Buckskin Shirt?

[vthompson]

Does anyone know of a retailer that sells buckskin shirts within reason? I would like to have one but I am not going to pay a ridiculous price for it. I was hoping that someone here might know of someone.
If you can help me out, please reply to this post. Thanks.

[Two Steps]

VT...ya might give this guy a look.  He does good work...

http://www.stitchinscotsman.com/main/intro.htm

Al

[Sean]

I would like to have one but I am not going to pay a ridiculous price for it.

Reckon Wally world will start carrying some of those Chinee-made buckskin hunting shirts?  I'm joshing with you, but if you start tallying up the cost of the hides and the work involved in one of these, you'll find you can get in to reedikerous territory pretty darned pronto.  A well made buckskin coat is quite an investment, but then again a well made rifle will start at over a grand.  There are cheaper hobbies, but checkers just don't hold my interest.  Personally, I've been laying back hides and braintanning them myself for quite a while to do one of these.  That's hard work, Senor.

Sean[/i]

[Loyalist Dave]

I never found an already sewn buckskin shirt or breeches that I could afford, so I went and did it myself with the hides.  My breeches cost $75 dollars 20 years ago, but I checked on the prices and they'd only cost $90 today,.., to make.  A Shirt would run a bout $60 (ok for a fat guy like me we're back up to $90), but would be about $260 if bought made.  AND when done you have  enough leather left over for a bunch of small stuff like bullet bags, pouches for all sorts of stuff, and get a lace-making-tool and you will have all the lacing you will need for about a couple of decades.     So start a winter project!

Here are two places that I have obtained good hides:

http://www.spottedponytraders.com/

And

http://www.kyleatherandhide.com/LD

[Loyalist Dave]

I never found an already sewn buckskin shirt or breeches that I could afford, so I went and did it myself with the hides.  My breeches cost $75 dollars 20 years ago, but I checked on the prices and they'd only cost $90 today,.., to make.  A Shirt would run a bout $60 (ok for a fat guy like me we're back up to $90), but would be about $260 if bought made.  AND when done you have  enough leather left over for a bunch of small stuff like bullet bags, pouches for all sorts of stuff, and get a lace-making-tool and you will have all the lacing you will need for about a couple of decades.     So start a winter project!

Here are two places that I have obtained good hides:

http://www.spottedponytraders.com/

And

http://www.kyleatherandhide.com/


LD

[Sean]

VT,

If go the make it yourself route and can't afford or don't do the braintain yourself, then I'd suggest goin with German tan leather from Crazy Crow.  Its basically commercial braintan and will look a lot better than modern chrome tan (ugh).  Buy the white stuff and smoke the heck out of it.  Look at the braintan.com site for directions on that.  I don't know what type of leather LD is buying, but it'll take you several deer sized hides to make a coat.  I'd also suggest lining the coat with suitable fabric.  Don't expect it to be cheap or easy.  Either way, you won't be happy with the result.

Oh and based on the cost and work involved, I recommend doing some looking at original coats before you dive into this.  There's some info in the mtn man sketchbooks.  I've also got some info somewhere on the Titan Peale coat circa 1812.  Its a nice simple frock coat style from the Missouri frontier.

Sean

[woodman]

In the currant issue of Muzzleloader Magizine in the ads,under clothing is one from Ed Kennady at Spirit Quest Traders located in Saratoga Wyoming. Ed has shirts that are reasonably priced.
 Woodman

[Three Hawks]

Does anyone know of a retailer that sells buckskin shirts within reason? I would like to have one but I am not going to pay a ridiculous price for it. I was hoping that someone here might know of someone.
If you can help me out, please reply to this post. Thanks.

The thing is, no one knows what you might consider a ridiculous price.   Considering the price of  tanned leather that you'd  find suitable and the cost of someone's time, your "ridiculous" price might as easily be someone else's "dirt cheap".  

Clothing made as close to period correct as possible is flat out expensive, there is no way around it.  You can pay that expense in money or in time and effort.

Since I've never had a surfeit of money, my outlay has always tended toward time and effort.

If you're willing to go for appearance more than museum accuracy, expenses can be minimised.   I buy modern made wood or horn buttons, Yes horn buttons are currently available, then age them in strong black tea,  I also infest flea markets and garage sales looking for all cotton or all linen thread and pieces of suitable looking cloth.  No one can see the  machine sewn seams inside your garments unless you allow them to.  

Like ol' Al Einstein pointed out,  "It's all relative."

Three Hawks

[BEAVERMAN]

Vern, the cheapest way to obtain a buckskin shirt is to make it yourself, period! then after you've made one......... that $200.00 to $250.00 price tag for a basic shirt looks very reasonable. same thing goes for well made and executed hunting pouches, well executed powder horns etc.

[vthompson]

I want to thank everyone who replied to my post and I also want to thank everyone for their advise and recommendations.
It appears that I will put owning a buckskin shirt on the back burner for a while and concentrate on something else.