Man Oh man, you guys really know how to tap into memory lane. About twenty five years ago, a guy that I ran into periodically at rendezvous showed up with a replica of an early Southern mountain rifle, with a shiny black leather buttplate, and patchbox. We all laughed at him, but he was a researching machine, and we should have known how much he loved to do stuff just like this. He loved to get us all fired up, so he could present his research, and make us look like idiots. He loved to tour back water hick towns, and visit their museums. Sure enough, he had pictures of an old battered rifle that at this late date I would say might have been built in North Carolina, or Virginia. The buttplate, and patchbox , were made of jacked leather. This was heavy leather that has gone through a boiling process of some sort. He said tavern tankards, and fire buckets were made using this process. I must admit I have never seen another example of this type of furniture, or a replica of such furniture either.
The furniture appeared to have been formed in a clamp type form, or mold of some sort, and then had the hard boiled pitch finish applied after the shaping, and trimming, was finished.
Hungry Horse
