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Framed beef rawhide

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BowEd:
Most tanning operations are aware of brain tanning.So much so that they try to imitate it's likeness looks wise with chemicals.Tanning operations continually try to disguise their product proclaiming look alikes.Charging higher prices for their look alike product.Although they do proclaim it to be a look alike product but not really true brain tan to stay away from any lawsuits.
Facts are it does'nt have the same feel or ease of applying quillwork or beadwork.I don't think it's as tough either.In short it's a fraud IMO.Facts are they realize it's a lot more work to do it the natural way.Not a viable money making enterprise for them to get into now or ever has been.Although I've made thousands of dollars selling brain tan myself,but not on the grand scale tanning operations want to make money.
That's why I say "Ai'nt nothing like brain tan leather".
It has it's place of use where it is the best type of leather to have like say garment type leather.For something relatively thin but stiff enough to hold its' profile like say a pistol holder it is not the best type of leather to use then.Other types of natural tanning has it's place of best use too.Like bark or vegetable tan for instance where stiffer thicker leather is the best choice for the service needed.It can be more more supple too but then it is very thin leather but not as supple thin as brain tan yet.
For many in the public it does'nt really matter to them.Their satisfied just that it's leather.No matter how it came to be.There lies the difference between those who follow the old ways and those who it does'nt really matter.

BowEd:
I decided to heck with waiting for cooler weather because the forecast is for hot days for 2 weeks for sure so I took the hide and brain slurry out of freezer to thaw yesterday.Rewarmed brain slurry and rebrained the hide.Let it set overnight again.
Next day I needed to go to a 3D shoot in the morning.I left hide in brain slurry all day today.
This evening I will take hide from brain slurry.Rewring and twist it multiple times.Frame it and stake and stretch it at least an hour on both sides but leave it damp and not completely dry.Rewarm brain slurry again and reinsert hide into brain slurry and let it set in brain slurry overnight again.Then tomorrow morning remove hide.Rewring and twist it multiple times again.Then reframe it and stake it till dry to see how soft it will get overall.I have a feeling sometime along the way I'm going to need to unlace it as it's drying and begin to work it on the rope too.
All these multiple rewarming of brains/twisting/stretching/and rebraining part time steps are done to try to get a first time staking and roping on this hide in the frame to a soft overall product.It will take a long time to completely dry.I figure a good 12 hours plus.
I figure to take breaks putting it into a plastic bag sealed occasionally while I'm roping it.
A thick hide like this leaves nothing gauranteed for a first time soft product.This is where big thick hides take more time to do.Not really constantly working them but doing part time steps along the way.I still may need to rebrain it again and stake it again.
Some time Sunday I will know I figure.

Morgan:
Awesome posts Ed. Doing this in warm weather, is there any worry of the brains starting to spoil?

BowEd:
Yes Morgan there is.Good that you brought that up.I'm watching or smelling it to be sure....ha ha.A person does'nt want them to go rancid.That's for sure.It would'nt be good for the future leather either.It's ok yet.
Just got finished staking it in the frame.It has grown in size quite a bit.I've put it back into the warmed up brain slurry tub for overnight.
I brained the 2 deer hides in that slurry too.I'll freeze those for later after twisting/wringing them and rebraining them.
Then I'm pretty sure I'll need to throw this brain slurry away sometime tomorrow.
Total that will be used then is 9#'s in 4 gallons of water for 2 deer hides and 1 beef hide.I know that sounds like a lot but I wanted to be sure and you can't harm it any overbraining the hides.I'm pretty sure it'll be brained good enough now.
Big day tomorrow and the next.

BowEd:
This beef hide rawhide still feels different than deer.

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