anyone have a breech clouts pattern they can post?

approx. 10-12in wide(narrower or wider as needed)....approx. 60in long(shorter or longer as needed)...pretty basic,no pattern needed

If you want a paper pattern, Eagle View has a kit for clout and leggins. It at least shows you about where to put the narrow part that's supposed to go tween yer legs. If you make the clout out of wool you'll need that narrowing(and a cotton or linen lining, fer yore "sensitive" area! Heehee!). You can find Eagle View patterns in nearly every buckskinner's catalog, plus patterns from other makers.

Some guys locate the narrower, middle part, and simply run a stout thread from one side to the other and draw it tighter--this may cause too much bunching, however, so others simply trim accordingly. As noted above, about 12" wide and as long as you want it (Eastern styles were embarrassingly shorter).
If you're nervous about just making one, make a trial-piece out of muslin or whatever, get it to where you like it, then after you've made the real thing, use the muslin for cleaning patches!

Dick

Thanks for the tips, I appreciate it.

When I wear a breech clout I wear one made of a simple strip of linen. My persona is a middle ground hunter of the 1770"s. I cut it about 9-10" wide and about a yard long (I"m 5'7" so this fits me fine". This is how Rev. Doddridge described them. I admit they are a mite skimpy if you are prone to blushing.

Back in the dark ages when I was a sprog, around 1950ish I spent one whole Summer wearing only a clout and mocassins. I was about 7 or 8. As I remember my clout was about 6 in or so wide, and I put a half turn in it for comfort. Held it up with the belt from my Official Gene Autry capgun and holster set. The Batistes who lived next door were full blood Potawatami and the younger Batiste boys showed me how to do it. They wore clouts all summer so I dressed the same way. They weren't as pale as I was. I darkened up pretty good in the Sun, but not nearly as well as they did.

Three Hawks

I bought this one ten years ago it is 5' long x12" wide the narrow part of the arc is 4" and would be better at 5-6" I think the distance across from arc start to finish is 12" this hangs about 6" above my knees, it does give an idea as to shape if you do not want to bunch up the center.

Do you know any Boy Scouts?
Any Boy Scout who belongs to the Order of the Arrow will have instructions on making a simple clout.

Are there any existing examples of a contoured breach clout? Mine is about nine inches across and just bunces up. In tall weeds, I'm happy for any extra material that is goin' to keep my tender white fleash from the nettles! When I was a boy, (in the '70s), I made a breachcout out'a course linen and wore it for a summer. I remember thikin' about contourin' it, but don't think I ever did. I do remember some sunburn on my thighs...but those were the '70s. Now my linen shirt takes care of that.

Will

Not that it matters,but I wonder what that ball peen hammer has to do with the clout?
Sparks

About as much as all the other crap laying just out of camera range.....

sparks!! Dont know as I would take the chance of offending anyone who lines his clouts with burlap!!!!!!! ha ha,that is what the ballpeen hammer is laying on.And I wonder if that is a full size framing square laying on the clouts!!!!!!! When your testing the water,put one foot in at a time!!!aaahhh ha

Walking Crow,
Guess I just better back out of this one nice and quiet like...

Maybe the hammer is used for nailing through the belt and clout, and into the body so it fits securely!

Full sized square? Aye, There be Giants!

Sparks

trg,
Actually, the clout looks great!
Sparks

if anyone knows Swanny from two rivers AK used to be the pres for COHT i spent 2 days behind him as we canoed down a river and his shirt was short and clout was more of a thong so make sure it is wide enough (I still wake up screaming at night with dreams of that sight)

It is wool and I have found it to be well made and comfortable, but I cannot recall where I got it.

quote:

Originally posted by oneblanket:
if anyone knows Swanny from two rivers AK used to be the pres for COHT i spent 2 days behind him as we canoed down a river and his shirt was short and clout was more of a thong so make sure it is wide enough (I still wake up screaming at night with dreams of that sight)

Can Imagine that sight. Used to know Swanny years ago when he lived in Crested Butte before he moved up to Alaska there. Don't imagine that he's any smaller than he used to be....
Woodman

I was in Freshman History back in 1967, and the instructor told us we had to do a chapter paper every two weeks. Somebody asks him how long to make it. He says "about like a mini-skirt on a shapely young woman. Long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to be interesting.".

I suggest you ignore the latter part, and stick to the other.

Rich

Ive only examined 2 surviving clouts(Caldwell, Canadian Museum of Civ) from the 18th century, both were Great Lakes, and neither were hourglass shaped. One of the clouts did have a cotton liner, much soiled from a bad case of "Drippy Richard"