Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: RyanR on November 08, 2014, 06:53:41 am
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How many deer brains roughly do you need to tan a deer hide?
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I've never done it personally but I've read a lot about it and the idea is to use the animals brain for its own hide.
I M doing my first grin tan right now And I added some water to the brain slurry to stretch the tiny squirrel brain. Another set back is I accidentally crushed his skull when I took him out so retrieveing the whole brain was impossible.
I will let you k ow how it turns out.
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1 deer brain per hide, emulsified in a gallon of water. You can substitute a doz eggs fort the brains.
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I am not positive on this, but from what I have heard every animal has enough brain matter to tan it's own hide. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.
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Yes falcon that is what I have heard also.
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Most of the old tanning mixtures used by Plains people for bison hides used more than just the brains. Almost every written account mentions grease, which was probably more likely bone marrow grease. The modern version (like using Knox gel for hide glue) would be pure neetsfoot oil. Curtis
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Like stringman said, one is enough, but it is usually easier to just use eggs.
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I am not positive on this, but from what I have heard every animal has enough brain matter to tan it's own hide. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.
One notable exception... career politicians!
(I fully expect to get a good hard slap on the wrist from the Mods for that one!)
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Hence, Egg Head.
Zuma
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One notable exception... career politicians!
(I fully expect to get a good hard slap on the wrist from the Mods for that one!)
Now, J.W., that was a good pun, However I am sure that isn't true, after all to quote Will Rogers, "We've got the best politicians money can buy."!! OK, OK, I will sit next to J.W. for the hand slapping, but it was a good one, and have you heard any of them speak? then you know he was right on the money. Like Uncle Joe Biden, "I remember when I was a kid and President Roosevelt went on national T.V." :o ???.... or "Well, when Germany bombed Pearl harbor." :o ??? ::) :P.... alright, I will hold out my other hand. Move over J.W....
Wayne
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LMBO!!!!
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;) ;D ;D ;D Nothing political about that JW, just a true statement ,1 per hide, every critter has enough brain to tan it's hide, I didn't know what she meant at the time but my Grand Mother use o tell me I didn't have enough brains to tan my own hide when I would something stupid. :)
Pappy
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I just bought Deerskins to Buckskins by Matt Richards.
Really good book, this guy knows how to convey what's needed to tan so that it is understandable.
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Yep that is a good book. :)
Pappy
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I just bought Deerskins to Buckskins by Matt Richards.
Really good book, this guy knows how to convey what's needed to tan so that it is understandable.
From the sheer number of times I have heard people recommend that book, I have to assume it qualifies as a good reference on the subject.
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I may have to put that book on my Christmas list. I have 3 brains and 3 hides in the freezer so I should be all set.
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Okay I gave brain tanning a shot. It worked pretty good but I couldn't flesh the hide well enough so some sections didn't turnout very soft. That was my fault though. Time to invest in a fleshing knife.
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I use a dull draw knife with the hide on a fleshing beam,[ 8 inch Poplar tree split in half ] it also works much better fresh or wet if you had it frozen, if it starts to dry out it makes fleshing it much tougher. :)
Pappy
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I just bought Deerskins to Buckskins by Matt Richards.
Really good book, this guy knows how to convey what's needed to tan so that it is understandable.
From the sheer number of times I have heard people recommend that book, I have to assume it qualifies as a good reference on the subject.
I went from my first buckskin(Rawhide)sounding like popcorn in my hands, to my second a soft smooth piece of buckskin following that step by step . it saves a lot of guess work in brain tanning if you have no one around to show you the ropes .
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If most of the hide comes out pretty soft, but you still have a few stiff areas: smoke it real good and then brain it again. The soft parts will stay soft and you only need to work on the stiff areas. Curtis