Making horn strap

[Mainer]

I have a F&I War syle powder horn from October Country. I love the horn but hate the leather thong that comes with it. Does anyone have any suggestions for making a comfortable, practical, inexpensive hornstrap? I am not a reenactor so that's not real important but I would prefer it to be as authentic as possible. One of the things I like best about shooting muzzleloaders is making as much of my stuff as I can. Adds to the experience.

Also if anyone has any suggestions about making period shooting bags and where to find the leather that would be helpful too.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Track of the Wolf sells a 3/8" x 54" strap for a few $ that is a bit of an upgrade.

 

[dholdridge]

Mainer- I'm by no means an expert but I found a cows worth of leather at one of the big places in Rochester NY that supplies upholsterers and the like.

The piece was about 4x6-7 and around $99. I tugged and pulled and stressed the leather out to give it a more worn look and used some basic patterns out of the Buckskinners series.

While my bags are nothing like you'd see from some of the real craftsmen on this board...I made them and they work great for me. The more I have them in the woods or on the range the better looking they get.

Buying a big chunk of leather like that also gives you great scraps for cows knees, hammer stalls, hawk covers, tobacco pouches, fringe, pack straps....

 

[bdarin]

I also enjoy making my own stuff, "borrowed" some leatherworking tools from my dad. I picked up a bag of leather "scraps" from Michaels for about $10 or $12. Made myself a sheath for my knife, a spare flint pouch, a bag for my balls :what: (bullets, that is), and a frizzen cover. Still got some left for when I need more "stuff". :RO: :thumbsup: :blah:

 

[Dave Poss]

I used furniture webbing on my bag for years...this is a 2" to 3" wide piece of woven fabric used to hold down springs in sofas and chairs. Enough to hang a bag is (was?) about $3.00. The width makes it set easy on the shoulder and it's very durable. Mine was jute rope color with a dark red strip on each side. I've seen the same thing with a blue strip. Don't know the difference...maybe one is stronger than another. Try a large fabric store. It ususally comes on a roll but you buy it by the yard. Easy, cheap, and looks good.....sorta like my first wife! :thumbsup:

 

[Wayne Combs]

Mainer,if you want to try and fingerweave your own strap go to www.nativetech.com.they have a page on fingerweaving.I tried it,but I need to practice some more,maybe you can pick it up quicker than I have. :results:Wayne.

 

[Mainer]

Thanks for all the help. I think I'm going to give fingerweaving a shot. Might take a couple try's but it's not like it's real expensive if I mess up.

Hodge, do you remember the name of the company where you bought the leather and do you know if they ship?

Thanks again everyone.

 

I've gotten away from leather straps, Hemp, Jute, even cotton is more "comfy" 1.5-2 in. wide, taper the ends and attatch w/ a short leather thong...Works GREAT.. :m2c:

 

[2172]

I like the idea of the upholstery strapping...hadn't thought of that. I've been putting "Inkle Loom" woven (is that the same as "finger weaving"?) straps on my horns for the past couple of years. When it comes to attaching them, I've separated the end into two "tassels" by whipping them at the juncture, and then wrapping the tassels around the neck or base-plug of the horn, and then again whipping the tassels below the horn to complete the fastening....looks pretty good....Hank

 

Inkle weaving makes use of a small loom. The fibers are arranged as a warp (the long part), and a weave (the part that goes back and forth across the warp). The straps are created just as if they were narrow fabric.

Some say the process is from the middle ages, Shakesphere makes reference to inkle weavers, others say it began in the early 1900s as a hobby craft. Either way, it turns out a nice sash or strap.

Finger weaving is best described as "braiding with a whole bunch of fiber strands". All of the strands begin as vertical strands hanging from a fixed point. They are then manipulated just like you were braiding a rope. The width of the strap or the pannel is detirmined by how many strands one can keep up with on the braid.

Now, is that clear as mudd? I'm probably not the best to discribe these two processes. I have done both and own finger woven horn straps and inkle woven sashes and bag straps that I made myself, but they are very plain and I am no expert.

There is a skill called twining too, but I have managed to avoid that so far. I think it involves twisting and tying knots in the fibers to made expandable mesh bags. I don't even want to get started on that! I have rifles to finish!

:thumbsup:

 

[2172]

Ghost...thanks....I think I did what you describe as finger weaving learning to braid a leather belt back in boy scouts (we wore britches and wide brim smokey hats..it was that far back)..we called it flat braiding. I have a couple of Inkle looms...have done maybe a half dozen straps, none without a goof here and there...I'm getting better at hiding the goofs...Hank

 

I think that gunbuilders and weavers never reach perfection, we just get better at hiding our mistakes.

 

[sse]

Mainer - If you check some of the traders in the "links" section, I saw a few of them that sell pre-maid straps of various material and leather, for general uses. They looked pretty nice.

Regards, sse

 

[dholdridge]

Hi Mainer-

Fabrics & Findings
(585) 461-2820 50 Anderson Ave
Rochester, NY

I don't know if they ship...

 

May I suggest beading?
I have made many straps using sinew an #5 or #8 beads on a bead loom.
With sinew the strap will be able to hold the weight of both the bag and horns with very little problem. You will also find out that you will pick up loom beading much faster then finger weaving and the end product will be much better on your first try .
Make sure you use good beads and not phony plastics

 

[Grenadier1758]

I've made a few straps for my horns. I still use the leather strap for some uses, but some of my more fancy horns deserve a nicer strap. One of the more difficult straps was the finger woven strap for the main and primer horn. By the time I finished, I realized that primer horns were few and far between. The diamonds in the finger woven strap took quite a while to do. First I had to make a few practice runs.

The other horn has a hemp strap woven in the inkle loom style. On that strap you see that the design is more rectangular. The weaving of an inlke style strap is much faster than finger weaving, but it does require a loom of some sort.

I thought that while you were thinking of a method of strap making you might want to take a look at a couple of photos.

Mike
Grenadier Private
First of Foote