good real braintan. As for the rifle build - it will be a while since I need to get caught up on the bills. I do have a 45 caliber percussion trade style rifle that I'm planning on gussying up Indian style with rawhide repairs, tacks, etc and then age the whole thing. I also plan on doing something similar to my smooth bores as well but probably not to the same degree as the trade rifle. Right now I'm catching up on past due orders, but will plan on taking some ITW pics........ Quote Wild Rose Trading Company Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
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