Author Topic: Pillow Ticking Bag?  (Read 13967 times)

Smokey Plainsman

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Pillow Ticking Bag?
« on: March 16, 2017, 07:44:05 AM »
Hi, all.

I've got this thing stuck in my mind and I don't know what to do about it. I want a shooting bag made from pillow ticking! I have heard that the old timers had such bags. Some couldn't afford a leather one, so made or bought cloth ones. Wouldn't that be cool? Maybe not but I want one.

Anybody know if this was done much? I found this picture:



Look cool. I think I'd like the flap to be of leather but not as rough as this. Anybody do this or have some ideas? I never made a bag and can't sew well but am willing to learn to make a pouch if it will be reasonably historically accurate. I want to make a smaller bag for a squirrel gun.
« Last Edit: March 16, 2017, 07:55:17 AM by Smokey Plainsman »

Offline grabenkater

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2017, 04:14:16 PM »
There is some evidence for cloth shooting bags in the 18th century but no extant ones that I know of. I have made cloth bags but I have always doubled the thickness of the fabric and never allow the machine sewing to show on the outside, I always hand finish with needle and thread. I wouldn't equate being able to afford to cloth or leather. If you have a rifle, you could afford a bag.
When a nation forgets her skill in war, when her religion becomes a mockery, when the whole nation becomes a nation of money-grabbers, then the wild tribes, the barbarians drive in... Who will our invaders be? From whence will they come?

Offline bones92

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2017, 07:03:26 PM »
Would a cloth bag dry out faster and keep the contents from remaining wet after a thunderstorm?  Yes, boiled leather would probably keep water out but if it got soaked it might stay wet longer than cloth.
If it was easy, everyone would do it.

Offline Hungry Horse

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2017, 08:04:17 PM »
I think cloth shooting bags are quite likely. Made of pillow ticking, not so much. Ticking would have cost money, and would have been valuable for other uses, besides being too light for the job. And, doubling it would have just doubled the cost. I suspect existing light canvas bags may have been repurposed into a shooting bag. There is some evidence that the eared cloth hats seen in some early western artwork, might actually have been a decorated, recycled, surplus canvas bag that appeared to have ears because of the corners at the bottom of the bag.

  Hungry Horse

Dave Patterson

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #4 on: March 17, 2017, 04:57:11 AM »
I think cloth shooting bags are quite likely. Made of pillow ticking, not so much. Ticking would have cost money, and would have been valuable for other uses, besides being too light for the job. And, doubling it would have just doubled the cost. I suspect existing light canvas bags may have been repurposed into a shooting bag. There is some evidence that the eared cloth hats seen in some early western artwork, might actually have been a decorated, recycled, surplus canvas bag that appeared to have ears because of the corners at the bottom of the bag.

  Hungry Horse

My grandparents were just about as, errr... Appalachian... as you can get; given what life-lessons I learned from them, I'd say the above is dead center in the 10-ring.

Once they'd both passed, I spent some time restoring their home, to be put on the market:  the front yard sprinkler systems, among a few other things, had a few leaks.  Grandpa had patched the original galvanized sprinkler line in several places; I found more than a couple spots he'd used 3-4 different types an sizes of pipe, within less than a foot.  He'd used whatever recycled chunks and pieces he had in the garage at the time, rather than spend a dollar or two on six inches of plastic pipe.

Now, to put this perspective:  Grandpa's only son-in-law (my old Pop) owned a hardware store.  Less than a mile from Grandpa's house.  And Pop would happily have given Grandpa the needed repair parts... but Grandpa wasn't havin' any of that, neither:  those new stock parts could be sold, to a customer, for good cash money ($.50 here, $1.00 there...); so, since he had some "perfectly good" pieces he'd "saved" (dug outa the ground somewheres, in case he ever needed them), he'd just use those.

I have no doubt in mind:  a lot of those "Southern Mountain" bags were made outa just about whatever those folks happened to have alayin around the place... but only if it couldn't be put to a "better" use.

Smokey Plainsman

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2017, 06:09:44 AM »
Interesting guys, interesting. If pillow ticking bags are fantasy pieces, I'd like to see original bags made from other type of cloth. Just seems like all you ever see are leather ones.

Offline Hungry Horse

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2017, 04:39:51 PM »
I think a cloth bag, used for a shooting bag, will be a pretty rare artifact to find. The wear and tear of everyday life, along with cloths fragile nature, would make survival pretty rare. I do seem to remember some discussions in magazines about if some of the bags pictured in early paintings were leather, or cloth.

  Hungry Horse

Smoketown

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2017, 06:26:56 PM »
Yep, what Hunger Horse said ...  ^^^

Cloth, leather, horn, wood or any natural material has a low survivability rate.   :(

Heck, with all of the 'modern de-icers' our 'modern cars' seem to suffer the same fate ...     >:(

The mechanics here in Pennsylvania are amazed when working on my 2000 Grand Cherokee, until I tell them, "it came from Phoenix, Arizona."     ;)   ;D


Cheers,
Smoketown

n stephenson

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2017, 05:50:12 PM »
Along the same lines, while cleaning out an old farm house , I found some homemade dresses for a little girl that were made out of flour sacks . These were early 1900s ,the lady at a local antique store went nuts! as in PAID GOOD!!  . People have recycled/ repurposed  for years. I`ve got an old cane bottom chair in my shop that someone rebottomed with old innertubes. I know this doesn't have anything to do with shooting bags sorry.                   Nathan

Smoketown

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2017, 07:56:32 PM »
"Shot Bag" Trap and Skeet Vests too !!!    8)

Back on topic -

If you needed a bag, you used what you had ...

Old cowboy boot (or any boot), boot tops were used for fence staple bags. (Did I just say that???)

