Are these suede lether Cavalry / scout pants ?

[oddmod]

Hi.

 

I have had these for about 20 years, and I have always wondered if they might be part of some sort of unofficial US Cavalry uniform. After all Custer was famous for his buckskins.

 

They are machine stitched, fully lined with a heavy cotton canvas. The buttons are ancient. There is no doubt in my mind that they are early 20th or mid/late 19th century.

 

I've sold off most of collection of vintage and US militaria, but have held on to these because they are just so interesting...and of course that nagging questions about what exactly they might be.

 

Any thoughts or specific knowledge would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

JC

[oddmod]

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[oddmod]

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[albatrosdva]

I don't pretend to know if they are cavalry or not but an observation, the lack of a rear buckle makes them almost certainly 20th century. Could be very early 20th or very late 19th. The accompanying photo is from an 1897 period pair of pants from the KY State Guard.

[oddmod]

Albatrosdva,

 

Thanks for the input. I don't know anything about 19th Century uniforms, but I do know something about 20th century US uniforms and vintage clothing.

 

You make a good point about the buckle back, WW1 uniforms don't have one...but with civilian clothing the buckle back was used well into the 1940's and even occasional later into the 1950's. Levi Strauss famously used it on the backs of there jeans right up into WW2...

 

And actually, come to think of it, I think I've seen it on certain bits of US Miltitary specialty gear, like cold weather clothing for the Air Force and Navy well into the 50's and 60's in some cases. (But that's just what my memory is telling me at the moment).

 

So, in other words, I am not sure that is an absolute way to date something.

 

Thanks,

JC