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Big fella into buckskin/Smoking/Lots of pics./Items made

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BowEd:
Danzn Bar....Thanks....Those are brain tan pants with antler rosettes for buttons.Made a few more pairs since them days.Don't rendezvous much at all any more though.

BowEd:
Scott......Not too much but with my scraper being razor sharp I let eat that's for sure.Sanding does help but a person should use 60 grit for sure maybe to see any difference in thickness.The rawhide is pretty tough stuff really.

bjrogg:
Thank for posting this Ed. I've never brain tanned only made raw hide with water and wood ash, if done wet like I did would you have to scrape epidural or sand it? Just wondering how you remove it I believe it's still on with wet method am I right?

jimmi the sammi:
Great thread!  I don't have near the experience but learned how to brain tan many years ago from a good friend who was also into period buckskinning.  The frame he taught me to use was just like yours, Beadman, but was 2 of them the same size put together with a 1 1/2" spacer between them.  He then cut up inner tube bands and made a #9 wire hook attached to each band.  The hide was stretched with those bands and a piece of 1"X2" wood that was slipped in between the 2 frames.  You could add as many "stretchers" as needed in whatever location needed using this method.  The nice thing was never needing to restretch the hide as you were working it because the rubber bands kept it stretched at all times.
Everything else he taught me is just as you are describing.  I will be interested in your method of brain absorption since he had a distinct method of accomplishing that also.
I braintanned a bunch of deer hides that were used to make my wife's wedding dress those many years ago.  And you are right on when you say it is time consuming and one needs to be patient to accomplish the desired end product.  (Not including my almost completed hide that the dog completely ate!!)

BowEd:
Yes bjrogg the method you did will leave the epidermis on yet if you just lightly scraped your hair off it.I've removed epidermis with a fleshing knife over a beam wet before too.It is a little strenuous to do and care should be taken not to rip the hide.It does leave a very nice smooth surface of leather after it's done.Absolutely all fat and meat and membrane should be removed flesh side before dehairing this way.You don't want any little obstacle to get between the fleshing knife and the beam.It'll rip the leather for certain.Your beam has to be pristine smooth too.The epidermis will come off in strips just like dry dehairing only wet.Fleshing knife should be dull too not sharp at all.You can feel it take it off just like removing early wood from osage.Only you'll be pushing on the beam instead of pulling on the stave.
Now after all epidermis is removed your hide will be pressed and wrung out completely of moisture from the process of epidermis removal.It'll be damp.Now is the time to prepare some brains for braining.Put them on warm.Work and wring it several times in brain solution [1.5 gallon water with at least a pound of brains]to get oils to penetrate the leather.Let it set overnight in bucket with brain slurry in frig if you can.Next day rope it dry.That's it.If not soft enough to suit you rebrain it and do it again.No harm no foul.

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