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smoked deer hide w/ tipi

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DanaM:
I don't think smoking a hide makes it softer, you have to break the hide first and get it nice and soft. My understanding is
the smoke makes the hide breath and if it gets wet it will dry soft again, rather than reverting to rawhide. As for material to smoke with
from what I've read punky cottonwood is one of the best materials to use. And absoulutely no heat on da hide, cold smoke only.

brownhillboy:
Thanks guys.  I don't think I put much heat on it with it being as high as it was, but I understand that I didn't do it exactly right either.  My wife kept complaining that the fire wasn't warm enough!  So, if I want to bother making it softer, I'll need to re-egg it and work it again.

madcrow:
We must have been on the same wavelength because here is one I did last night.  I made the tipi with 7 foot pieces of EMT over a Weber charcoal grill.  My wife was complaining too, but it was because she wanted burgers on the grill.  Due to some shoulder problems, I cannot stake the hide or use a cable like normal, so I after the last braining, I wrung the hide out and stretched it.  The draped it around the top of the tipi to catch the smoke.  About every 10 minutes, I would take it off and stretch the heck out of it and put it back on.  I did that until it would not stretch anymore.  I should have left it on longer so the color would bleed through to the skin side, but they were all hungry.  Fairly soft except for the across the shoulders, but I can work with that.

Hillbilly:
Yeah, the smoke just keeps it from stiffening up if you get it wet. Punky wood over coals is the way to go-you don't want heat getting to the hide, just smoke. I like to put some coals in a metal bucket, and add a thick layer of punky wood over them. Sew or glue the edges of the hide together to make it into a sack, and fasten a skirt made from a bluejean leg to the bottom of it. Then put the skirt over the bucket top so all the smoke goes into the hide. You have to watch it like a hawk to keep it from flaring up. Flames=ruined hide.

Shadow Walker:
I have done a fair number of  braintanned hides. I have done hair on tanning as well on a black bear and some coyote.
You have to tan ( or "break") the hide first.When you smoke the hide, the pitch from the smoke permeates the hide and prevents it from going stiff when it gets wet. When the natives replaced the tops on their tipis, the hide that was replaced made the best garment hide because of the prolonged exposure to the smoke.
Smoking with punky wood gives a golden tan colour. If you want a deeper brown color, you can smoke the hide with pine cones.
Either way, the longer you smoke he hide, the deeper the color becomes.

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