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Brain tanned elk hide

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BowEd:
Just about finished with this elk hide.I wanted to finish it before the colder weather came here.It was around a 900 + pound animal.Frame softened it to almost dry and roping the rest of the way.Came out pretty nice.Right around 27 to 28 square foot.I'll smoke it later in a tube.

Pat B:
That's beautiful, Ed.

BowEd:
Thanks Pat.I'm pleased with it too.

BowEd:
Some pics before hand.


I made a bigger frame yet to stake it in to allow it to stretch more.Dry scrape dehaired it in a couple short afternoons.Since the hair and epidermis is off already it did'nt take that long to lime it.About a week.Delimed it with rinsings and in a vinegar bath overnight.Rinsed it.Brained it.Laced it back into the frame and staked it dry.That's my ringing pole in previous pictures I used to twist the water out of it.
Softening in the frame actually makes the hide a shade larger than as it was as rawhide making it thinner.The extra thickness of the elk hide makes it more compatable for garment leather then.


A fair amount of work but worth it to me in the end.Ai'nt nothing like brain tan leather!!!!!The discolored areas on the rawhide after dehairing mean nothing as far as epidermis being left on it.It's the actual color of the rawhide itself.The epidermis is thicker than on deer and extra strokes are needed to remove it all.

Digital Caveman:
Wow, I wonder how many jackets you can get out of that!
How does smoking in a tube work? that sounds so much simpler than rigging up a sack.

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