lets see your moccasins

[jasontn]

i got a good pair of handmade moccasins, but they are thin deer hide and wanted to make my own. i bought a pair of hardsoles in a kit from crazy crow and also got a pair of smoke and fire center seams from ebay. working the bugs out of the center seams ones first trying to make them up and would like to see what you guys moccasins look like.i may wind upadding a vamp to the center seams to make them fit right i have a wide foot.
jason

 

These are traditional Delaware moccasins made of smoked deerskin. Center seam puckered toes. Just plain trail mocs.

Detail of pucker.

Here are some dress moccasins made of brain tanned and smoked deerskin. The same pattern as above but with silk ribbon and beads in a applique pattern made by my sis.

 

[Bubba45]

Cooner54,did you make the trail mocs? They look comfortable :thumbsup:

 

[Okwaho]

These trail mocs are very typical of the traditional Eastern woodland Indian centerseam moc with a puckered toe.You will see a moccasin pattern with a V in the front and when building the moc you have to start sewing under the toe with no pucker.These are incorrect and I call them Santa Claus elf mocs.The ones Cooner illustrates are typical of the Canada to Florida range except that Southeastern mocs are often sewn with a thong starting at the toe with a somewhat exaggerated pucker and when finished they will often have the thong end in the shape of a triangle sticking out in the front.
Tom Patton

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Gottem in 88, still going strong

 

[jasontn]

thanks guys. coner the ones im working on now look like the first pair you posted. i was wondering about the toe it looked kinda pointy to me but seeing they are so much like yours looks like i was worried for nothing. thanks

 

They can and do look pointed at the toe if you don't pull the pucker tight so it will come up and over to the top of the toes. The forward part of the moccasin needs to be cut in a semi circle.Very blunt before you begin to stitch.

 

Bubba, I did make the top pair of moccasins. My sister made the dress moccasins for me several years ago and I only use them for very special occasions.

 

[fobeknat]

Beautiful mocs - both pairs :bow: Do you have any suggestions on patterns? The only detailed ones I have found online are at Native Tech and are the abovementioned "Santa Claus Elf shoes." :rotf: I am willing to buy a pattern if I know it is a good one. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bubba45]

Where did you get the pattern? I have a good size hunk of elk hide to make a pair from :grin:

 

I made the pattern off of my own feet using a paper bag for paper. Fold it in half and stand on the fold. Take a pencil and draw a semi circle around you foot giving about 1 " at the toe. The distance across the ankle area of the pattern should be the distance around your foot just in front of the ankle. Give yourself about 2" at the heel to the edge of the pattern. Better to have too much here than too little. This area gets shorter as you sew the toe and pull tight for the pucker. I will try to post some pix of the pattern with further explanation tomorrow. I can not tonight. :thumbsup:
Good supple elk will work fine. Antelope, moose, elk, deer, even goat I reckon. As long as it is supple and will give tight puckering.

 

[Bubba45]

The elk hide I have is the chrometan variety but very soft and supple.I look forward to your directions :thumbsup:

 

[Twisted_1in66]

Where did you get the pattern? I have a good size hunk of elk hide to make a pair from :grin:

Here's a link to some good instructions for making the Pucker Toe Mocassins. Note the stitching on the top of foot on left pair is 19th century and the stitching on the top of the foot of the right pair is 18th century. Both will give you the pucker toe.

Twisted_1in66 :hatsoff:

 

There you are fellas. The pattern labeled 18th c. is the same pattern except the pattern needs a more rounded toe or they will be pointed. Also, the stitching is the same except on Delaware mocs the last 2" on the arch is whipped. These are sewn inside out and then turned when finished. Put a smooth piece of wood in the moc and pound thd stretch the seam flat. You are ready to go.Here is a picture of a Delawre NDN mountain man in the west name of Black Beaver. I believe the trail mocs I made are the same ones depicted in this photo. Traditional Delawre mocs haven't changed in cut over the last 300 years. Just the style of decoration. Those 19thc. mocs in the pattern link above are definely southeastern and do not reflect any change in Delaware moccsins. Those southeastern moccasins are called Bung hole moccasins. The heel has a puckered hole in the heel. :rotf: :rotf:

 

[J.D.]

These are sewn inside out and then turned when finished. Put a smooth piece of wood in the moc and pound thd stretch the seam flat.

Do you wet the seam before pounding? And what do you do the pounding with, hammerwise?

I have a pair of mocs made of heavy elk that irritates my foot. I have been meaning to fix that seam, but just haven't done it yet.
J.D.

 

Yeah, just dampen the skin with a sponge and give it a few whacks with a rawhide mallet. :thumbsup: