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

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BowEd:
Well the leather got dry by noon here.Maybe 20 more minutes of roping was what it took.Once the leather starts springing back when you stretch it,it is dry for sure then.So for 7.50 worth of brains and about 9 hours or so of work there is close to 14 square foot of nice robust brain tan worth on the open market around $250.00 as is.If used to make into something 4 to 5 times that.Ironic that from all the deer I shot with a muzzleloader/the road kills tanned too from the rendering plant that this is the biggest and thickest whitetail deer hide I've done to date.Shot with a winged elm self bow and a dogwood arrow.Feel as though I got my isometric excersize for the week that's for sure.....lol.Good place to show it on this forum.

The hole came out great too.Hair side shown.

bjrogg:
That is a sweet looking hide  Beadman . I wonder how many calories that took. Gets your heart rate up there to

Aaron H:
Super nice results Ed, thanks for taking the time to share this with us.  Can't wait to see the color you get from the hickory bark.

Stringman:
Do your edges end up a little dry and stuff?

I always struggle to get it flannel soft all the way out to the edge. Usually have about an inch all the way around that is stiff and rough to feel.

BowEd:
Yes Scott at times a narrow band can get stiff on the outer edges.More some places than others.It's just the way it is.Most times I sew on that to get it into a tube for smoking.
bjrogg...A couple bowls of cherrios into this hide for sure....lol.
Finished smoking it later in the day yesterday.About an hour on each side.Making a small bed of hardwood coals to start with...say an 8" circle.Then I just use shagbark hickory bark on it to smoke it.I sit with it the whole time with a squirt water bottle to be safe.Fire and leather don't mix.Usually I don't have any flare ups but I make sure.A person does'nt want too big a bed of coals for my way here to start with.It'll get too hot.A good rule of thumb is if I can't leave my hand inside it it's too hot.Many ways to smoke hides this is just mine and seems to take the least amount of time.Sewn tightly not much smoke ever escapes.It mostly drives right through the leather.Here's some pics.
The set up

A glimpse of the smoke it makes.Pretty intense.

One side done & color I like.

Picture of hole repaired.

Doing it where it is calm and no wind will do the best job.Too windy might cause flare ups and really the smoking can get streaky then too.I try to get as nice and even a smoke job on both sides the best I can.

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