Rawhide "repair"

[Roger B]

Howdy All,
Has anyone ever done a raw hide repair on a wrist or fore end?
I want to do a couple of faux raw hide repairs to the wrist & fore end of a planned plains rifle project.  Going to make it worn out ugly much like me.  What I would like to know is how to attach the raw hide. Tacks? Sewn on? Any extra protection needed on metal or wood when working with wet rawhide?
Many thanks,
Roger B.

[ScottH]

I would sew or lace it on with narrow strips of rawhide, if I were going to do it.

[Hungry Horse]

 Yes, I’ve done a bunch. Most of mine were done with rawhide dog chews. I’ve done stitched wrapped ones, and heavier rawhide ones that are spiraled around the gun or war club grip and secured with brass tacks. I always wipe them down with a wet rag with a little Lincoln’s light brown shoe dye. Lincoln’s seems to be comparable with water even though it isn’t water based. It also dyes horn, and antler, real well.

Hungry Horse

[Hungry Horse]

 Rawhide flat lacing is pretty hard to get tight enough so it won’t gap when dry. If you want areal nice job and lacing that will take dye, you should use gut string use on fiddles and the like.

 Hungry Horse

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I broke the wrist of my Centre Mark Tulle musket years ago, and after gluing it together, I added a rawhide patch repair too.  I used moose hide which was quite thick, and did a baseball stitch up the back of the wrist, applying the rawhide wet.  It worked very well and I liked the effect too.  Here's a pic...

[Roger B]

Thanks all! I really appreciate the information.
Roger B.