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Post subject: Just talk.
 Posted: Jul 27, 2005 - 03:34 PM
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Joined: Mar 09, 2004
Posts: 62
Location: Oklahoma.
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What sources do you use for the fur trade? Since I live in Oklahoma, I use several written accounts from travelers; Washington Irving, Josiah Gregg, misc. news papers (Ft.Smith), Indian agents and Seminole and Creek Muster Rolls, which gives items received after removal tro Indian Territory; brass kettles, blankets, guns, bullet moulds, traps, etc. For camp items, guns, and clothing, I use A.P. Chouteau's 1838 trade lists. I also use examples from museums and auctions. This is a narrowed-down list, as opposed to folks like Miller, Sage, Leonard, and countless others during this time period.
There is also alot to find at the American Mountain Man (AMM) site, or the Women of the Fur Trade (WoFT). Both links are on here I believe.
Here's a few things folks might like to talk about:
Wool blankets - Buck Conner has a great site on the history of HBC blankets. The link is on here.
Period foods - What was eaten by the people advancing the frontier? Has anyone tried these foods? Ex: ash cakes, buffalo/deer/elk meat, wild plants, portable soups or drying foods.
Containers - What do you use for water, food, clothing, etc.?
Cold weather clothing - Do you wear a capote, wool socks, pantaloons, buffalo hide moccasins, mitts, caps and silk or wool scarves?
Hide tanning - What have you made from braintanned deer, elk, buffalo, beaver or antleope?
Do you hunt or trap beaver, muskrat or any other animals to make stuff?
What have you made, bought or traded for lately?
Anyone have any pictures of items related to the fur trade? Like things in museum collections?
That's a few things maybe we can talk about.
I would think that the St.Louis Museum would have a ton of things regarding the Chouteau family.
Pare- |
_________________
Our oral traditions IS our documentation.
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Matt |
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Post subject: RE: Just talk.
Posted: Jul 27, 2005 - 04:19 PM
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Booshway
Joined: May 22, 2003
Posts: 236
Location: The Midwest (Metro St. Louis)
Status: Offline
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Some good topics to discuss, now I am going to have think about what I might want to know.
It has been a little difficult lately as I am going through a job transition and there has been some sickness in the family.
Don't want to make any excuses but I haven't been thinking about how things were to much just wanting to get out and camp so that I can relax and not have to think. |
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3balls |
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Post subject:
Posted: Aug 27, 2005 - 10:40 PM
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Joined: Feb 27, 2005
Posts: 5
Status: Offline
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Hi folks
its been awhile, was with out a computer for a couple months, been reading up on what's been going on. found this message and figured i'd just reply on it. wool blankets: i use just about any i can get, found some off white with blue stripe army blankets good heavy blanket. got a few multi-striped blankets. and my pride and joy is a hudson bay 4 point blue with black stripe i picked up at a yard sale for $10.00.
foods: i take deer meat and buffalo to most vous, at the last camp i took a smoked turkey and roasted it over the fire.
i carry my water in one of them orange water coolers i built a wood box to put it down in so you don't see it. for a cooler i made a box out of old barn lumber and lined it with foam insulation, made a few more of them boxes to carry the rest of my stuff.
only been to one winter camp and froze my butt off, i did put a capote to gether this summer and am reserching foot ware.
i brain tan deer hides, just learning have'nt made anything out of it yet but i do have about 20 hides brained and smoked just ain't worked up the nerve to cut them up yet. have tanned a few beaver and put them on a wooden hoop, just finished a skunk hide and am working on a mink.
one more thing when i started out in this game it was simple i was a freetrapper if you could'nt carry it you did'nt need it. then came the wife, a new wedge tent, camp cook box, and a 103 other so called needed items, and to tell the truth i still love it. my next camp is at the osage river rendezvous at the foot of Bagnell dam in lake Ozark, missouri. on sept.16-18, if any one comes you can find me by going down traders row to the last camp next to the river and just holler 3balls!! |
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Post subject:
Posted: Aug 27, 2005 - 11:22 PM
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Hello 3balls, thats a heck of a deal on that blanket. I bet you are proud of them all. I collect them also. I've been lucky enough to find a few on ebay, or flea markets cheap enough , i never pass up a good deal on one either. I moved up here to Tulsa Oklahoma a little over a year ago. I lived in west texas all of my life and never needed a capote until now, so last year i stumbled on to a good one finally.
I do alot of tanning, brain tanning is my favorite. This evening i've been working on another buffalo hide and i've got 5 antelope lined up after this. I stay pretty busy with it. When deer season hits you'll find me digging around the processors hoping to get all the deer and sometimes elk hides i can.
This year i'm going out with my new hand sewn wedge tent! I've decided to leave the pyramid at home and really do it better this time. I've been learning to parch corn, dried meats and fruit, and better cooking gear this time around.
I'm hoping to find some better fleshing tools pretty soon.
Hope to hear from you,
Allen. |
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3balls |
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Post subject:
Posted: Aug 28, 2005 - 09:07 AM
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Joined: Feb 27, 2005
Posts: 5
Status: Offline
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i have been thinking about doing a buffalo, just don;t know were i'd work one yet don't have a lot of space.i worked out a deal with alot of hunters to bring there deer by here or call me to come over so i can skin there deer. i get the hide they get 1/4 up and baged meat. do you dry scrap your buffalo on a frame? how do you smoke somthing that big? well got to go just got a call on a roadkill bobcat.
curtis |
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Seadog |
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Post subject:
Posted: Aug 28, 2005 - 11:09 AM
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Joined: Sep 30, 2003
Posts: 67
Status: Offline
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Hello the camp,
I have gotten a few Bay and Whitney blankets on Ebay at good prices but the last few months they are all going for top dollar. I think there are traders bidding on some of them and then reselling them at different vous.
