Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: swamp monkey on December 16, 2010, 09:09:18 pm

Title: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: swamp monkey on December 16, 2010, 09:09:18 pm: Skinning river otters is tough. Tanning them to be soft is even tougher. Then to cut them with a razor ups the tension. I sewed, I glued, I sewed a whole bunch more and after 10 years i have a quiver and bow case made to plains style (more or less). I bet there are several hundred hours in this project. The beading alone took almost 23-30 hours. What do ya'll think? Is it OK for a first time?

Whew.

Now I have to finish the arrows and make a plains style bow that really should fit in that case. The bow in there now is my son's Osage self bow. It is only a place holder - Sorry son. Perhaps you and I can make one together (from some other critter !)
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: Sparrow on December 16, 2010, 10:04:51 pm: Whoa ! Thats awful purty. I reckon that is for when you are all duded up, going to the pow wow. Nice work ' Frank
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: nugget on December 16, 2010, 10:59:27 pm: Super nice. Worth every hour you put in it.
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: beetlebailey1977 on December 16, 2010, 11:13:15 pm: That is very fine work from what I can see. I want to make one of those also from otter. Its in my plans anyway.
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: Pat B on December 17, 2010, 12:26:06 am: Very nice quiver and bow case. I know how much work they take. I made a Plains style quiver out of a coyote hide and it was plenty of work...and the hide was store bought! ::)
Your detail work is great. Very nice! 8)
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: Pappy on December 17, 2010, 06:19:11 am: Beautiful work,that this is great. :)
Pappy
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: BearG on December 17, 2010, 10:06:49 am: Man I can't believe you would post that.
Just kidding that is great. Love the bead work.
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: medicinewheel on December 17, 2010, 01:50:32 pm: Pretty darn good first attempt!
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: jonathan creason on December 17, 2010, 02:45:52 pm: Wow, beautiful quiver!
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: leapingbare on December 17, 2010, 06:53:39 pm: Amazing!
did you brain tan it?
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: swamp monkey on December 17, 2010, 10:16:34 pm: shucks fellas, At first I was expecting stones and other harshness. You folks are being very kind.

Leaping bare: nope I alum tanned these which is enough to preserve the hide but not make it water proof like chromium tanning would do.

BearG: love the humor.

Everyone else thanks for being so supportive! It makes going out on a limb much easier. Thanks.
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: thomas h on December 18, 2010, 12:05:09 am: that is some fine work
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: Kolton on December 20, 2010, 11:01:49 am: Great work it sure is nice
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: PeteC on December 20, 2010, 08:49:31 pm: That is a beautiful quiver swamp monkey.Great job. God Bless
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: AndrewS on December 23, 2010, 07:33:58 am: Great work!
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: ohma on December 23, 2010, 12:17:17 pm: great job on that.the more i look at that style quiver the more i like them.
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: stickbender on December 26, 2010, 02:55:23 am: Dang Boy, that is nice. :o ;D ;D But I think, you should send it down here to me so I can take a closer look, at it, and if I find any flaws, I will discretely dispose of it, so you won't be embarrassed, and ridiculed by these other uncouth louts on here. ;D Mind you I am only doing this so you won't have to deal with sharp tongued curmudgeons on here. ;D But I think it is beautiful! :o I mean from what I can see, so I think you should send it to me so I can give it a closer inspection...... ::) ;D Nice work! Hard work, and skill, and patience came together! ;)

Wayne
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: Hillbilly on December 26, 2010, 09:54:52 am: Great work, that's something to be proud of.
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: 22arrows on December 27, 2010, 02:11:57 pm: Very nice!
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: swamp yeti on January 01, 2011, 02:57:40 pm: That is really nice work.
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: JackCrafty on February 11, 2011, 06:20:55 pm: Wow! Don't know how I missed this one. That is one awesome quiver!! :)
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: Barrage on February 11, 2011, 07:47:17 pm: That is just awesome. 8)
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: okiecountryboy on February 12, 2011, 01:10:03 am: Hey Swamp Monkey
Stickbender stole my thunder...I was going to say that first!!! ;D
I've put a lot of work into gun cases, and various other leather beaded Items.....All I can say about your project is.......Holy Cow! :o Wow! :o Dang! :o I could come up with more, but I think you get the idea.
That is some kind of artwork. Proud to see it!
Thanks for sharing.

Ron
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: Lee Slikkers on February 22, 2011, 02:22:39 pm: Stunning work...again, (I am sounding like a broken record) this site has some amazingly talented individuals on here. That bead work and construction is impressive. I also can't get over the pace at which some of you folks create your pieces and the shear variety of the implements.

I DO know that whenever I see a thread started by Swamp Monkey it's one I will read immediately!

Thanks for sharing...
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: theleatherk on February 24, 2011, 10:55:01 am: If going out on a limb were easy, everyone would do it. ;D

VERY nice piece, sir. The beading looks better than novice as I'm sure you became better than novice through the 20+ hours of hard learnin'. Damn fine job. ;)
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: bareshaft12 on February 26, 2011, 12:26:38 pm: :o wow an that is awesome,great work.Can you tell me how much something like that cost in material?
Title: Re: My first attempt at a Plains style quiver and bow case (river otter)
Post by: swamp monkey on February 26, 2011, 04:05:52 pm: Beads - less than $20
red flannel - around $10
thread $3
hardwood pole and leather for quiver cup $5
otter pelts. I used six. So either you have to obtain skin, flesh tan and soften six hides or purchase them. I do not know what an otter hide goes for today but would not expect them to be lower than $75 a piece. Either way you will REALLY think long and hard before you make the first cut on such beautiful pelt. Either you worked it and it is valuable, or you paid for it and it is valuable. I tfeels like cutting the Mona Lisa's canvas.

I got a lot of design tips from Jim Hamm's book Bow and Arrows of the Native Americans

My next quiver will be a coyote but that may take some time. I only have one hide so far. I need another and then the fun begins.