Shooting Bag Question!

[omarick1948]

One thing I've noticed in the more recent years, is alot of shooters are lining their shooting pouches with cloth. I know that it was done in the "OLD DAYS", but what real purpose for lining and how COMMON was it? Was this practice mainly an Eastern US practice, as I can't see the Mountainmen or Freetrappers commonly doing it, in the far reaches of civilazation. Educate me people!

Thank ye kindly,
Rick

 

[BrownBear]

Can't speak about then, but now it lets me use a softer leather for the bag, which scrapes, bangs, snaps crackles and pops a whole lot less in the brush. Harder temper leathers sound like a brass band in the country I hunt. They look cool, but a guy's gotta eat too.

 

[RC]

:redface: now see... :redface: I figured a guy made one outa cloth, then see'd it wasn't gonna hold up real long so he covered it with some leather too make it last longer.. :grin: or he had a floral pattern...and wanted to hide it! :wink:

but good question! (bet ya get a better answer than mine! :redface: ) :wink:

 

[LaBonte]

Was this practice mainly an Eastern US practice, as I can't see the Mountainmen or Freetrappers commonly doing it, in the far reaches of civilazation.

1) Many eastern bags were taken west, both by the individual but also they are on the trade lists
2) Despite our "modern" concepts most mountain men did not produce their own gear nor was it necessarily crude - it was either purchased from traders or made by the local NDN women (most of whom were good at what they did and were often hired by the local pasts to produce clothing) and lined leather goods made by them are not unknown and cloth was widely available so......

One reason for lining leather is to add body and restrain stretch - lining is still used in better leather gear for just those reasons..

 

[rdillion]

I believe a cloth lining was used to help strengthen thinner leathers such as pigskin. Pillow and mattress ticking was a pretty common item. The better cowhide was probably used for footwear, harnesses, etc. Just my 2 cents.

 

[rabjr]

I believe a cloth lining was used to help strengthen thinner leathers such as pigskin. Pillow and mattress ticking was a pretty common item. The better cowhide was probably used for footwear, harnesses, etc. Just my 2 cents.

I agree, lining a bag does wonders in stiffing and strengthening it. Good to do with a thin leather.

 

[omarick1948]

All you guys make good points to me! I have never thought about the stiffness and stretch thing! Guess thats why I'm a Horner! Thanks!

Rick

 

This is not a definitive answer, but "most" of the surviving Eastern bags "I" have seen, were not lined. The lined ones I have seen were plain cloth. TC Albert's book has some great photo's of some lined bags.