Rawhide

[jem seeley]

Anyone any idea where I can get rawhide? I'm wanting to use rawhide to fix a flint spear head (just been on a flintknapping workshop with John Lord) onto a shaft.I've looked at the rawhide petshops sell as dog chews but this seems to be of variable thickness & is too weak.

 

[Bardster]

Anyone any idea where I can get rawhide? I'm wanting to use rawhide to fix a flint spear head (just been on a flintknapping workshop with John Lord) onto a shaft.I've looked at the rawhide petshops sell as dog chews but this seems to be of variable thickness & is too weak.

you can get rawhide thonging from www.theidentitystore.co.uk, as well as whole sheets of it

 

[wolf]

try here..
http://www.crazycrow.com/

 

[Grooveski]

Doggy chews. :You_Rock_


Sorry. You're right, really variable, but you get an eye for a good piece after chopping up a few and throwing away a few.
...and it's a ready supply that anyone can pick up. The big knotted bones may seem a rip off when you find the sludge inside the wrap but if you know a dog they will love you for providing the reward without the effort .

 

[shadow57]

Yes that's right doggy chews from pet shop. Steep it in water for a day and it goes soft. I've used it on some bows that I made. Watch out for what thickness you choose.

John b

 

[Toddy]

PM to Troy; he makes the stuff and it's excellent

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[elma]

Yes that's right doggy chews from pet shop. Steep it in water for a day and it goes soft. I've used it on some bows that I made. Watch out for what thickness you choose.

John b

I've just purchased some dog chews for a rawhide backing for a bow, I got the tip from a book that I've been reading but you have to be careful that the chew is only made of rawhide and has'nt got some gunk in the middle of it, buy the ones that look like strips of hide with knots at the ends, the ones that look like processed doggy bone shapes leave well alone

 

[Grooveski]

Excellent is the word. I traded some from Eric and it's really well prepared.

 

[Grooveski]

For binding a spear head, you'll get a length from a dog chew no problem.

Backing bows is a different scene, that's why folk are raving about troy's hides. I wasn't planning on using these bits for anything else.

Trouble is elma, some of the big bone chews still have gunk at the core. Maybe we should be talking store names and brand products.

 

[jem seeley]

Thanks for all the leads,folks.I'll have another look at the dog chews.I bought a selection including a rather nasty one made up into a moccasin/slipper which I thought would be easier to spiral cut into long strips but it kept snapping.I'll give the knotted bone a try next.Should rawhide be strong enough to use in strip form or do I need to lay it up into cordage?

 

[shadow57]

I manged to get pieces about 20" long from the doggy chews and cut them into 3/4 inch wide strips. I uses cascamite glue and cut the ends of the strips with a taper and butted them together. Messy stuff to work with..

I moved on and now back my bows with Linen Cordage. I even put it on my yew bows before I start the bending process. The linen will not break and acts as a built in safety factor that stops your bow exploding.

 

[shadow57]

I forgot it was about fixing arrowheads not backing bows
Got carried away there.....sorry

 

[James Watson]

Hi Jem

I've got some rawhide that I made during the summer. Its from a female red deer that’s farmed in North Staffordshire. Probably from the same batch that Johns recently been using, as I supplied him with some skins a year or so ago. If you email me your address I’ll post you enough to lash your spear head.

Best wishes,

James

 

[Ketchup]

I'm no specialist, but cannot you use natural gut (sausage casings)?

You should be able to obtain these clean and processed from the slaughterhouse and/or meat industry suppliers. They are sold in different thicknesses and usually sold in brine. Pork bladder is even cheaper and available from the same source
Ask you local butcher.

gut could also be good for backing bows or making bowstring. They were after all used in the past as strings on fiddles and lutes.

 

[pierre girard]

No need for cordage. A decent rawhide strip is plenty strong. If you have thin rawhide - cut your strips wide and stretch them (when wet) - to see how thin the piece will stretch. Cut the width accordingly.

PG

 

[Red1]

Hi guys, this is my first post here so I hope I'm in the right place?
I'm making a heater shield for full contact medieval combat and I'm looking for some raw hide for the edges! It needs to be about 2" wide x 2-3mm thick and preferably 6 foot long so I can do the edge in one piece!
Can anyone help or suggest my best options please?
Thank you

 

[middlewolf]

Here in the states some guys are buying large chew toys made of rawhide at pet stores. They then soak it until it can be unwrapped to its full size.

 

[Night Phoenix]

Hey Jem,
We have used the rawhide from dog chews as suggested for both the rim of shields and for helping hold on spear heads and they really are quite strong. I would be keen to hear how you get on with them and to see a photo of your spear. I have not flint knapped a spear head before but want to, they are always so beautiful looking. Good luck.

Thanks for all the leads,folks.I'll have another look at the dog chews.I bought a selection including a rather nasty one made up into a moccasin/slipper which I thought would be easier to spiral cut into long strips but it kept snapping.I'll give the knotted bone a try next.Should rawhide be strong enough to use in strip form or do I need to lay it up into cordage?