AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Contemporary Accoutrements => Topic started by: EricEwing on October 29, 2025, 03:41:48 PM
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Messing with a couple squirrel hides I had led me to make these two bags.
(https://i.ibb.co/c9T8yML/IMG-7816.jpg) (https://ibb.co/YSjdNYZ)
(https://i.ibb.co/vCqmz4h3/IMG-7815.jpg) (https://ibb.co/p6wZXjQf)
(https://i.ibb.co/k6v4bQDK/IMG-7817.jpg) (https://ibb.co/6JLH9gtY)
(https://i.ibb.co/4gXNV1yZ/IMG-7818.jpg) (https://ibb.co/h148mY5R)
(https://i.ibb.co/1JXL3qKQ/IMG-7819.jpg) (https://ibb.co/wrQRTWCg)
(https://i.ibb.co/zTNLBmsc/IMG-7820.jpg) (https://ibb.co/W4sdMHn9)
(https://i.ibb.co/b46mccn/IMG-7821.jpg) (https://ibb.co/JYctDDP)
(https://i.ibb.co/d4YS7gHP/IMG-7834.jpg) (https://ibb.co/4RrcJd08)
(https://i.ibb.co/mCBdbD3m/IMG-7824.jpg) (https://ibb.co/rGtqF7Vg)
(https://i.ibb.co/9mCBVLny/IMG-7823.jpg) (https://ibb.co/fVPZn5Mr)
(https://i.ibb.co/27zqG3w6/IMG-7825.jpg) (https://ibb.co/0j0qHykX)
(https://i.ibb.co/tMsH97kz/IMG-7826.jpg) (https://ibb.co/4ZTFH692)
(https://i.ibb.co/tpwjSjtw/IMG-7827.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Mkywbw4y)
(https://i.ibb.co/SF7BLF5/IMG-7828.jpg) (https://ibb.co/v0vkt0V)
(https://i.ibb.co/4nsTZmh4/IMG-7829.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Nd1j6VcW)
(https://i.ibb.co/dsQHc1Kr/IMG-7830.jpg) (https://ibb.co/FkBdWN7K)
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They are really neat. Did you tan them yourself? Might make a good Tutorial if you've got the time.
Tim C.
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Both are very cool! Especially the ball bag!
Tony
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Squirrel hide was usually used as a smooth leather known for its incredible strength. Often squirrel hide was used for leather lacing because it could be drawn tighter than most other leathers, even though it was not very thick. It was pretty much standard shoelace material on Civil War style Brogan shoes.
In fact my great uncle told me a story about molding balls for his squirrel gun when he was a boy. He had old Brogans with no socks, and squirrel laces. He dropped a freshly cast ball, and it went into the top of his shoe. He said he was astonished that he was able to rip those laces out of his shoe with one hand. He still had the scar from the hot ball on his ankle in the early fifties.
Hungry Horse
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Squirrel hide was usually used as a smooth leather known for its incredible strength. Often squirrel hide was used for leather lacing because it could be drawn tighter than most other leathers, even though it was not very thick. It was pretty much standard shoelace material on Civil War style Brogan shoes.
In fact my great uncle told me a story about molding balls for his squirrel gun when he was a boy. He had old Brogans with no socks, and squirrel laces. He dropped a freshly cast ball, and it went into the top of his shoe. He said he was astonished that he was able to rip those laces out of his shoe with one hand. He still had the scar from the hot ball on his ankle in the early fifties.
Hungry Horse
I’ve often heard these anecdotes about the strength and toughness of both squirrel hide and woodchuck hide but my experience has been different. Depending on the tanning method both are quite thin and not especially difficult to tear.
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They are really neat. Did you tan them yourself? Might make a good Tutorial if you've got the time.
Tim C.
I didn’t tan these myself but I have tanned others using a similar method (eggs/soap/oil). These were egg-tanned by an 10-11 year old kid in West Virginia, he did a very impressive and thorough job.
Tanning with this method is very simple, like all tanning methods the closer attention you can pay to it the better they’ll come out.
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Not really sure what method of tanning was used, but it no doubt was cheap, and back woods style. He lived in Missouri just across the Arkansas border. Him and his three younger brothers left home during the dust bowl just so the rest of the kids didn’t starve to death.
Hungry Horse
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Both your bag and ball container turned out very nice. ;) I never handled squirrel hide but to my way of thinking it would be very thin and flexible. :-\
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Love both of those. Excellent work as always.
You could do one of those ball pouches with the squirrel's mouth at the top by the opening, use an acorn shaped stopper. ;)
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How do you attach the spout to the bag?
I really love the color palette you use on your items. You have extremely good taste. Thank you.
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Good job!
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How do you attach the spout to the bag?
I really love the color palette you use on your items. You have extremely good taste. Thank you.
Thanks.
The spouts are glued in the right spot, then sewn in, then bound with the hemp cord around the outside
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Very nice, bag looks sweat. What period would you call it?
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Very nice job. The layout of the hides came out well. I always thought the tough shoelaces came from groundhogs. Squirrel hide rips pretty easy when skinning before it is tanned.
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Very nice, bag looks sweat. What period would you call it?
Thank you.
Period is middle-aged xennial weirdo-modern-hillbilly era
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Is this a "new school" of period leather work?
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Those look great Eric.
Interesting stuff, especially HH's note about shoes laces of squirrel hide. Their (grey and black) hides on the back of the necks are exceptionally strong and thickest
I recall from back in the 1960's when I was shooting them for the pot. Mom wouldn't eat any. LOL They made a good stew as I recall.
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Out west where the squirrels are small, a Marmot hide is as tough or tougher.
NA's made rawhide bowstrings out of squirrel hides.
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Nice work
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Nicely done and very creative.