Questions About Bear Grease

[WhistlingBadger]

Morning, gents.  A friend gave me a few pounds of bear fat, from which I rendered about a cup and a half of oil.  I trimmed off all the meat, cut it into 1" pieces, added a bit of water and heated it over very low heat for about two days, until the water steamed out.  I'm not sure I did it right; I just strained it out through a paper towel, and it's yellowish and has a slight, roasted-meat smell.  I've read it's supposed to be white with no smell at all if you do it right.  Did I use too much heat?  Is it still good?

Anyway, I want to use this stuff to waterproof arrows and leather.  What's the best way to use it?  Straight or mixed with other ingredients?  I have a lot of beeswax to work with, and about 1/4 cup of nice, dry, powdered fir resin.  Recommendations?

[Pat B]

For arrows you can just hand rub in the bear grease and a little external heat will help, too. For leather I made up a mixture of bear grease, pitch and bees wax, heated and mixed together. I don't remember the ratio but you want it to be sort of a paste.
 The only thing you might have done different in the rendering is after the grease was melted in the water let the water cool until the grease solidifies on the top and scoop that off. By boiling most of the water out you allowed the impurities to get back in the grease instead or removing the clean grease from the top of the water with the impurities left in it.

[Ed Brooks]

I’ve been told by an old Indian. You keep rendering for a couple days it thickens up and can color up. But makes the best boot grease.

[WhistlingBadger]

Good info, guys.  Thanks.  Pat, I didn't intend to render it that long; it just seemed to take it that long for most of the grease to come out.

[jimmi the sammi]

Highly recommend Pat B's mixture for leather use.  I used straight rendered bear grease on a pair of riding chaps years ago.  The grease soaked into my jeans every time I used them after that.  Still have the chaps and they have finally stopped "bleeding". 

Keep the rendered grease in the freezer.  It will last for years.