Rawhide Wrap

[BigSkyRambler]

Just bought a neat antique plains style rifle with a very well executed and professionally done (period) repair of wrist. Strong, but visible. Thinking of adding a rawhide wrap, mostly for aesthetics. Any tips on going about this and a source for rawhide? I crapped out this deer season.

 

[Widows Son]

Congratulations on your purchase. It’s awesome to hold a piece of history.

Remember that those old-time ‘bush repairs’ were done out of necessity, not aesthetics. However it is your rifle so it’s your choice. As for sources of rawhide, any leather work hobby craft store will have it, or ebay it. If you really had to you could buy a rawhide twist dog-chew and soak it in a bucket of water until it becomes soft. To affix it use brass tacks

 

[BigSkyRambler]

Doesn't look like a bush repair. Looks more like gunsmith job. But they never got the kind of results we do now with modern adhesives. But I want to give it a bush repair look .

 

[Notchy Bob]

I have never wrapped a gunstock with rawhide, but I have worked with rawhide on a number of other projects. You can get small pieces from Crazy Crow or Centralia. I would not use "dog bone" rawhide. I have heard of people using it for various projects, and out of curiosity, I bought one and soaked it to loosen it up. It was a smelly, gelatinous mess. The one I bought had one main strip 3" - 4" wide and a little less than two feet long, and several smaller pieces rolled up in it. The larger piece was very irregular and the hide was weak... it tore easily. I tacked it to a board to dry it out, and there it remains. It looks like a weird snakeskin, and it actually tore in a couple of places when I tacked it to the board. I understand these are often soaked in brine to give them a little flavor, which would be another reason to not use it on a gun.

I would order a properly prepared piece of medium-heavy hide from a reputable leather dealer, if I were determined to do a rawhide wrap.

Photos of rawhide wraps that I have seen show the hide stitched on with sinew. Some tacks may be added, but I don't think they are necessary and there is no way I would drive a tack in the stock of that original rifle. The rawhide can always be removed. Tack work is a bit harder to "undo."

The James Beckwourth rifle has a rawhide wrap:

Seriously, you have a nice-looking rifle, and the wrist repair is inconspicuous in the photo. I would leave it alone, and just shoot it and keep it clean if it were mine.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[hanshi]

While giving the question a bit of thought I now believe it should be left as-is.

 

[Flintlock]

I've used sausage casings (intestines0 for my actual stock repair. Rinse them out several times, let partially dry wrap and tie. Shrinks like rawhide and easy to use. Cover with a few coats of laquer or true oil or even wax.

 

[andy52]

I may have some deer raw hide I'll have a look tomorrow in my leather tote.

 

[FishDFly]

While giving the question a bit of thought I now believe it should be left as-is.

Zonie had a phrase on some things, don't "frinkle" with it, matches hanshi.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I really like the looks of that rifle. I've been wondering what I can do to keep out of mischief and building something like it would do. Can you give some details as to barrel length, width, caliber, etc? Is it a hooked breach or patent? It sure looks good from here.

 

[Notchy Bob]

I really like the looks of that rifle. I've been wondering what I can do to keep out of mischief and building something like it would do. Can you give some details as to barrel length, width, caliber, etc? Is it a hooked breach or patent? It sure looks good from here.

I agree with @The Crisco Kid . The rifle is a beauty just as it is. I would also be interested in more details, or if you bought it online, a link to the original listing, which ought to show some of that information.

You got a nice one!

Notchy Bob

 

[rusty]

yup leave it be

 

[Dude]

What a cool rifle!

I'd leave it as is.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Did mine in mulehide. Saddle shops are a good source for wrap leather.

 

[mtsage]

Just bought a neat antique plains style rifle with a very well executed and professionally done (period) repair of wrist. Strong, but visible. Thinking of adding a rawhide wrap, mostly for aesthetics. Any tips on going about this and a source for rawhide? I crapped out this deer season.View attachment 113383

I have purchased rawhide from Montana Leather Works in Billings, MT. Excellent source for all kinds of leather. Prices are very reasonable. I use rawhide for many things. I think it looks good. And very function-able for certain things. Go for it.

 

[Mad L]

Tribal Spirit in Canada always has moose raw hide quarters on hand, but its $52 per quarter (6-8sq ft) plus shipping.

 

[Notchy Bob]

I still think I would leave the original subject rifle as it is, but for the sake of discussion, here is an old rifle with tacks and rawhide:

I know, I know... It's a Model 1866 Springfield (an "unmentionable"), but we're just looking at the tacks and rawhide. This rifle is evidently missing a barrel band, and its native owner secured the barrel with the rawhide wrap. Here is a detailed look at how the hide was stitched on with sinew:

The tacks through the hide were likely not necessary to secure it, but the owner probably liked the way they looked.

Tribal Spirit in Canada always has moose raw hide quarters on hand, but its $52 per quarter (6-8sq ft) plus shipping.

Thank you for the tip! That is actually a pretty decent price for that amount of good quality rawhide, and I found they give a choice of two thicknesses.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[Mad L]

I still think I would leave the original subject rifle as it is, but for the sake of discussion, here is an old rifle with tacks and rawhide:

View attachment 114361

I know, I know... It's a Model 1866 Springfield (an "unmentionable"), but we're just looking at the tacks and rawhide. This rifle is evidently missing a barrel band, and its native owner secured the barrel with the rawhide wrap. Here is a detailed look at how the hide was stitched on with sinew:

View attachment 114362
The tacks through the hide were likely not necessary to secure it, but the owner probably liked the way they looked.


Thank you for the tip! That is actually a pretty decent price for that amount of good quality rawhide, and I found they give a choice of two thicknesses.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

I got some of their 3.5oz moose hide and threw in their package of deer raw hide "scraps" - Wow! I did not realize how much 'scrap' and the 'sizes'! I never considered a quarter hide to be 'scrap' but I ain't complaining!

 

[tenngun]

I’ve used dog bone raw hide, and treated it like salt pork. Soak then rinse and do several rinse soaks with clean water.
Wrap and sew, then pour boiling water over it. This stinks it tight.
When dry grease heavy.
In ‘86 it was Arkansas sequacentenial. At the wolf house in Norfolk Ar we broke a CVA mountain rifle at the wrist and then repaired it with rawhide and shot it the next day
I built a version of a Henry ‘English’ trade rifle and cracked the wrist. I did that with a raw hide repair. Sold it in Berryville Ar for about the cost of the parts.

 

[Robby]

That rifle has nice lines as it is, I wouldn't hump it up with rawhide until it needs it and hopefully that time will not come. Rawhide does make a good repair though, hard and strong. here is a badly damaged, but well loved horn I used it on.

Robby

 

[FishDFly]

I still think I would leave the original subject rifle as it is, but for the sake of discussion, here is an old rifle with tacks and rawhide:

View attachment 114361

I know, I know... It's a Model 1866 Springfield (an "unmentionable"), but we're just looking at the tacks and rawhide. This rifle is evidently missing a barrel band, and its native owner secured the barrel with the rawhide wrap. Here is a detailed look at how the hide was stitched on with sinew:

View attachment 114362
The tacks through the hide were likely not necessary to secure it, but the owner probably liked the way they looked.


Thank you for the tip! That is actually a pretty decent price for that amount of good quality rawhide, and I found they give a choice of two thicknesses.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

That is a rifle I would like to sit down with, share a couple of beers and hear it's life story.