If you want to go primitive stay away from synthetic lacing. It does not look the same and you'd hate yourself for it. If you're serious.
I've always used wooden with rawhide myself and like the rawhide a lot, but the synthetic "Poly-lace" lacing on the Risdon shoes is darn good also. You gotta look real close to see the difference.
Here's the two together. Top shoe is the Iverson with rawhide, bottom is the Risdon with Poly-Lace
Posts: 797 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 29 April 2006
The second word in period correct is correct, should be obvious. He is a F&I re-enactor. One bad example will bring down the whole group, besides making the guy with the phony stuff look like an idiot. That's what difference it makes. We don't use synthetic stocks either.
So if you're wearing Fruit of the Looms under your buckskins you're not period correct...correct?
I've been to more winter rendezvous than I can remember. Most guys wear long johns made in China and other synthetic stuff under their wool Capote and Sorrel boots on their feet. I doubt very much anyone is going to stick their nose on his snowshow laces to see if they're rawhide or not. That poly-lace looks so much like the real thing that no one would know the difference.
quote:
We don't use synthetic stocks either
Nope wood is the best
Posts: 797 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 29 April 2006
Doesn't matter what most guys do, I certainly don't wear anything with elastic under my brain tan buckskins or my wool, and wearing sorrels at anything but a porkydoo would certainly be taboo. And poly lace is woven and shows it. But the point is even if he could fool some nearsighted individuals or casual observers, he would know and so would his fellow re-enactors. He asked for advice on period correct snowshoes and deserves the best that we can give. If something is worth doing it's worth doing to the best of ones ability. Do you fudge and cut corners when building bows?
Here is a link to a place in Maine that sells old/used shoes recovered from various places. I'm sure if you searched this sight you can probably pick-up an old antique pair in decent/usable condition. For what it's worth...
Also, to keep things as basic and authentic as I can...I always use a simple hunk of hemp rope to tie my snowshoes onto my mocs. If you are shooting for PC/HC, this is a great alternative to using the modern day bindings with roller buckles, metal rivets, rubber pieces, etc.
Hope this helps you!
Posts: 265 | Location: Upper Peninsula of Michigan | Registered: 03 June 2010
That's a neat site Night Owl with some good deals on traditional snowshoes.
As for the rope bindings, I had a trapping partner over 40 years ago that liked to use lamp wick for bindings. He said it didn't freeze when it got wet. He wove it into a toe loop and then crossed it behind his heel and tied it in front. His favorite showshoe was made by Tubbs, I don't think they make wooden shoes anymore.
He was in his late 60's when I met him in 1972 and he had trapped Michigans Upper Peninsula in the 30's. He was 1/4 French and 3/4 Chippewa. We trapped together for 10 years and I learned a lot of the old ways from him
That's him on the left and me on the right with some fox in the winter of 74. There's a couple pairs of snowshoes on the sled behind the old Ski-doo
Posts: 797 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 29 April 2006
I've still got a pair of Vermont Tubbs 10X56 snowshoes. And lamp wick is still available by the roll. Common name for one method was the Indian snowshoe hitch, and if you're wearing moccasins you can step in and out of it hands free.
Very neat way of binding! I always like learning new ways to skin a cat! I'll have to try that method out! Thanks NWTF for the insight!
There was an article a while back in the magazine about tying snowshoes on in a traditional fashion using a simple length of cordage. This is pretty much the same way I have done it for a long time except I add an extra turn or two with the rope when passing them over my toe and in behind my heel.
Here is another AMM guy, more in my neck of the woods, who gives some info on snowshoes. I've been in a camp with this guy and he is a spring of knowledge.