Plains Moccasins

[Shotgun Willy]

This isn't the first pair of moc's I've made, as I made my little one some side-folds. But it is my second, and the first

hard sole moccasins I've made. It was a good learning experience, and sometime I'll do another pair, as boots.

I used deerskin for the uppers, and vegtan cowhide for the soles. I don't know the weight on the soles, because

the leather was part of some scraps I bought, but it's about 1/4 inch thick.

[Storm]

These look very nice and I love the hard soles They should give a lot of good wear.

Storm

[Leatherimages]

Nice job!

It looks like you stitched, then turned them right side out.

Am I right?

Did you use a tunnel stitch. where the stitch wouldn't show from the bottom?

A thin rubber sole gaurd would make these eternal.

Keep up the good work.

[HARVEY]

This isn't the first pair of moc's I've made, as I made my little one some side-folds. But it is my second, and the first

hard sole moccasins I've made. It was a good learning experience, and sometime I'll do another pair, as boots.

I used deerskin for the uppers, and vegtan cowhide for the soles. I don't know the weight on the soles, because

the leather was part of some scraps I bought, but it's about 1/4 inch thick.

If you take orders for mocs, be sure to ask how and where they plan to use them. Hard rawhide soles on a wooden dance floor can cause the dancer to end up square on their butts (if not careful). Rawhide soles for indoor powwowing can be counter-productive.

Harvey

Los Angeles

[druid]

If you take orders for mocs, be sure to ask how and where they plan to use them. Hard rawhide soles on a wooden dance floor can cause the dancer to end up square on their butts (if not careful). Rawhide soles for indoor powwowing can be counter-productive.

Harvey

Los Angeles

Agreed. I'm a Bagpiper and we wear Ghillie Brogues. Mine have a hard leather sole [unlike cheaper 'Piper's Brogues', which have a rubber one] and I must say they do get slick...both on wedding dance floors and on the street. You should see the slip n slide on wet pavement...

One thing I did to combat this was to take clear tub and tile Latex Caulking and add a layer to the sole. It will wear off eventually but it helps quite a bit.

[Shotgun Willy]

Leatherimages, you're right, they were sewn inside out. As for tunnel stitching, sort of, I think. The stitching's done on an angle so it comes out through the side of the sole. I went to the library and they had a video on how to make these, including instructions on how to make the pattern. These are not that hard to make, but they're by no means a one-size-fits-all moc..

Harvey, the soles on these aren't rawhide, that'd be Apache, and I think they sewed theirs differently. I know what you mean about being slick, though. The vegtan soles about put me on my behind, walking on the carpet. Traction? Not so much. I have been looking at different things to put on the bottom of them, and will probably end up painting them with some sort of rubber.

[druid]

http://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Super_Grip

or

http://www.plastidip.com/home_solutions/Plasti_Dip

either or both should do the trick

[jana]

Very nice looking, what I find interesting is that they look very similar to midevial style turnshoes in the way you have constructed them. Thanks for showing them!

[Leatherimages]

A little more information on the sole gaurd material I was refering to.

It is available from shoe finders, and it's made by several different companies. I use Topy most of the time, but have used other brands. I think it comes in a 36" square sheet, and is about 2mm thin with a very high abrasion resistance, and is quite non-slip even on wet tile.

Any of the contact cements appropiate to leather will work. I'd suggest two coats on the leather and one on the rubber.

One really can expect years and years of wear.

Good Luck.

[Shotgun Willy]

Thank you! Paint on material might be a little easier, but it isn't as durable. This sounds like just the thing.