Which leather

[Brokennock]

If limited to leather available from Tandy, which leather would you use for moccasins?

 

[NeilMacleod]

Bison/Deer

 

[Artificer]

I just checked to see if Tandy advertised Elk hide because that is normally much better than the deerskin Tandy has and it seems they do not. Tandy's deerskin is garment leather thickness and I would want a little heavier weight leather than that for moccassins.

If you are restricted to buying leather through the mail. Have you thought about Crazy Crow?
http://www.crazycrow.com/leather-supply

Gus

 

[Brokennock]

I have a Tandy Leather location 9 miles from home and on my route towards work.

I can't stand that fake orangey color of the "buckskin" they have. Which tanning type and weight that Tandy carries do you recommend?

 

[CrackStock]

What people are telling you without saying so is that they do not recommend Tandy for this purpose.

Nothing against them, but they do not offer anything to fit your stated purpose.

CS

 

[Artificer]

Well, first of all, what kind of moccasins do you want to make?

If you plan on making Eastern Center Seam Moccasins, then I would not use any deer skin that Tandy sells as it is too thin/light weight. I would go for the Elk Hide that Crazy Crow sells.

The Bison sides Tandy sells looks like there is a factory impressed grain finish done on them and that won't look right for many period types of moccasins.

So I guess we have to know first what kind of moccasins you plan on making?

Gus

 

[Brokennock]

Eastern center seam. Really was hoping to source locally. But if I can't, so be it. I do have a friend who's dad sells leather, if I can contact him, and if cow hide is my only option, what weight and tanning method?

 

[Black Hand]

Soft/supple bison that isn't too thick would be my first choice if I was limited to Tandy. To make center-seams, the leather must be able to pucker/gather when sewn.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

You will find moose leather on eBay in various weights, usually from 5-7 ounce up. It will be listed as either smoked or willow in color, although it is factory tanned, not brain tanned, which is quite expensive. Moose is perhaps the best commonly available for moccasins. Ebay prices seem reasonable, and you need not buy a full hide. I've not seen bison listed anywhere that was not dyed and finished for fancier things than moccasins. Deer is almost always thin and stretchy.

I bought some 10-11 ounce moose leather to use as the bottom parts of eastern and northern style moccasins, the sort with two or more pieces, but not using rawhide soles in the plains style. I don't reenact, but will be using them for hunting as they will be much quieter than boots when stalking. The thicker leather should wear well longer.

Depending on what you want the moccasins for you might try using hair-on hide for the sole. Irish and Scotish pampootees, or Galic moccasins were made with hair-on rawhide and with the tips of the hair pointing to the rear for a better grip than ordinary Indian moccasins.

 

[faste350]

distant drum leather, you will find them online and on ebay. I have bought a lot of leather from them including moose and it is very very nice. I have always been very happy with them.

 

[Artificer]

Black Hand is exactly right that for Eastern Center Seam Moc's, you need soft and supple leather to make them correctly.

My apology that I did not think of Moose hide to suggest, as that wasn't available in my neck of the woods during the time period Eastern Moc's were made. So when I think of leather for these Moc's, I think Elk or Bison as most Deer skin available is garment weight thickness and that's too thin to last very long for Moc's. If you go with Moose Hide, you will still need it soft and supple, so around 5 to maybe 6 oz weight is going to be preferred, except for thicker leather for an added sole you may wish to sew on the bottoms.

Since I am also concerned with making things as historically correct as one can and still afford the leather to make things, I stay far away from machine grain impressed leather for Moc's, Shooting Bags, etc. This because while there were some kinds of impressed leather in the 18th and early 19th century, it looked quite different than what is available today, unless it is custom tanned/finished. I admit I don't use real brain tan leather most of the time as it is too expensive nowadays, though.

Don't get me wrong, I have been going to the Tandy Store here in Richmond, VA since the mid 70's and have "chased" them to the different locations they moved to over the years. But for some things, you just can't get the leather you need from Tandy for some projects.

Gus

 

[BrownBear]

...moose....

That's about the toughest yet subtle leather I've seen for mocs. Might reflect my limited experience, but it's sure nice stuff.

My wife got a pair of fur-lined moc slippers made with moose leather from a local Native hide sewer, and 10 years later they're still going strong. Household use only with occasional forays outdoors, but she wears them all the time and they still look brand new. Nothing else, even synthetic, has held up so well.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

I've had good luck with Distant Drums, and also Glacier Wear. Concrete is the enemy of moccasins. Even moose hide would probably wear through pretty fast if worn around town much, but outdoors on grass or in the woods should last quite a while. I'm planning to double sole my moose mocs.

I've been wearing a pair of moccasins from Russell Mocassin Co for over a year now. The have boar hide soles. I wear them 98% when I have shoes of any kind on my feet. They go everywhere. So far the soles show little wear. They can be resoled when the time comes. If you can find the stuff a boar hide outer sole on your moccasins will make them last much longer, even on thin deer skin mocs.

 

[flattop44]

I don't know what they have now but I have bought elk hide from Tandy in the past.

Not all their deer skin is that orange-rust color. I have one or two that is a smoke color similar to braintan. Personally, I prefer the German-tan from Crazy Crow for deer hide.