moccasin last

[Jon Stewart]

Archeologist C.G. Yeager mentions them in a small paragraph in his book and remarked that he has seen only one in a collection and thats IF what he saw was actually a moccasin last. A few years ago I bought one (only artifact that I have ever purchased besides broken arrowheads) from a man that found it on the desert back in the 70's. He had a very large collection of larger artifacts, axe heads, adzes,celts etc, but it was the foot/shoe looking rock that drew my attention so I bought it . While speaking with the seller another man was standing there and said that he also found one out on the desert while deer hunting and it looked just like the one that I bought. I sent a photo of mine to Mr Yeager to get his opinion and he wrote:

"If there were, in fact, moccasin lasts, this would certainly be one. It's without a doubt one of the nicest shaped stones I've ever seen. Also, there does not appear to be "use wear marks" as would be present on a grind stone or mano."


My question has anybody else found one out there?

I would post a photo if I knew how to do it, duh!!! I would be glad to send a photo to anyone that would be interested in looking at it.

 

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[Tnmountains]

I would like to see a picture and can not imagine what it would look like..

 

[GatorBoy]

It sounds like there would be definate marks of manufacture to make that shape. not usewear but grinding to form the shape.

 

[1320]

Archeologist C.G. Yeager mentions them in a small paragraph in his book and remarked that he has seen only one in a collection and thats IF what he saw was actually a moccasin last. A few years ago I bought one (only artifact that I have ever purchased besides broken arrowheads) from a man that found it on the desert back in the 70's. He had a very large collection of larger artifacts, axe heads, adzes,celts etc, but it was the foot/shoe looking rock that drew my attention so I bought it . While speaking with the seller another man was standing there and said that he also found one out on the desert while deer hunting and it looked just like the one that I bought. I sent a photo of mine to Mr Yeager to get his opinion and he wrote:

"If there were, in fact, moccasin lasts, this would certainly be one. It's without a doubt one of the nicest shaped stones I've ever seen. Also, there does not appear to be "use wear marks" as would be present on a grind stone or mano."


My question has anybody else found one out there?

I would post a photo if I knew how to do it, duh!!! I would be glad to send a photo to anyone that would be interested in looking at it.

You can post images by clicking on the "go advanced" button, then click on "manage attachments"...from there you browse, select and UPLOAD them.

 

[RGINN]

I have actually seen one of those in real life displayed in the front window of a store in Carnegie, OK, during the bi-centennial in 1976. A little placard called it a moccassin stone, used as a form to make footwear. It was a naturally formed stone, shaped like a foot. It really caught my eye, as I had never heard that before, and the only info I got from the white store owner was that his grandfather, who was one of the original white settlers in that part of the country, bought it from an old Kiowa woman. I had a lot of questions about that. First of all, it was about a size 17. Next, I lived in Kiowa and Comanche country and saw them making moccassins. Mainly they were makin cheap ones for the tourist trade and better ones for Indian dancers. They didn't use any kind of foot shape. Except for the materials used, they were made in the same way they were made by generations before. So I would say that moccassin stone is a fable. Admittedly, there were many different tribes and many different styles of footwear, so it might have been used by some culture. I wouldn't know why you would need it, but maybe you would heat it and use it to shrink the leather or shape it while you sewed it up. I have been on many archaeological sites in SW Oklahoma and never found one. I have found some here in the rivers in Colorado that are foot shaped, but they're just river stones. Cool you brought that up; I didn't think anyone else had heard of that.

 

[Jon Stewart]

Ok here goes a photo attempt of the last.

 

[GatorBoy]

Seems there was some imagination involved.

 

[Sallysue]

How about a grass sandle

 

[Sallysue]

How about some pottery

 

[Jon Stewart]

Mr. Yeager mentions in his book that most scoff at the notion of a last and that it is probably a geofact. If thats the case its a really nice geofact shaped like a foot that makes a great door stop in my house. Mr Yeager was interested enough in the possibility of the rock being a last that he hand wrote a personal letter to me about it.

As I posted above I was wondering if anyone else had one or saw one and knew anything about them and if they exist. Thanks for looking AND because I wanted to post about it I only had to learn 19 steps to learn how to get a picture from my camera to this site.

