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braintanned elk hide....

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Caveman:
so i was correct in assuming you could use wood ash solution. cool. and why did you let dry for a yr? does that significantly effect the hide?

billy:
I left the hide dry for a year because even after you brain a wet-scraped skin, sometimes the brain doesn't get all the way through.  Leaving the hide dry for at least 6 months causes the glues in the hide to break down, allowing a skin to be softened after just one attempt.  If you brain it and immediately soften it, sometimes the skin will have stiff spots...then you have to go through all the trouble to re-brain the thing and soften it again.  It's not as hard to soften it after you've done it once, but it's still extra work which I (and I think anyone else) hates doing. And since this was a big elk hide, I wanted to make sure it would come out soft.... I REALLY didn't want to have to go through another softening with that big thing. 

 I talked to a guy named Ben Kirkland and he noticed the same thing: let a deer hide stay dry for several months and it softens up much easier.   I also brain it one more time after re-wetting, just to be sure there is thorough brain penetration.  I like hides to be soft after one attempt.  With dry-scraped hides you can soften them immediately and don't have to wait.   

Caveman:
so what are some ideas to do some tanning in the cold winter,  without using a frame for stretching.  I was thinking of using an egg tanning solution, after doing a good once over to remove extra meat, fat and oils, ( I want to keep the fur) so i would lay it fur side down, spread my solution, let dry, cover with solution again after drying, and do a dry scraping, have I got it so far? I have a question about using the furs though, what's the best way to stretch it? If I got this wrong please inform me. I need these answers.

billy:
caveman,

When ever I did furs I'd rub the brain solution into the flesh side several times, then roll it up and let it sit in a warm spot for an hour or two.  Then I let it dry a little, then really start pulling it.  I pulled it over the back side of a chair, flesh side down of course.  Some hair may pull out, but that's to be expected with furs.  Keep pulling till it's totally dry.  I've never done one with eggs....let us know how it works.

 

Sparrow:
 That's a great looking hide.Man, I can think of a million things I could make with such a hide,starting out with a super shirt. Nice !  Frank

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