Strap?

[Smokey Plainsman]

What would a French & Indian War period correct powder horn strap be like? I’ve got a Carolina trade gun and have a Leman belt pouch and large plain horn but no strap.

Thoughts?

 

[rchas]

Fancy woven straps are popular today (and I admit I have a couple) but I have my doubts about their historical accuracy. Unless someone knows something I don't ( I also admit my ignorance...) there are no existing powder horn straps from the period.

My assumption is a plain leather strap 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch wide, or braided cordage is actually more historically accurate. It's possible a man raided his spouses work from a tape loom, but I think the simpler the better.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Fancy woven straps are popular today (and I admit I have a couple) but I have my doubts about their historical accuracy. Unless someone knows something I don't ( I also admit my ignorance...) there are no existing powder horn straps from the period.

My assumption is a plain leather strap 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch wide, or braided cordage is actually more historically accurate. It's possible a man raided his spouses work from a tape loom, but I think the simpler the better.

Thank you. What does braided cordage mean? Like leather or cloth? I’d be interested in obtaining one for my horn. Thanks!

 

[rchas]

Thank you. What does braided cordage mean? Like leather or cloth? I’d be interested in obtaining one for my horn. Thanks!

One possibility is a 3 strand braid made from cord. You can use more than one cord in each strand to make it wider. Think braided pony tails... Another option is finger weaving which was common among northeastern Native Americans. Finger woven sashes and garters were very popular with French-Canadian traders and courier du bois. I could see someone using a narrow finger woven strap as a powderhorn strap. see: NativeTech: Instructions for Finger Weaving Belts

 

[Omahkapi'si]

I use an old saddle latigo leather as my strap. They wear out after many miles horseback but still suitable for other purposes. I suspect that would be a solution back then too.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Vegetable tanned leather (latigo is modern chrome tanned and then veg tanned) or some type of natural plant cordage as mentioned above.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Thanks, gang. Here is my gun:

It’s a red-painted Carolina Type-G “chiefs grade” trade gun by Clay Smith. I don’t have a photo of my horn handy but it’s quite large and plain, antiqued yellowish color.

I’m heavily interested in making a cord strap. I do know how to make a simple 3-strand braid. Would colored hemp cordage work? I’m thinking a red or maroon with natural strands would look cool.

Also what about tablet woven straps? I like this one from Etsy but don’t know if it’s historical or would fit in with my gun:

 

[smo]

Finger woven 24 strands… can be made smaller in width & length.
That one is polished hemp cord.

 

[Grenadier1758]

The most likely strap would be a leather strap about 1/2" wide. A leather strip would also work with one end tied to the staple in the base and the other end tied in a groove at the spout. Of course, that would not distinctive enough. Finger woven straps are nice, but most often native made. A finger woven strap might get one in a bind if one encountered a native from a tribe at war with the maker of the strap. Safer would be a strap made on a tape loom as this would be a colonial source. Tapes were commonly woven for garters and other straps and ties.

I have made straps for my horns. The top one is woven of hemp twine woven on a tape loom. The other is finger woven of natural dyed wool yarn.

The finger woven one has the priming horn which is unlikely for a F&I carry.

 

[French Colonial]

Do a google search for "The death of General Wolfe" and look at the painting.

You will see some straps.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

My first horn I made a braided black sinew strap.
My current one came with a leather strip one.
Works well in the rain. The cloth ones tend to stretch in the wet.

 

[flntlokr]

Thank you. What does braided cordage mean? Like leather or cloth? I’d be interested in obtaining one for my horn. Thanks!

I made my horn 'strap' out of rawhide 3-strand rope that I twisted up. Sorry the pic doesn't show more.

 

[Cruzatte]

I just used a simple leather thong and tied it fore and aft to the powder horn.

 

[Fatboyz]

I used lamp wicking and some small scraps of moose hide for this one.

 

[Robin101]

This is a simple strap using linen.The cordage is like making 'Swedish Splice Bow String'. A search will give you many instructional results. It is tough, durable and unobstrusive.
Robin

 

[tenngun]

I can not answer directly to historic, we have limited resources. Death of wolf and painting of Robert Rodgers was after the fact.
Howsomever I would point out contemporaries in France and the UK did enjoy color and decretive work was done on the plainest of objects

 

[palonghunter]

What would a French & Indian War period correct powder horn strap be like? I’ve got a Carolina trade gun and have a Leman belt pouch and large plain horn but no strap.

Thoughts?

I’ve used either leather or braided cord for mine. Nothing super fancy.

 

[French Colonial]

I am sure that everything from a piece of string ( documented by a French officers observation of a "savage") to an elaborate quilled strap (documented in many paintings, usually on a native American or well to do European).

This is one of those "use whatever you have a story for" kind of things. As long as it is made out of HC/PC material and looks good, do your own thing.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Yes, everything from a leather lace (string ?) to leather strap to woven tapes. Whatever you think looks good for your horn.

At the juried April Trade Faire at Fort de Chartres, I use leather lacing for the horn strap. Not much help at the November Rendezvous as I use the paper cartridges in my cartridge box and that has a wide leather strap.

 

[Notchy Bob]

It might be hard to replicate, but I remember reading (somewhere…) about using “buffalo tugs” for horn straps in that period. These were narrow strips of raw buffalo hide with the hair left on, stretched tight and twisted, with the ends fastened to sturdy uprights until the hide was dry. It made sort of a furry rope. I think Boone may have used buffalo tugs to secure the loads on his packhorses when coming out of Kentucky. These were used for all sorts of projects and tasks that required heavy cordage.

If I’m not mistaken, the Cree and Metis people up in Canada used similar cordage for all sorts of things. When made from buffalo hide it was called “shaganappi.” This comes from a Cree word meaning “cut in a circle,” in reference to the technique of cutting the strip from the hide in a spiral in order to get a longer piece than could be obtained with a straight cut. “Babiche” was the word used for narrower strands of thinner hide that had been dehaired.

I don’t know exactly where one would get a long, narrow strip of raw buffalo hide with the hair left on, these days. From a buffalo, of course, but that’s not feasible for most of us.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob