Will this leather work for a cows knee?

[HighUintas]

I have a hunt this weekend with lots of snow in the forecast. This will be my first time hunting with a muzzleloader and it's a flinter. Unfortunately, I didn't think about a cows knee until yesterday.

I know almost nothing of leather and had none on hand but a frozen deer hide in th freezer, so I went to Tandy's thinking they'd have some appropriate leather. I had ten minutes before they closed and this is what I got that was "affordable".

Veg tanned, 2/3oz 12x12. It's incredibly stuff and I thought that it would soften up a lot after working wax and oil into it. My wife says it will not because it's the wrong kind of leather.

Will this thing work or should I see if I can return it? There's not much time for any other solutions before Saturday other than waxing the pax edges and maybe wrapping a piece of heavy contractor bag around the lock.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

I have a hunt this weekend with lots of snow in the forecast. This will be my first time hunting with a muzzleloader and it's a flinter. Unfortunately, I didn't think about a cows knee until yesterday.

I know almost nothing of leather and had none on hand but a frozen deer hide in th freezer, so I went to Tandy's thinking they'd have some appropriate leather. I had ten minutes before they closed and this is what I got that was "affordable".

Veg tanned, 2/3oz 12x12. It's incredibly stuff and I thought that it would soften up a lot after working wax and oil into it. My wife says it will not because it's the wrong kind of leather.

Will this thing work or should I see if I can return it? There's not much time for any other solutions before Saturday other than waxing the pax edges and maybe wrapping a piece of heavy contractor bag around the lock.

View attachment 273387

Thats what I'd use.

 

[oldwood]

Lock covers we made were of deer hide. Easy to make using your design. Leather Unlimited on line , has scrap bundles of cheap leather for any such project . Crazy Crow does as well. Both have On Line catalogs.

 

[HighUintas]

Lock covers we made were of deer hide. Easy to make using your design. Leather Unlimited on line , has scrap bundles of cheap leather for any such project . Crazy Crow does as well. Both have On Line catalogs.

I'd love to have gotten some tanned deer hide, but this was last minute, need to make something within 2 days sort of situation.

 

[oldwood]

There's always "the used bread bag under the arm pit " type of temporary , cows knee. Been there done that in a pinch.

 

[Beaverman2]

Perfect!, oil it up good

 

[ArmorerRoy]

I used the same.

 

[TDM]

I have a hunt this weekend with lots of snow in the forecast. This will be my first time hunting with a muzzleloader and it's a flinter. Unfortunately, I didn't think about a cows knee until yesterday.

I know almost nothing of leather and had none on hand but a frozen deer hide in th freezer, so I went to Tandy's thinking they'd have some appropriate leather. I had ten minutes before they closed and this is what I got that was "affordable".

Veg tanned, 2/3oz 12x12. It's incredibly stuff and I thought that it would soften up a lot after working wax and oil into it. My wife says it will not because it's the wrong kind of leather.

Will this thing work or should I see if I can return it? There's not much time for any other solutions before Saturday other than waxing the pax edges and maybe wrapping a piece of heavy contractor bag around the lock.

View attachment 273387

That does look mighty stiff. You might try a good soaking with Neatsfoot oil, it should soften it up and definitely make it water proof. Good luck on your hunt.

 

[JeffG]

Soak it good with Neatsfoot, Pecard's, or Sno Seal. It will work fine. Good luck hunting!

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

That is the leather commonly used for holsters and knife sheaths. Soak it with warm water and it will conform to the shape you want. You can use a burnishing tool to help it conform.

Then, after it is dry, you can poke some holes where you want the two pieces (or more!) to be joined, and sew it together with dental floss. It can easily be dyed to a desirable color.

 

[HighUintas]

Thanks everyone! We'll see if I can get it put together

 

[Brokennock]

It is a bit stiff, I like my cows knee to form to the lock area a little more than the stiffer versions do. But it will work. But go easy on the wax, wax will stiffen it more.
Break it! Work that leather, fold it and roll it, especially smooth side in. Work it over a screw driver shafts held in a vice. Warm it and work a bunch of pure mink oil and neatsfoot oil into it..... It will soften.

Rainy or snowy hunting days are when my matchcoat really shines, covers all my bags and my gun,,,,, and me.

I also made a slip off gun cover that covers from muzzle to just behind the lock out of a long rectangle of scrap wool. If I let go of it with the muzzle down it just falls off if I need to shoot.

 

[Siringo]

Use snow seal on the leather. Oil will not keep the water from absorbing in the leather.

 

[Freedom]

Just seal your frizzen up well with stiff lube and go hunting.
Cow's knee won't stop water from traveling along the barrel and flooding your prime.
They're great at costing you shots at game, and they look terrible doing it lol
When you gotta to shoot, shoot!

 

[HighUintas]

It is a bit stiff, I like my cows knee to form to the lock area a little more than the stiffer versions do. But it will work. But go easy on the wax, wax will stiffen it more.
Break it! Work that leather, fold it and roll it, especially smooth side in. Work it over a screw driver shafts held in a vice. Warm it and work a bunch of pure mink oil and neatsfoot oil into it..... It will soften.

Rainy or snowy hunting days are when my matchcoat really shines, covers all my bags and my gun,,,,, and me.

I also made a slip off gun cover that covers from muzzle to just behind the lock out of a long rectangle of scrap wool. If I let go of it with the muzzle down it just falls off if I need to shoot.

