scared

[Hammerhead]

i have 4 nice braintan deer hides i am looking to make a pair of moccasins but am terrified to try to use my hides because they cost me 50 dollars and i dont have money to replace them. any suggestions

[mongrel]

See the topic "Practice Material", which at the moment is next in line after this one.

Old jeans ought to work great. Make patterns and transfer them to the jean material till you come up with denim mocs that fit. Then do it a time or two more just to be sure you've got it.

Then attack the deerskins. It's like the first few times you actually go to cut on a chunk of nice stock wood. You can practice and practice and practice on scrap wood but sooner or later you have to take a deep breath and just go for it.

Good luck, keep us posted how things go with the practice fabric.

[Watauga]

Kris,You might think of saving the deer hides for something else.
The best moccasins are usually made of Buffalo,Cow or Elk hides.
(Thicker longer wearing)
Or you might sew Buffalo,Cow or Elk soles on the Deer moccasins?!?
If you still want to use the Deer make sure that the thick part of the hide ends up on the sole part of the moccasins.
(Usually the part over the shoulders and down the back)
Just a thought but Deer leggings would be good.

[hungryjohn]

It's totally your choice of what you want make some mocs. Personally, I wouldn't use braintan deer . It's just too dang expensive for something that's going to wear out comparatively quick. Better, in my way of thinking, to use cow or something else less expensive.

But it is your choice, and I wish you luck.

[Hammerhead]

i did buy a few feet of moose for the soles

[Red Badger]

I second the idea of not using brain tan deer for mocc's!  I work too hard to create it, maybe for uppers on a high top but not for the soles!

Now if I did make them they would be fancy dress mocc's for Sunday go to meeting dress and only then after having the beaded and quilled by Bulldog Lady!  or as a emergency set that I had to create on the trail as i had nothing left to protect my feet. 

[crazell]

Good luck Hammerhead. You will definitely want to use moose, buffalo, or cow for the souls. I have a pair made out of elk and they are comfy, but won't hold up long on rocky terrain. take pics my man....

[DEADDAWG]

Come on now Hammerhead, put on your Big Boy Panties and jump in there and hack and whack!

In all seriousness, save your brain tan and use moose or buffalo. It's more comfortable, lasts longer and protects your feet better. I made a pair of mocs out of brain tan once, they lasted three days. That doesn't bode well for the amount of work that goes into tanning the hide and making the mocs, not a good return on your time.

You can always send those hides to me and I'll put them to good use.

[billh]

Like what was said here already, practice, practice, practice. My wife and I made our first ones out of elk, but now I switched to cow hide...they will last longer than the elk. Use that deer for some leggings...you'll enjoy em and they'll last longer.

[Hammerhead]

where do i get my hands on enough elk for a pain of mocs i aint got a big wallet right now and nobody will hire

[Red Badger]

where do i get my hands on enough elk for a pain of mocs i aint got a big wallet right now and nobody will hire

the easy answer is go hunting for it... the hard answer is search for sales on the web and do a lot of praying..... come to think of it that fits the easy answer also.... 

[DandJofAZ]

Kris, too bad you are so far from AZ..I've got two elk and two deer hides in freezer..Just looking forward to all the work once to weather warms up a bit..

[Hammerhead]

ya could make em and send to me lol just kiddin i got a pair of elk on the way. my next investment is a pair a little higher up the leg

[Rev]

ya could make em and send to me lol just kiddin i got a pair of elk on the way. my next investment is a pair a little higher up the leg

Mocs only lasted a couple weeks back in the day. I doubt anyone put in the extra time & effort to make the high mocs. Makes no sense, all that extra leather & sewing for a couple of weeks? Maybe Native American ceremonial mocs, but all the period mocks I have seen are short...

[Rev]

Case in point, my friend Oliver McCloskey has saved his used mocs for quite some time. Oliver is a young fella, but as you can see he has a pretty good pile of used up mocs. Oliver lives the life more than most & supplies me with some of the best brain tan money can buy. If you buy a brain tanned item from me, it came from the hands of a man that lives it the old way...