Questions for Hawk

[Little John]

Mike , I really like yours and Red Hawk"s buckskin clothing. Question is do you make these from scratch? I don't know if I am up to the  tanning or not but surely could cut them out and stitch them together, maybe with a bit of help from some one who knows more than me about sewing. Is the buckskin available comercially ar do you just have to do the tanning? If you make them, what do you use for a patern, surely you don't just take a piece of hard earned brain tanned buckskin and go to cutting, not sure if it will fit or not. How do you pick an authentic style? Look at a lot of old pics? What would be authentic thread to sew with? Sinue? My mother is a master at sewing, might have to enlist her help. I have always been keen on wool for mountain hunting. How does the buckskin perform in nasty weather? Any and all advice apreciated.      Kenneth

[Pat B]

Kenneth, Check out Crazy Crow! they have patterns and most of what you need for authentic buckskins except the brain tanned leather.   

[Little John]

Ok Pat. Who and what is Crazy crow? Do I just type it in and search? Will give it a try.

[Pat B]

Yes, just google it!   They have a supply catalog of Native American and early American attire and necessaries.     

[Little John]

Found it Pat, thanks a lot,a  big help.

[mullet]

  Kenneth, I think wool would be more comfortable in that climate in the long run.

[Little John]

Yep, I thinkk so too Eddie. That wool is hard to beat. I have a couple of wool items earmarked and starred in the Cabellas catalog where my wife might get a hint for her Christmas shopping.

[Pat B]

Kenneth, Check military surplus for German and other northern European countries for good inexpensive pants. The ones I wore in Colorado were $9 each. Others with 6 pockets were $15. Cabellas used to sell them. Do a "military surplus" search on their site.   

[hawkbow]

Kenneth , yes we make our own clothing and sew averything with sinew and leather thongs... I do some of my own tanning but don't have the time anymore, so use skins tanned by someone else... I do not know who tanned Red Hawks skins but am pretty sure he does the same thing as me.. my shirt is just a large elk skin folded in half, i cut a head hole in the center and sew a flap on the front ,the sides are just sewn with leather straps every six inches or so.. another small hide makes the sleeves sewn with sinew and leather... be careful not to have too much fringe along the arms... the fringes will get into your bowstring when you shoot. i smoke my skins over a pine or fir fire to waterproof them and then dye the upper torso with red earth die to break up my outline.. while wearing my skins elk very rarely see me ...i think the contresting color of the smoked hides and red earth dye make me almost invisible while moving through timber.. Red hawk says i would dissapear instantly when we were in the timber together.. and while he was calling bulls for me I would have to see him move to make him out only feet from me.. Sorry brother I am not much help but I will send you a pm of the shirt when i get back from elk hunting next week if you want .. keep to the shadows in the timber brother and happy hunting ,,HAWK a/ho