 

[rock]

Hello Sally! Way to jump in and introduce yourself. Welcome to tnet

 

[rock]

Mr. Yeager mentions in his book that most scoff at the notion of a last and that it is probably a geofact. If thats the case its a really nice geofact shaped like a foot that makes a great door stop in my house. Mr Yeager was interested enough in the possibility of the rock being a last that he hand wrote a personal letter to me about it.

As I posted above I was wondering if anyone else had one or saw one and knew anything about them and if they exist. Thanks for looking AND because I wanted to post about it I only had to learn 19 steps to learn how to get a picture from my camera to this site.

Thanks for the look. First time I have ever heard of one and it looks just like a foot in shape. Might be some type of tool they used.

 

[1320]

Sweet images, nice job getting them uploaded!

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Natural stone and not an artifact. Moccasin Lasts are in the same category as the Snapped Base Kirk. Both are a figment of a wild imagination.

 

[NC field hunter]

I have actually seen one of those in real life displayed in the front window of a store in Carnegie, OK, during the bi-centennial in 1976. A little placard called it a moccassin stone, used as a form to make footwear. It was a naturally formed stone, shaped like a foot. It really caught my eye, as I had never heard that before, and the only info I got from the white store owner was that his grandfather, who was one of the original white settlers in that part of the country, bought it from an old Kiowa woman. I had a lot of questions about that. First of all, it was about a size 17. Next, I lived in Kiowa and Comanche country and saw them making moccassins. Mainly they were makin cheap ones for the tourist trade and better ones for Indian dancers. They didn't use any kind of foot shape. Except for the materials used, they were made in the same way they were made by generations before. So I would say that moccassin stone is a fable. Admittedly, there were many different tribes and many different styles of footwear, so it might have been used by some culture. I wouldn't know why you would need it, but maybe you would heat it and use it to shrink the leather or shape it while you sewed it up. I have been on many archaeological sites in SW Oklahoma and never found one. I have found some here in the rivers in Colorado that are foot shaped, but they're just river stones. Cool you brought that up; I didn't think anyone else had heard of that.

If you look at my last post, I would say that native fella wears a 17 plus. On a serious note, like you said leather shrinks, so they would need them a little larger at first. Then room to overlap the leather hides for weaving them together. But... That would call for a smaller foot stone... I think. Got me. I never have heard of one. I find foot shaped stones all the time. Natural but foot shaped. I don't doubt if one was found, they used it as is. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! That is unless you are me. My motto is " if it ain't broke, fix it till it is" lol. Nice topic. Look forward to watching this one progress!

 

[RGINN]

I'm glad you learned how to post pics, Jon, and that is a cool rock. I bought Mr. Yeager's book a couple of weeks ago over in Golden and saw where he mentioned the moccassin last. Everyday plains moccassins had a separate rawhide sole. The upper would be cut to a standard shape then sewn onto the sole. A stone foot shape wouldn't be much of a help. You wouldn't want to shrink the leather and actual wear would shape it. There is one use of a rock form or last that I know of. There's a place along SH-19 in SW Oklahoma where people go and pick up these small perfectly round rocks. They mold wet rawhide around this and let it dry. They use the resulting round form in making a rattle for use in church or dances or whatever. Some people think that's a more old timey 'real Indun' look. Others just use small dried gourds or Calumet baking powder cans. (Check out that bakin powder can, and you'll see why those guys like those.)

 

[Buckleberry]

I can't see any possible reason for making one...could you imagine transporting that thing around when all you need is somebodies foot to get the correct and custom shape for their moccasin?

Next we'll be seeing arrowhead molds for pouring the flint into to make points.

 

[gordonquixote]

Whoever wore that Shaq-sized moccasin must have been popular with the ladies....

 

[Charl]

By golly, they must be real, they even offer them on eBay

Stone Age Shoe Last 2 Piece Primitive Rock Shoelast Moccasin Mold | eBay

 

[The Grim Reaper]

I can't see any possible reason for making one...could you imagine transporting that thing around when all you need is somebodies foot to get the correct and custom shape for their moccasin?

Next we'll be seeing arrowhead molds for pouring the flint into to make points.

Bingo!!!! We have a winner!!!