Something completely different.......

ChuckBurrows

ChuckBurrows

Well-Known Member
As many if not most know who visit here, my first "love" is the American Frontier West of the 1800's - while guns knives and other sharp things and their leather gear is top of the list, I also do other types of frontier gear such as the following pipe bag and breastplate and thought I ya'll might enjoy the look see........................

While this is not an exact copy of any single existing bag, it is based on/inspired by three original So. Cheyenne bags of the mid-1840's. Size of this early period pipe bag is 31" long including the fringe and 6" wide. The beads are early style pound beads and the bag body is made from brain/smoke tan deer hide that has been stained with red ocher and then the whole piece was aged to give it that used but not abused look. Included in one image is a beaded pipe tamper. Such bags began being made in the 1830's and became very popular by the 1860's. The haired fringe on the bag is buffalo and that on the tamper is from me own head :3:
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The breast plate is made of bone hair pipe and is representative of those made and used post 1870, when the bone hair pipes first became widely available. Again the hair is buffalo and my own (the gray stuff)
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Chuck your bead work is extraordinary. Something I always wanted to try but don't know where to start nore do I have the knowledge of the different Native American styles of the different periods. You sir are the master.

If you don't mind me asking where did you get the concho on the breast plate? Or did you make it?
 
Howdy Cliff -
First thanks - not sure about "the master" since there are lots of us out there doing good beadwork actually, but it's nice to get called that!
As for beadwork if you're interested in learning more, either how-to or history, let me know and I can offer some advice/resources - also if you ever need/want any done for a project let me know, I'm now offering a custom beadwork only service - PM or call me for more info.

The concho is from Indian Jewelry supply www.ijs-inc.com - that one is 12C-CCE. They come in both nickel and Sterling (pricey these days!). They have several other styles as well as several buttons that I use for smaller conchos. I'm working on getting some first phase Navajo conchos made up in white bronze and on special order in Sterling, but it's will be a while yet - too many other irons in the fire.
 
Mr. Burrows, I'll have to second Mr. Fendley on the "Master" status, I examine your work for hours and it is not time wasted. The bag and breast plate are amazing. If I may, the pound beads, would those be 6/0 and 8/0? Also , not having the chance to actually see a Hawk Bell, do they have clappers or just ornamental? Looks like we visit the same hairdresser, mine is half gray, half black and half gone. As always a pleasure..........Randy
 
really nice Chuck. I am not an expert on period stuff but to me that looks as authentic as it could be. I always enjoy your early American work. I'd say you have earned Master status in this area just like your leather work.
 
Thanks Chuck, and I know what you mean about irons in the fire, I may take you up on that at some point for some info on beading. For now if someone wants it I'll probably have to send them your way or work with you on it since I already have way more ideas and interest than I do time. I've had several people ask me and I'm wanting to start doing some more period knives, once again it's finding the time.
 
Thansk all! As of this year I've been working leather for 50 years and have done just about all types including tactical leather, both LEO and military, medieval, modern etc, but my first love has been and always will be I reckon the frontier stuff. And now that my old bod is as good as it used to be doing this type work is nice because it's just less physically demanding but so fulfilling in other ways and I love to share so.........

Church & Son said:
Mr. Burrows, I'll have to second Mr. Fendley on the "Master" status, I examine your work for hours and it is not time wasted. The bag and breast plate are amazing. If I may, the pound beads, would those be 6/0 and 8/0? Also , not having the chance to actually see a Hawk Bell, do they have clappers or just ornamental? Looks like we visit the same hairdresser, mine is half gray, half black and half gone. As always a pleasure..........Randy
Click to expand...
Randy -
The closest modern beads size to original pound beads is the 8/0 size. I also use 10/0 which are the largest of the seed beads and match well with the much of the earliest seed beadwork, which despite "common" knowledge were used earlier than the 1850 date so often touted by the books. Heck even sizes as small as 18/0 can be documented as far back as the late 1700's, albeit they were not common.
Yes the hawk bells I use from Crazy Crow have clappers and they match in style and constuction to originals at least as far back as those excavated from the Lasalle ship wreck off Texas in the late 1600's.

As to hair - mines thinned a bit but I've still got 30" left even after recently cutting off 8" - my wife swears she can watch it grow. As to color I;ve been salt and pepper since I was 16 (I'm 58 now) - today it's much more salt than pepper though these days..........
 
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