I would like to find a pattern on how to make the Chippewa moccasins. Does any one round the fire know where to locate one? This seams to be quite comon in Mr. Millers paintings and sketches at the 1837 rendezvous.

Do you mean the kind with the tongue, or the simple center-seam?
There are books that carry a variety of patterns including both of those... I was just perusing my Track of the Wolf catalog and saw a couple--there's also a DVD available through them that shows how. Probably over-kill to buy a DVD on moccasins, but it might be just the ticket.

Dick

Yes the pictures that I have seen look like a center seam with a vamp sewen in. That is the one that I am looking for. I have found the standard pucker tow type but from the drawings and pictures that I have seen the center seam vamped moc's are not puckered at all.

Okay, those are nice moccasins. I think they are puckered in order to fit the vamp, but not as much as other "brands". I have an old booklet called "Craft Manual of North American Indian Footwear" or something like that. It has drawings that you can make into patterns following their instructions, on that style and others. There are probably better or more thorough pattern books out there, though. Check Track of the Wolf's website or catalog for their books on Native American clothing, and you'll find something.

Dick

Howard, take a look at http://www.snowwowl.com/naartmoccasins.html

and see if there aren't some links that point you in the right direction. Track of the Wolf used to sell (maybe still does) the Craft Manual of N. American Indian footwear, and the Book of Buckskinning, Vol III has a pretty detailed article on how to measure for and make centerseam, puckertoe and hardsole mocs. The Chippewa mocs look to be a variation of centerseam. Good luck, SCL

I believe that these are the type of moc's you are asking about? These are a pair of my well worn braintan elk. In fact last week I finally wore out the soles and I am going to start a new pair. The seam runs up the middle to where you want the vamp. The vamp is also the tongue which I make to go up about 4 to 6" up the ankle. The trade cloth is sewn to the vamp before it is attached to the moc. You start at the center point and work around to your end point garthering slightly as you go. Fit them tight for they will stretch out some. This style has a pointed toe and once you get into some water with them they shrink up to fit nicely to your feet. I sew in another sole inside for a bit more padding an a little longer life. Also sew on upper flaps about 4 to 6" high that will wrap around my ankle. Fit the seam for the heal snug to it. Good tight fitting moc won't slip around on you. Look into back issues of Muzzleloader mag. Rex Norman did an atrical some time back on them and my friend Scott Walker had a pretty good pattern in there. Its a bit different than mine but still looks great. I hope this helps some?



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This message has been edited. Last edited by: bufflerub1880,

Craft Manual does not have a Ojibwe small vamp pucker toe pattern. But the names are weird in that book. The "Yukon" Wrap Top (large vamp)is an alternate Ojibwe-Cree type, usually used in winter and for snowshoes.

BTW some scholars think Ojibwe means puckered as in puckered toe. Others, including Elders I have talked to say it is "Where the great water puckers," i.e. Sault Ste-Marie.

When you find a pattern, make a trial pair from felt to adjust the pattern to your feet.

Thanks for all the info everybody. Bufflerrub those are the moc's that I am looking for I saw a picture in the book "In the Image of Miller", I believe that is the name of the book as I have lent it out and can not check. I think it was written by Shawn Webster with the help of Rex Allen and friends. Is the red cloth backed by leather or by its self?

Howard, what I was calling the vamp is the tongue and where the red trade cloth is. Yes sew the cloth to the buckskin before you sew that to the lower main body of the moc. My first pair I got from a friend of Shawn's who had made the moc's. When I worn them out I took them apart to come up with the pattern.

The July Muzzle Blasts has a detailed article on how to make this moccasin, including the beading of the vamp, a pattern you can expand to full size, etc.

Here's a picture from a book named "The Pride of the Indian Wardrobe". It shows three stages of the process. This pattern is made from an entirely rectangular piece and a vamp of course!
I’m not sure but I believe it misses to show the “V”-cut (probably made between stage 2 and 3) that other patterns usually have in the middle of the front. Otherwise you end up with an extremely pointy moccasin.
Rex Norman published a great pattern in Muzzleloader a few years back can’t remember what issue though.

Rex's article is a good one and if I recall it is a Metis pattern that uses a larger vamp with a much shorter center seam. Some of the Miller art shows that style. What bufflerub wears is very close to the Shoshone type moccasin on display at the Museum of the Fur Trade. You cannot get that long center seam using the rectangular pattern, you need a pattern similar to those in the fore-cited George White book.
The notch also has to be just right regardless of the pattern you use, otherwise you get a pointy elf shoe or a little bump that gets folded under the toe. If you make the cut just 1/8" off, problems can occur, that's why I cited that current July article, the notch is correct, you can simply blow up the provided pattern on a photocopy machine,to your individual foot size, and all the components, that is the notch, where to feed in the vamp, etc are right on the money.
Rex's square pattern was in the March/April 2003 Muzzleloader.

While discussing this or these types of moccasins I would like to shed some light on the the back seam. The Scott Walker/Rex Norman pattern suggests a overlapping method that is quite easy to make. But has anyone seen this type being used on an original pare? All original pucker style moccasins I have seen have the T-shape back seam. What style is used on the Muzzleblasts pattern?

Here is a pare of well used Walker/Norman moccasins.

Three options are shown. It has the butted "T" seam like you show where the sides go all the way down to the sole, also a butted seam where the heel tab fits in a little higher, and also, the non-traditional, overlap style you mentioned.
The White book says often the Indians themselves left a little tab sticking out behind the heel, and there are some Bodmer paintings where fox tails are tied onto these tabs, probably just for tribal dances, etc. All these fox tails are only shown being worn by the various Missouri tribes. I think the butted joint is the most pc for a Mt. Man.
Notice how Char lip's center seam is a little shorter than bufflerub's. There's doc for both.
I like side seams as much as the next guy but it's really great to see some of those red cloth covered, center seam vamps. Thanks for the photos everyone.

Thanks RedOwl & char-lip this is just what I was hoping for. The written resorces so that I could aquire for use. I am trying to get a little more authentic with my gear. thank you to all for the help.

In the thread on the caped hunting frock Grey Wolf posted a painting of a Delaware trapper and you can see his moc's are long in the toe like mine. There are several different styles.

Could some one post the pattern from Muzzle Blast? I would like to see it.

The book of buckskinning III has moc patterns. I think one of them is pretty similiar to the ones in discussion here.
I might have to give this a try too.

and the list get's longer!

buck