Grease Holes

[Smokey Plainsman]

What a thrill! So the patches were pre-cut? Can you describe their appearance? Were they round or square, of striped ticking or other fabric?

A bit of subject I suppose but some seem to think pre-cut patches are mostly a modern thing and that the old timers used strips of patching cut at the muzzle. As a student of the old methods I’d love to know which one was really done or if in fact both were done in “them days” as it were

.

The only patches I have seen were square, some plain solid white (now yellowed) cotton, have also seen stripped cotton ticking also cut square. Never run across rolls of patch material but I am sure that was carried by some. Bear in mind most of this patching material probably was used in the early to mid 1900's probably does not represent what was used in the first half of the 1800's.
Dennis

I see, thank you sir! If I may hazard another inquiry, what then would be an appropriate patching material for the 1830s for a squirrel rifle? Were pre-cut patches in use during this time, were the patches round or square (or both) or carried in strips for cutting at the muzzle? Was striped ticking used for this purpose then, or something else?

I apologize for so many questions. Please tell me to shut up if I am being a bother!

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

You have 138 posts.  I have 9292.  No one has ever told me to shut up.  These guys are so polite!!  Relax.

[Dennis Glazener]

I see, thank you sir! If I may hazard another inquiry, what then would be an appropriate patching material for the 1830s for a squirrel rifle? Were pre-cut patches in use during this time, were the patches round or square (or both) or carried in strips for cutting at the muzzle? Was striped ticking used for this purpose then, or something else?

I really can't do anything but give a somewhat educated guess here since I doubt that any of us have iron clad proof that we have seen period patches that were used in the early 1800's. Even if we did have that proof it would be like looking in my shot pouch and saying ok Dennis uses round pre-cut linnen patches so everyone in 2018 is doing the same. So with that in mind here is my guess:

I suspect many of the mountain folk used whatever they could get their hands on that worked half-way decent for them. I suspect others used rolls of pillow ticking then cut the patch at the muzzle when loading. Still others preferred to cut their patches and store them in their shot pouch or like some I have seen photos of strung them on thread hanging from leather straps. Its my understanding that some early shooters used soft deer skin for patch material (hope someone else can elaborate on this).

Those old guys had thoughts and ways just like us, the only differences were the materials/tools that they had access to versus what we today have access to. Each one was as smart, dumb, cantankerous, stubborn as we are today they had their own ideas of what worked best for them.
Dennis

[Mike from OK]

Documentation is a wonderful thing. It gives us insight into days past and how things were done in that particular instance of according to that individual.

However, the notion that if there is no documentation then something didn't happen is dangerous, or at least has no foundation in reality.

Try to imagine all of the mundane minutiae that is involved in our daily life...

How many squares of toilet tissue do you use when visiting the throne? How do you fold and apply those squares of tissue?

200 years from now will there be discussions on toilet tissue use? Will people demand that since one person documented their personal habit of use that everyone did it the same way?

Will there be statements like... "There is no documentation supporting the notion that people used more than four folded squares at a time. It didn't happen!"

Now that we've all had a grin...

I would guess that backwood folks of that era used what patching material they had available to them... Homespun, animal skins, or other natural available (FREE) materials. And everyone's method of employing those materials varied according to availability, shooting style, and even upbringing or instruction.

Mike

[yellowhousejake]

Silly question maybe, but I ain't afraid.

Why do I never, ever, ever see grease in SMR grease holes?

DAve

Because maybe you haven't been looking long. It's in my TN Rifle always, and I've seen it in others, and I've seen it faked with paraffin.

Well, you are probably spot on with that. I have looked where I could and watched any rifle I have seen at the range and at Friendship, never anything but an empty hole after 40 years of curiosity. But, I ain't been everywhere and original rifles I have seen very few of. What they did, and what we do, are often miles apart.

The side conversation on patching material is very interesting to me. Like shoelaces and ticket stubs, the consumables are the least understood, and least preserved, of any culture/time period.

DAve

[little joe]

You guys with a good memory help me out. There was a gentleman, Marshall Ralph Hooker who had a rifle that belonged to Danial Boone in his later years. It was full stock, brass trim, no carving and no patchbox. What it did have  was a grease hole with some grease-beeswax residue in it.It was well ate on by the rats or mice. In the 70-80s he wrote a few articles for Muzzleloader.

[flinchrocket]

Larry, there is a picture of that rifle in his book if you have a copy.