Bear skin cockade?

[Guthrumironhead]

Good evening gents,
I’m seeking a patch of black bear fur for a 42nd bonnet ca. 1758. Any of you French and Indian War reenactors have any leads for me? All the vendors I’ve found online that deal in trimmings or small pieces are out of stock currently. The fake fur just ain’t cuttin’ it! Short of catching a bear, where do I go from here?
Thanks in advance.

[Really a McQueen]

It's been a while since I've seen some, but have you checked with a supplier of fly tying materials? Perhaps some boar fur might suffice for the interim.

[Guthrumironhead]

It's been a while since I've seen some, but have you checked with a supplier of fly tying materials? Perhaps some boar fur might suffice for the interim.

I had not and boar as a substitute never occurred to me. Thanks.

[ShaunMaxwell]

You might try something like this:

https://www.hideandfur.com/inventory/3285.html

Cheers,

SM

[Luke MacGillie]

The bearskin patch does not come into play until later. For ca 1758 you should wear a normal British army woven horsehair cloth clockade. I have worn a cockade like this for the last decade or so, and they do bleach out in the sun, taking on a bit of a red hue, rusty looking in fact.

So if doing the 42nd 1756 to 61 wear the horsehair. Then for 61 on, change to the bearskin strip, and a silk ribbon cockade. I have not yet been able to come up with a good pattern for what they were doing with a yard and an 8th of one inch ribbon.....



Montreal 20 th April 1761.
The Tailors as they have finished the other work are immediately to repair the mens tents, the charge of which will be charged to the camp necessarys. As the hair cockades for the mens bonnets are generally rotten or wore rusty, the cockades this year are therefore intended to be of narrow black ribbon a return to be given from each comp y of the quantity of ribbon that will be wanted, which will be provided at the cheapest rate at Albany or New York


Montreal 29 th May 1761.
The Commanding Officer of Companys to provide their men immediately with bear skin tufts for
their new bonnets according to the pattern which will be shown by the adjutant.


Camp at Watsons Ferry 6 th August 1761
Reg tl Orders.
The Qr.Mr. to alter the encampment of the women this day and bring as continuous as possible and by companys. As brushes are necessary for the mens clothing, returns to be given in by each company to the Qr.Mr. of the number that will be wanted, allowing at least a brush to every mess, which he will provide at New York. As the men are not yet provided with Cockades, returns also to be given in to the Qr.Mr. of the numbers wanted in each company, which are to be of black satine ribband allowing a yard and a quarter for each cockade.


Camp at Watsons Ferry 28 th August, 1761.
As it is found to be most agreeable to the men they are therefore permitted to furnish themselves with cockades, which they are to do immediately, according to a pattern which will be shown to the different Serjts. By Serjt Anderson of Capt. McNeils Company, it requiring only one yard and half quarter of black Satine Riband inch broad for each cockade............ As a great many of the Tifts in the mens bonnets are brown and not made according to the pattern which was shown at Montreal, they are therefore also to complete themselves immediately with proper tifts, made of the blackest bearskin that can be procured and not to exceed 5 inches in length which are to be fixed inclining towards the crown of the bonnets.