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Here is a little bit from the article on buff leather that is going to be published in an upcoming Journal of the Company of Military Historians. This is without doubt the most mis-understood leather when it comes to our period of military history. So many myths.... but surprisingly they also take you quite close to the truth when you actually examine period understand and definitions. One of the myths that plays into Confederate Regulations is where we find listed a yellow sash. This may be due to the fact that the original color of buff leather was yellow and was the same in fabric. In the early 1800’’s a leather dyers manual lists the color as yellow when dyeing. To get the yellow, the leather was stained with a chestnut oak bark stain to give a more even color. Anyway, here is an excerpt from our article.....
"Buff"" leather? While most military historians believe that they know what the term means, the reality is that this leather is one of the most misunderstood leather types from the 19th century, particularly here in America. The name itself conjures up all kinds of thoughts and questions about what ""buff"" is and where it comes from. The confusion about buff actually goes back centuries. It begins with its name but is further complicated by its unique surface texture, often referred to as ""rough out"" or ""fuzzy"". Much of the confusion stems from 18th century writings, which erroneously surmised from the name that it was tanned from the shaggy buffalo. Some have even gone so far as to suggest it was tanned from water buffalo. 1. Neither is true. So, where did the name come from and, what was the original animal hide the leather was tanned from? How was this leather made? More importantly, what are its military applications and why is there white, black and brown buff? .......................
...........Buff leather acquired its original name from a very obscure source. The very first buff leather came from the hide of the ancient Urus (or Aurochs), an early type of wild cattle that centuries ago roamed Europe, Asia and North Africa. Commonly known as the "Buffe" this now extinct bovine, was a large, stout animal that stood up to 6.5 feet tall at the shoulder and weighed 2200 pounds. The very first recorded military use of buff leather was in the early 1500's when English King Henry VIII imported a number of "buffe-hides," which were tanned and manufactured into leather for military clothing................
........Throughout this period, European and later, American military applications for buff was primarily in making accoutrement belts and clothing. Period writing describe the original buff leather as generally a light yellow color. 5. This yellow-creme color would remain synonymous with buff leather until the late 1700’s when the European and American armies began to add whiteners to give it a distinctly uniform white color. The source of these whiteners was "Paris Whitening" which is simply powdered chalk that was worked in at the finishing end of the tanning process. Unfortunately, white buff gets soiled quite quickly which necessitated that soldiers be issued pipe clay and whiteners to keep up the appearance of the buff leather. ..............
................By the early 1800's enough time had passed that both the Europeans and Americans referred to buff leather simply as "buff"meaning its white (or sometimes white-yellow) color of the leather and no longer the ancient animal or even the tanning process. 7. In the American army, white buff was used for infantry and cavalry accoutremments including waist belts, cartridge box slings and carbine slings. This leather color remained the dominant choice for the U. S. Army until the early 1850's. By then,.........................
............However, when the army switched to the other black leathers it was not without some controversy. First, field troops were resistant to change preferring white buff as cleaner, more durable and more ""dashing"". Apparently the oil in the new black buff also came off when wet soiling clothing but, more appalling in the summer it drew flies! According to one officer, attracting ""such a swarm of them, as to become disgusting to the sight, nauseating to the stomach, and in fact absolutely tormenting to the soldier."......................
The myths and mysteries of buff leather originated centuries ago and have ever since remained stubbornly persistent across many continents and cultures.............. Perhaps now ................
Thanks to Ken Knopp for all his help.
David Jarnagin
djarnagin@bellsouth.net
The attached pictures show how hard it was to keep (whitened) buff leather clean in the field.
"Buff"" leather? While most military historians believe that they know what the term means, the reality is that this leather is one of the most misunderstood leather types from the 19th century, particularly here in America. The name itself conjures up all kinds of thoughts and questions about what ""buff"" is and where it comes from. The confusion about buff actually goes back centuries. It begins with its name but is further complicated by its unique surface texture, often referred to as ""rough out"" or ""fuzzy"". Much of the confusion stems from 18th century writings, which erroneously surmised from the name that it was tanned from the shaggy buffalo. Some have even gone so far as to suggest it was tanned from water buffalo. 1. Neither is true. So, where did the name come from and, what was the original animal hide the leather was tanned from? How was this leather made? More importantly, what are its military applications and why is there white, black and brown buff? .......................
...........Buff leather acquired its original name from a very obscure source. The very first buff leather came from the hide of the ancient Urus (or Aurochs), an early type of wild cattle that centuries ago roamed Europe, Asia and North Africa. Commonly known as the "Buffe" this now extinct bovine, was a large, stout animal that stood up to 6.5 feet tall at the shoulder and weighed 2200 pounds. The very first recorded military use of buff leather was in the early 1500's when English King Henry VIII imported a number of "buffe-hides," which were tanned and manufactured into leather for military clothing................
........Throughout this period, European and later, American military applications for buff was primarily in making accoutrement belts and clothing. Period writing describe the original buff leather as generally a light yellow color. 5. This yellow-creme color would remain synonymous with buff leather until the late 1700’s when the European and American armies began to add whiteners to give it a distinctly uniform white color. The source of these whiteners was "Paris Whitening" which is simply powdered chalk that was worked in at the finishing end of the tanning process. Unfortunately, white buff gets soiled quite quickly which necessitated that soldiers be issued pipe clay and whiteners to keep up the appearance of the buff leather. ..............
................By the early 1800's enough time had passed that both the Europeans and Americans referred to buff leather simply as "buff"meaning its white (or sometimes white-yellow) color of the leather and no longer the ancient animal or even the tanning process. 7. In the American army, white buff was used for infantry and cavalry accoutremments including waist belts, cartridge box slings and carbine slings. This leather color remained the dominant choice for the U. S. Army until the early 1850's. By then,.........................
............However, when the army switched to the other black leathers it was not without some controversy. First, field troops were resistant to change preferring white buff as cleaner, more durable and more ""dashing"". Apparently the oil in the new black buff also came off when wet soiling clothing but, more appalling in the summer it drew flies! According to one officer, attracting ""such a swarm of them, as to become disgusting to the sight, nauseating to the stomach, and in fact absolutely tormenting to the soldier."......................
The myths and mysteries of buff leather originated centuries ago and have ever since remained stubbornly persistent across many continents and cultures.............. Perhaps now ................
Thanks to Ken Knopp for all his help.
David Jarnagin
djarnagin@bellsouth.net
The attached pictures show how hard it was to keep (whitened) buff leather clean in the field.
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