I've looked at different yard sales and at good will stores without any luck. I've wanted a royal blue whitney or Bay 4 pointer for quite awhile but haven't seen one anywhere. You were one lucky son of a gun to find one and especially at that price. Well, got to get going. Keep up the postings as I really love hearing what you other vouers are doing. See ya.
John |
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Post subject: buff and stuff
Posted: Aug 28, 2005 - 12:27 PM
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finally getting a thread going here!
I dry scrape my buffalo, I follow wes housler on that. You can get a small one easy and it's not any bigger than an elk if your needing the room. I'd recommend working on a smaller one the first time around. I've only done three, i'm not an expert, but I've had no failures yet. Email me and i'll give you an address where i buy mine. I have a bobcat just waiting on me, thinking quiver for this one.
allen. |
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rainman |
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Post subject: RE: buff and stuff
Posted: Aug 29, 2005 - 09:52 PM
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Joined: Nov 12, 2004
Posts: 17
Status: Offline
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Hey Guys,
I am almost ashamed to tell you guys about this, I did say almost ashamed, didn't I. I picked up a NEW Hudson Bay 6 point blanket at an estate sale ---$25.00. That may be the deal of the year!!
See Ya |
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Post subject: RE: buff and stuff
Posted: Aug 29, 2005 - 10:08 PM
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Joined: Mar 09, 2004
Posts: 62
Location: Oklahoma.
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Man, I NEVER find those kind of deals! Glad someone did though. I think Sharon mentioned she found one around that same price, too. I've seen some nice ones on Ebay, along with 3 double blankets (twice as long as normal ones), which are pretty rare. I saved the pictures if anyone is interested. They are green, white and a tan colored one. Every now and themn, there are a few 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 points on there. I seen a "4.5" multi-stripe on there, but have never read about any ofthose being made before. It looked like someone had embroidered the points onto it.
Now, if I can just find me a Mackinaw blanket...
Pare- |
_________________
Our oral traditions IS our documentation.
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Matt |
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Post subject: RE: buff and stuff
Posted: Aug 29, 2005 - 10:50 PM
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Booshway
Joined: May 22, 2003
Posts: 236
Location: The Midwest (Metro St. Louis)
Status: Offline
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Sharon actually found a deal like that, I 'think' it was $20 or $25 dollars. Sharon paid for it but when the lady went to ship it she found a pencil eraser sized hole in it so she knocked some money of the blanket.
It's wonderful when people don't know what they have. |
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rkrkh |
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Post subject: RE: buff and stuff
Posted: Aug 30, 2005 - 03:48 PM
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Joined: May 11, 2004
Posts: 45
Status: Offline
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| I usually find alot of wood blankets during the summer at good will or salvation army stores. usually for only about 3 to 5 dollars. I did find a 3 point whitney that i only paid 4 bucks for a while back. I check all the 2nd hand stores at least once a week |
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3balls |
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Post subject: RE: buff and stuff
Posted: Aug 30, 2005 - 05:45 PM
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Joined: Feb 27, 2005
Posts: 5
Status: Offline
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| beaudro that housler sure knows what he is doing with buff hides! i have a buff farm not far from here were i can get some hides. i never dryed scraped before [yet] i use matt richards way on deer. i pick up a striped blanket this morning from a gal i work with it's an orrlaskan, good heavy blanket great shape. had to trade a beaver and a skunk skull for it. [darn] that bobcat was in pretty bad shape, real thin fur. talk at ya latter. curtis |
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Post subject:
Posted: Aug 30, 2005 - 11:37 PM
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yeah, Housler really has set the pace for buffalo tanning. I've seen his deer skins too, I have to say it's probably the best. I started out dry scraping everything, then i went to wet scrape. It sure made it alot easier. When i got my first buffalo I layed it out on the driveway, gave it a good bath, then framed it, with ALOT of salt. Sure would help to have a buddy while doing this. After I got it framed i let it dry, actually i had to rest. Next day I started fleshing it , removing the membrane was about all i had to do. Then the art of thinning it comes in. I'm glad I bought the right tool from Matt Richards, that helped alot. It's hard to find that angle your looking for in a scraper, after i got it thinned down I layed the frame down on buckets and poured the first brain solution on it, sewed the holes up, and then set it back up and then worked it with softening tools. After about 5 brainings, and a week later it finally came out of the frame and i worked it over a plow disc. They dry real slow, I used saw dust to help with the speed of drying a little. Really makes you proud when your done, really makes you sore too!
Allen. |
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Pocat |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 19, 2005 - 08:47 PM
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Joined: Feb 27, 2005
Posts: 21
Status: Offline
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| I must be from the wrong side of the wagon trail, i just buy surplus canadian grey army blankets...about 5 - 20 bucks, depending on the season and the surplus store..they make fine capotes and yu'r not 'fraid to cut 'em up |
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JohnU. |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 20, 2005 - 05:06 PM
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Joined: Sep 15, 2005
Posts: 41
Status: Offline
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Beaudro..... have any buff rawhide. I need a 2' by 2' piece. Let me know what the cost is. Finding wool blankets up here can be interesting. Sometimes you can find them all over and then theres a long dry spell where you can't find a single one. I usually check garage/yard sales. Never saw a Whitney or Hudson at garage sale.
JohnU. |
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