I had thought of doing this and I'm glad to hear that will help soften it up. And I'll probably also make a half length sheath like you mentioned at some point... I do too much hiking to not have a covering for the muzzle, and I'm not sure I want to hike around with a balloon on the muzzle of my flintlock

Just seal your frizzen up well with stiff lube and go hunting.
Cow's knee won't stop water from traveling along the barrel and flooding your prime.
They're great at costing you shots at game, and they look terrible doing it lol
When you gotta to shoot, shoot!
View attachment 273481

I'll be putting a good seal of wax around the pan and areas on the lock where water could intrude, but also want the cows knee for extra protection because I hunt in the mountains in an area of Utah that has tons of scrub oak, and that stuff is the nastiest stuff. You can hike and stalk through. It grabs and tears and I think having the cows me on there would help prevent the branches from getting tangled in the cock and dislodging the flint or something similar.

However, the area I hunt is typically pretty fast action and aggressive hunting if you find elk, due to hunting pressure. If you see him you got to get to him and get a shot before somebody else does! So I'll probably remove the cow's knee when I can, so that I'm ready for a quick shot, but keep it on when hiking through nasty stuff or sitting in glassing.

For sealing up the areas around the pan and lock, I thought about using something I have on hand, because I don't have any straight beeswax on hand at the moment to make something special for it. I have chapstick, modified Emmerts lube from BPCR, obenaufs heavy duty LP, 100% pure lanolin, and will likely pick up some Herman survivors mink oil from Walmart. I think using one or a mixture of any of these to get the right consistency would probably work well. They all have beeswax and oil in them

 

[Brokennock]

I had thought of doing this and I'm glad to hear that will help soften it up. And I'll probably also make a half length sheath like you mentioned at some point... I do too much hiking to not have a covering for the muzzle, and I'm not sure I want to hike around with a balloon on the muzzle of my flintlock



I'll be putting a good seal of wax around the pan and areas on the lock where water could intrude, but also want the cows knee for extra protection because I hunt in the mountains in an area of Utah that has tons of scrub oak, and that stuff is the nastiest stuff. You can hike and stalk through. It grabs and tears and I think having the cows me on there would help prevent the branches from getting tangled in the cock and dislodging the flint or something similar.

However, the area I hunt is typically pretty fast action and aggressive hunting if you find elk, due to hunting pressure. If you see him you got to get to him and get a shot before somebody else does! So I'll probably remove the cow's knee when I can, so that I'm ready for a quick shot, but keep it on when hiking through nasty stuff or sitting in glassing.

For sealing up the areas around the pan and lock, I thought about using something I have on hand, because I don't have any straight beeswax on hand at the moment to make something special for it. I have chapstick, modified Emmerts lube from BPCR, obenaufs heavy duty LP, 100% pure lanolin, and will likely pick up some Herman survivors mink oil from Walmart. I think using one or a mixture of any of these to get the right consistency would probably work well. They all have beeswax and oil in them

Any Burt's Bees chapstick? I'd use that or the lanolin (if the lanolin is thick enough) of the things you mentioned.
Your "mink oil" might have a bunch of silicone in it, not sure how to check.

 

[HighUintas]

Any Burt's Bees chapstick? I'd use that or the lanolin (if the lanolin is thick enough) of the things you mentioned.
Your "mink oil" might have a bunch of silicone in it, not sure how to check.

Yup, I have some Burt's. The lanolin is a little loose, so it would be best with a. Bit of beeswax mixed in.

The mink oil may not have any silicon. This is the only ingredient information I could find on it Patch lube confusion

 

[SDSmlf]

Just seal your frizzen up well with stiff lube and go hunting.
Cow's knee won't stop water from traveling along the barrel and flooding your prime.
They're great at costing you shots at game, and they look terrible doing it lol
When you gotta to shoot, shoot!
View attachment 273481

You are correct that a cow’s knee won’t stop water from traveling along the barrel and flooding your prime, but if the barrel is pointed down, a cow’s knee will definitely help keep water out of the pan. It’s another layer of protection. And also curious when you have water traveling along the barrel towards the pan/prime, the barrel must be pointed up past level, so how do you keep water from traveling down the bore towards you ball and powder charge?

I have never found a cow’s knee to cost me a shot at game. Quite the contrary, a cow’s knee increases my confidence that my prime and or pan is as dry as I could hope for. I’m also guessing that you are against leaving the pan empty and the touch hole plugged with something like a feather in heavy rain or snow? I carry a small charger inside my coat and charge the pan when get to my stand or I see or sense game nearby.

And as far as looking terrible, the cow’s knees that I use would likely cause you to spontaneously combust. Although they are made out of waterproofed elk hide, I attach a small piece of bright surveyor tape to mine. Anything you quickly remove from your gun is likely to find its way to the ground. Hate wasting time looking for things that blend in with fall foliage on the ground. Try losing a piece of orange surveyor tape.

 

[SDSmlf]

@HighUintas, I would suggest a much lighter leather, something that will easily conform to your gun to help seal things up. A possible source for such leather could be places like Good Will or the Salvation Army. Look for old leather coats, jackets and purses. You will be supporting these institutions and finding leather that will work.

 

[Brokennock]

Yup, I have some Burt's. The lanolin is a little loose, so it would be best with a. Bit of beeswax mixed in.

The mink oil may not have any silicon. This is the only ingredient information I could find on it Patch lube confusion

If that is accurate information, I would try it.
I make my own mixture for this purpose and for lubing wads and patches. But, sometimes it's nice to be able to grab something that is ready to go and consistent each time you buy it.