Beware white buff leather

[AlexanderA]

In a search for authenticity, some owners of Brown Besses, Charlevilles, and the like, would prefer to outfit their muskets with period-correct white buff leather slings. (This applies especially to reenactors and living historians of the Revolutionary through the post-1812 War periods.) Be careful if doing this.

The white "buff" leather that is available today is the result of a tanning process that's different from the process that was used back in the day. The modern product is very high in sulfur. It very quickly turns any brass (such as buckles) that it comes into contact with black, and it corrodes (rusts) any steel parts (such as sling swivels). The amount and speed of damage can be surprising.

There are several solutions for this problem. One is to use a russet leather sling, of the same two-part design, that was current during the French and Indian War period. This would be OK for Rev War use, unless you are portraying by-the-book British Regulars. Another solution is to use a white buff leather sling for the event, but take it off immediately as soon as you get home.

If you want to keep a white sling on the musket all the time, you can use painted harness leather, rather than buff leather. But this really doesn't have the look and feel of buff leather.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Thanks. I wasn't aware of that.

 

[Dog Soldier]

Black Powder and White slings? That sounds like a British thing? My old "Bess" has an oily black sling made from harness leather.

 

[AlexanderA]

White buff leather slings came into vogue in the 1770's, and were regulation in the U.S. Army until the 1830's. That's when they were changed to russet leather. Other accoutrements, such as belts and cartridge box slings, remained white until the 1850's, when they were changed to black. British equipments remained white until the early 1880's (think of the movie "Zulu"). One of the rituals of soldiers in those days was the constant whitening of their equipment with pipe clay.