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Post by bamaman on May 23, 2008 8:34:39 GMT -5
OK, I'm making a pair of brain tanned bucskin pants. This is the first thing I've ever made out of buckskin. I have the buckskin and it's beautiful...
My question is this. I read that you're supposed to cut only with the grain of the leather with the head up. I have tried and tried and I just can't seem to get the big pieces of the pattern to fit on the skins I have without having the grain go at a slant on the pants. Is that really that big of a deal? I read that it won't 'hang right' but I really don't have any experience to know if I should get some more buckskin or if it will be ok.
What do y'all think?
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Post by joanne2 on May 23, 2008 9:13:17 GMT -5
I would get more. Or learn how to braintan yourself.. it's why most do.
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Post by joanne2 on May 23, 2008 9:29:55 GMT -5
here is a picture of my jeans pattern style buckskin pants that I took when they were in 'the works'. I placed the pattern on the skins correctly. Maybe you can tell this by the way they hang They're quite comfortable to wear and should last a good long while.
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Post by bamaman on May 23, 2008 10:51:27 GMT -5
Yeah, that's what I thought... thanks for your reply. I am planning on learning to brain tan myself, but I just don't have a good space to do it right now.
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Post by joanne2 on May 23, 2008 20:21:12 GMT -5
sorry to hear that.
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Post by beaudro on May 24, 2008 9:55:10 GMT -5
Bamaman, welcome to the world of braintan! Sounds like you have the same problem many of us have, especially where the deer are small. Myself I run across about 4 to 6 hides each year that are big enough to work with for pants. Thats not very many considering I'll tan about 20 to 30. Often I end up trading or buying to get what I need. But either buying it or making it yourself it has a huge value, I try to get the most out of it by making something i'm really proud of. To make it all pay off, I try to be as authentic as I can. A little bit of research goes a long way on this. In the days of a rocky mountain fur trapper his clothing was made really well. Most people of the times knew more about sewing than normal people do today. They had a flair for style and a need for quality. So to answer your question, yes, leather was cut in a proper manner, and if you can, it is best to do the same. However, I have cheated before, and you can get away with this because we don't live in these clothes as our trappers did. I've made a few pair that ended up with the thin section of the hide in the knees, and butt. Thats not very desired, but after getting the pants wet, greasy , bloody, and packed with dirt and horse crap I didn't notice much difference as I wore them for a few years. I would use some judgement doing this though, if you think you'll wear holes in them too quick I'd wait for a bigger hide to make them from. If pants (britches, pantaloons) are what you need, but can't find big enough hides you could always make knee breeches, I really like mine, i can wear them in the summer. They don't wear out as bad either, I don't get them near as wet. You can always make leggings out of smaller hides also, and wear a light cotton or linen knee breeches. It would only take two small hides to make decent leggings, and they can be taken off in warm weather, or if your wading a creek.
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Post by paskinner on May 24, 2008 10:21:30 GMT -5
I would peice them below the knees if your hides aren't long enough, (take a look at the pic of billy's pants on this forum) or do like beaudro said and make breeches and leggings. I don't know if it's cheating, but a drawstring waist is easiest, so when the hide stretches a bit you can still keep them up!
I like the "jeans" Joanne. I keep saying I'm going to make some for work pants. I get tired of wearing out the knees on bluejeans all the time.
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Post by oregondoc on May 27, 2008 11:07:04 GMT -5
Just my 2 cents. From what I have read is that the trappers after living in the skins everyday and constantly wading in the creeks, took its toll on the bottoms of thier britches. It was common to replace the lower part of the legs altogether and often with wool blanket. I have seen a few skinners with this style and it does look pretty good , but it isnt in common fashion that you see all the time. I live in a wet part of the world and I tell you, after spending a few days with the bottoms of my britches wet, I think that wool around the bottom might just be my next pair! Jon
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Post by Buckskin Billy on May 27, 2008 15:30:38 GMT -5
i made my pants from 4 small hides that i pieced together. i took care and made sure that the seam is below the knee, so it don't cut into you when bending. also. i didn't have enough hide at the neck to cover my backside. so i turned mine upside down. the neck part of the hide is at my feet. seems to work fine. the main thing is to make the stretch run up and down
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Post by bamaman on May 28, 2008 17:20:36 GMT -5
thanks for the input everyone. I have waited to cut the leather until I decided the best way to do what I wanted with it. I think I can get the pieces for the front of the legs to come off the same hide without having to piece it together. The back is the real problem and Im going to try and do a seam across the back of the legs below the knee to take care of that issue. I think it'll add a little character and the more I've mulled it over I like the idea the best.
I'll post pics of them when I'm done. Thanks again for all the input!
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Post by badhand on Jun 2, 2008 21:22:38 GMT -5
I pieced my pants down by the cuff I used 3 big hides (one for fringe) and part of another for the pieces at the cuff. and here is a really bad picture of me wearing them.
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Post by joanne2 on Jun 2, 2008 21:39:16 GMT -5
Beg ta differ with ya, George.. I think that's a great pic!
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Post by Buckskin Billy on Jun 2, 2008 21:43:36 GMT -5
nice pants george
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Post by bamaman on Mar 23, 2009 21:53:16 GMT -5
I just wanted to post a pic of how my pants turned out. For my very first project I think they turned out pretty good.
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Post by Buckskin Billy on Mar 23, 2009 22:29:31 GMT -5
very fine work. where did you get your pattern from. really nice pants
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