No other headgear, with the exception of the Plains warbonnet, personifies the North American Indian as much as the hair roach. Historically, its distribution and use covered virtually all tribes of the Plains, Plateau, Great Lakes, and Eastern Woodlands cultural areas. Paintings by artists in the 1830s reflected the use of the hair roach at that early date, and contemporary use of the porky roach may be seen in the outfits of the Grass Dancer, Oklahoma Straight Dancer, Oklahoma Feather Dancer, Northern Traditional Dancer, and the Old Time dancer.

Using Online Kit Instructions: Click on any figure (image) to view larger version. To print the larger view, “right-click” with your mouse on the image and select “print picture” from the menu that appears.

After assembling this board, or frame, drive a nail into each end at a downward angle. This will be used to secure the base cord. Small, rounded grooves shown in Fig. 1B will help hold the cord in place while tying.

Prepare Tying Bobbin
Prepare a tying bobbin using the spool of “button & carpet thread” furnished with the kit as shown in Fig. 1C. Wind approximately 10 to 15 yds. of the tying string onto this. A rubber band can be used to prevent too much string from unwinding. Let the string out as needed. This “bobbin” of thread is much easier to handle while tying than the whole spool of thread. Note: This thread is also used for tying the deer hair and for sewing the tied rows of hair to the roach base.

TYING THE PORKY HAIR

The porky hair is somewhat easier to tie than deerhair, so we recommend tying it first in order to build confidence & skill in making the knots & handling the small bundles of hair. Deer hair is finer & more difficult to tie tightly, & since this is the row of tying that is seen on the outside of the roach, you must tie it in neat, even bunches. The porky hair allows a little more room for error.

String the base cord which is the heavy “chalk line” or “cotton cable cord” on the tying board, securing it to the nail. Tie it tightly because it is easier to tie hair to this base cord if it does not give. Mark a 32″ length of the base cord in sections as shown in Fig. 3A. For the Deluxe 18″ Roach, this will be 38″ as shown in Fig. 3B. These marks are where you will change the size of porky Hair that you are tying. These are suggested section widths only! Because the thickness of porky hair naturally varies, it is difficult to say how many hairs should be used in each bundle of tied hair. This number can vary from as few as 12 strands of thick hair to as many as 20 strands of thinner hair. Therefore, you may need to modify these section sizes based on the amount of hair you have in each category. If you find that you have enough hair that is over 7.5″ in length, then make room for a section for this at the center. A good method of determining whether you are tying correctly sized bundles of porky hair is by trying to tie from 7 to 10 bundles per running inch. Just measure an inch of your tied hair & count the bundles.

Between the thumb and forefinger, grasp a small bunch of deer hair, slightly larger in diameter than a round toothpick or approximately the same size as a 16 penny nail. Tied deer hair should also average around 8 bundles per inch. However, it will require a larger number of strands of deer hair than porky roach hair to accomplish this because the deer hair is much thinner. As you progress, it will become easier to judge exactly the right amount of hair to use in each bunch. Be particularly careful to keep these bunches as close to the same size as possible so as to insure a nice, even looking roach.

Fold approximately 1/4″ of the cut end of this bunch of hair over the base cord. Tie the two knots while keeping the hair pinched firmly between the thumb and forefinger on the base cord. When clipping the hair from the tail, try to cut equal lengths (about 3-1/2″ long). You cannot trim deer hair after it has been tied. Never cut the top of deer hair. When tying deer hair, it should be remembered that it also varies in length and if some of the hair you are using is longer, it should be placed in the center of the cord, much like the porky hair. This will produce a roach that has a much nicer and more tailored finished appearance. Note: It is natural to try to tie deer hair bunches too large; however, these will come apart and ruin your roach so don’t overdo the bunch sizes! Wax the tying string as you proceed.

OPTIONAL INSIDE ROW OF DEER HAIR
If you wish to have a row of deer hair lining the inside of your roach, you will need to purchase 2 or 3 more deer tails. The inside row of hair is tied about 2″ shorter than the outside row, 32″ for the Standard Roach, and 38″ for the Deluxe 18″ Roach.

DYEING OPTION
If you would like a deer hair color other than white, or if the white has a yellow cast to it, dyeing will take care of this. RIT® dye is recommended, and it is best to boil the row of tied deer hair for 7-10 minutes (or to the desired shade), then remove it and hang it up to dry. Next, wash it with a solution of dish washing liquid to remove excess dye and hang it up to dry again. The roach base can be dyed using this same procedure.