EARLY SHEEP SKIN WORK

SMELTER TOWN COLORADO This coat is the first thing I ever made out of sheep skin. The pinkish color comes from the fact that it is tanned using the bark-tan method. The trim is cow hide, and was hand sewn with linen thread. The buttons are "Walking Liberty" fifty cent coins. All these coats had "wind flaps" ie a strip of sheep skin sewn on the front edge, that tucked inside to block the wind. This coat was one of a series I made. They all had designs burnt and dyed into them. This picture doesn't show them very well. The "wind flap" can be seen though. The first sheep skin vest I ever made. Buffalo nickel buttons. By the time these pictures were made, I had settled into using just deer, elk, and sheep. I rarely ever made anything from other skins. I must have cut up a medium size herd of deer & elk or the years. I stretched every deer & elk skin I used. You get the hide wet, wring out the excess water, and staple it to a flat wooden surface. As this is done, you pull the hide. Then when it's dry, it's as flat as a sheet of paper. That's a mule deer skin on the side of that shed, on my right. ESTES PARK COLORADO The Dark Horse Leather Shop This coat is made from chrome tan sheep, hence the white color. The burnt and dyed design work is clearly seen in this picture. I couldn't make these coats fast enough. At the time I had a source for extremely large sheep skins, so I could make them really long, there are just two pieces in the back.