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bear skins

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sailordad:
         hi all ;D

now i know absolutely nothing about the subject of tanning,but know that alot of you do.
so i figured i would ask.

i am making a bow for a guy,just made the deal tonight.after all the talk of bow cost etc(doing it just for cost of materials)
he told me he had 2 black bear hides with head and all in the freezer,untanned.they are a bout 3-4 yrs old.have been frozen since the day they were
removed from the bears.he said brains and all are still there,frozen solid.the hides themselves have been rolled up and frozen this whole time.

now i am making him a simple board bow,and he said if i wanted he would give me both hides and all for the bow.
now i live in aq city of about 68k people.nice family neighborhood,you know the routine.
is this something that can be done without pissing off all my neighbors.and by someone who knows absolutely nothing about tanning.
or is this something i might just want to pass on.

now i dont much care for "trophies" like bear rugs,deer head mounts and turkey fan mounts and fish mounts etc..
but i would like a nice primitive blanket or the like,and know i could use the skull and jaw bones for other projects.like a jaw bone for an obsidion knife handle.

well any how as always your input is greatly appreciated,thanks

                                                                                 peace,
                                                                                           tim

HoBow:
I do not have any experience with braintanning, but I have alum tanned several pieces and it is very easy with not obnoxious smells or mess...

Shadow Walker:
There is an awesome sight called "braintan.com" You really should check it out! I have braintanned many hides, but only one black bear. I use the same method for the bear as I do the deer hides.
Bear hide is greasier than deer hide so you need to scrape it and then wash it well to degrease. When the hide is slightly damp,stretch it tight. Warm the brains in some water (do not boil) . At this point, I use a paintbrush to lay the brains on the flesh side of the hide. I cover the brained side of the hide with plastic (smush the plastic into the damp hide so it sticks well and doesn't allow air to get in) I leave it overnight with the plastic on it.
when it is damp, you can begin "breaking" the hide. ( I think they call it breaking because it breaks your back! )
A paddle shaped hardwood stick works well. I have a swivel handle and metal plate on the paddle end of mine. It helps a lot when you do a lot of tanning.
Keep rubbing the hide in all directions, tightening the hide as needed. When the hide is entirely dry, keep going, because even though it feels dry, it probably isn't!!.
The hide will turn white and suede like as you go.
When the hide is done, you must smoke it to ensure that it will not go hard again if it gets wet or damp.
Be prepared for a lot of hard work!! But it is well worth the effort and the only way to go for authenticity.
You will find very detailed instructions on the site I mentioned . GOOD LUCK!!

TreyNC:
Probably only the sight will get to your neighbors. On second thought you should just trade those to me..........please.  ;D O:)

Trey

sailordad:
well trey
i could easily get them and would be willing to trade them off,but how to get them to anyone without
them going bad is another thing

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