So, why not 'shooting' bags?   ;D

Cheers,
Smoketown

Offline Hungry Horse

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #10 on: March 19, 2017, 09:02:41 PM »
The origins of the cropped top logger boots seen in the old Lil' Abner comic strip was taken from the old hillbilly practice of cutting off the top of the boots, to get enough good Leater to make children's shoes. I know this because I have a picture of some shoes my grandfather made from boot tops, and I have his shoe making tools. Recycling ain't new, it new wave.

  Hungry Horse

Offline smokinbuck

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2017, 01:52:45 AM »
I have a bag here at the house that was used by a bull to carry his balls in before my buddy got a hold of it. Yep, a bulls scrotum. works good and tougher than nails.
Mark
Mark

Offline Flint62Smoothie

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2017, 03:34:10 AM »
Iassac, who does the French In Wisconsin, just had a recent blog about cloth shooting bags. That's what I use for my fowlers, and love them. Mine were a canvas looking like a fustain material, but had the pillow ticking lining. Very soft, durable and ... different.

I ran it through the dirt and used it a few times before I waterproofed/sealed it with a beeswax mix and it looks many, many year old. Love it!
All of my muzzleloaders will shoot into one ragged hole ALL DAY LONG ... it's just the 2nd or 3rd & other shots that tend to open up my groups ... !

Smokey Plainsman

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #13 on: March 21, 2017, 12:01:10 AM »
That sounds cool! It just seems everybody and their brother has a leather shooting bag, but I have heard historically cloth ones were used. I'd like to have one, a rather small one, to go along with my squirrel rifle (when it gets made) for hunting.

Smokey Plainsman

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #14 on: March 21, 2017, 12:38:40 AM »
I'm really digging this one guys:



It looks like it might be some kind of waterproofed cloth? I'd like one just like it.


Offline Marcruger

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #15 on: March 21, 2017, 12:43:56 AM »
No picture is showing up sir. 

Offline halfstock

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #16 on: March 21, 2017, 02:32:42 AM »
It probably was a Sail.

Offline grabenkater

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #17 on: March 21, 2017, 01:21:01 PM »
I'm really digging this one guys:



It looks like it might be some kind of waterproofed cloth? I'd like one just like it.

This would be relatively simple to accomplish. Find a piece of tight woven cotton or linen fabric in the weight you like and paint it with black latex paint. It would simulate the look and effects of tarred cloth.

Here's some detailed information http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/faq.php?faq=faq1#faq_faq102
« Last Edit: March 21, 2017, 01:23:36 PM by Grabenkater »
When a nation forgets her skill in war, when her religion becomes a mockery, when the whole nation becomes a nation of money-grabbers, then the wild tribes, the barbarians drive in... Who will our invaders be? From whence will they come?

Offline Hungry Horse

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #18 on: March 21, 2017, 07:36:00 PM »
I really like the looks of this bag. The original knapsacks made in this way were coated in a mixture of linseed oil, beeswax, and some type of natural colorant. The colorant was often lampblack, or brick dust.
 I do suspect that the seamed bag bottom might have been something not seen often though. Most bags of this type would probably been one piece, with a folded bottom, and flap. I think it was quite. Ommon for these back woodsy bags to have no flap at all.

  Hungry Horse

Smokey Plainsman

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #19 on: March 22, 2017, 01:18:17 AM »
Very interesting, guys! I wonder of any resources out there to teach a man how to sew up a bag such as this? As suggested I'd paint it with black latex paint to make it look like tarred cloth. I don't know how to sew but am willing to learn. I just don't think I'm going to find a bag like this pre-made.

So if I were to pattern my bag off the one above in the picture, but used one piece of cloth instead of the sewn bottom, would you say this would be a relatively historically correct shooting bag for a mid-19th century squirrel rifle? Thanks all!!
« Last Edit: March 22, 2017, 01:26:13 AM by Smokey Plainsman »

Offline grabenkater

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #20 on: March 22, 2017, 02:04:06 AM »
YouTube has 100's of hours of instructional videos on sewing leather, canvas and cloth. You might want to spend some time there watching videos
When a nation forgets her skill in war, when her religion becomes a mockery, when the whole nation becomes a nation of money-grabbers, then the wild tribes, the barbarians drive in... Who will our invaders be? From whence will they come?

Smokey Plainsman

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #21 on: March 22, 2017, 03:08:12 AM »
YouTube has 100's of hours of instructional videos on sewing leather, canvas and cloth. You might want to spend some time there watching videos

Anything specific to shooting bags?

Offline grabenkater

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #22 on: March 22, 2017, 01:17:08 PM »
Sewing is sewing
When a nation forgets her skill in war, when her religion becomes a mockery, when the whole nation becomes a nation of money-grabbers, then the wild tribes, the barbarians drive in... Who will our invaders be? From whence will they come?

Offline Clark Badgett

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #23 on: March 29, 2017, 02:50:46 AM »
The problem with untreated cloth bags is they have absolutely zero water resistance. Leather, tarred cloth, linoleum cloth or oiled cloth are much better suited for shooting bags unless you just never planned on being out in the elements, and I mean back then, not now.

This all really depends on your location really. The eastern farmer that used his rifle for putting a squirrel in the pot, might have no problem with a simple cloth bag. On the other hand someone on one of the several historical frontiers has a life or death need to keep his shooting supplies in the best working order he can.
Psalms 144

Offline Clark Badgett

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Re: Pillow Ticking Bag?
« Reply #24 on: March 29, 2017, 02:52:18 AM »
I'm really digging this one guys:



It looks like it might be some kind of waterproofed cloth? I'd like one just like it.

Yes, that is tarred, or painted cloth.
Psalms 144