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Pair of bobcats[may be graphic for some]

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JEB:
why do you oil the hide?

BowEd:
Good question......To help make the leather be more supple and soft while stretching and pulling the hide while it dries.Too dry of a hide or leather can be susceptable to tearing if too dry and stiff while stretching.The fibers in the leather need to be moved to get soft.
Neats foot oil will emulsify with water and penetrate into the damp leather while the leather dries.It is made from cattle hooves.It's the best stuff for this type of tanning.
It does'nt work so well to let the hide dry first before oiling.Too much can be applied and get too oily.Then the leather does'nt have any chance of breathing corresponding itself to the changes in the moisture content of the enviornment.It can lead to the leather actually rotting and losing it's integrity.

BowEd:
The hair is pretty much dry now so I've inverted it now to let the flesh side of hide to dry while being stretched different directions.I don't like to put the fan on it at this stage.I like to let it naturally air dry.It can dry too fast with a fan on it most times at this stage of drying.

GlisGlis:
would hanging the hide make it dry faster?

BowEd:
You could but not really and a person does not want it to dry too fast without stretching it.The hide needs to be stretched all directions as it dries.I would say more than 50% of the time as it is drying it is in hand and being worked.A bit like roping a brain tanned hide but not as intense.Stretching it all directions helps with the drying.It opens the fibers to the air better.If a person wants nice supple soft leather it needs to be worked and stretched while drying with this type of tanning.
Almost dried areas will be a transluscent blue color before stretching.After stretching they will be egg shell white and soft.

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