Tanning, Anyone tried traditional tanning

Tyler2045 · November 10, 2009, 09:52:00 PM

I am wondering has any one ever tried tanning your trad kills. If so how did you go about it? Does any one have any info on how to tan, or can any one recommend any books. I am sorry if his is off topic but it is an honest request for information.

robtattoo · November 10, 2009, 11:24:00 PM

Check out this thread.....

http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=040745;p=1

One of the best reads I've ever read on here.

kohannahfound1 · November 10, 2009, 11:28:00 PM

If you have a chance to rent or buy the tape The Tanning Spirit by Melvin Beattie this show how to brain tan hides,lots of info but you will have to be willing to spend some time and work to get it right.

smiley · November 11, 2009, 07:13:00 AM

Yes I have tried tanning . Its work but I like the final resuts. The best info I found is on brain tan.com Mat's book and DVD has step by step instruction

Matt Fowler · November 11, 2009, 07:27:00 AM

I have tried wet scrape braintan on 2 hides. One did not work, the other wasn't too bad. I didn't get around to smoking it yet as I've got 2 more in the freezer and hopefully a few more after this season. It's a time thing for me. Might try and get 'er done this winter. Braintan.com and Paleoplanet have good info.

BJP · November 11, 2009, 07:54:00 AM

In the act of trying it right now started off just doing my own hide and now in my quest for extra brains i have ended up with plenty of them and about seven hides now its alot of work but it will be fun.

ed burgholzer · November 11, 2009, 06:37:00 PM

i've done a few. take the brains from the deer. srape the flesh side real good. then soak the hide in water and ashes . the ashes will make the hair slip. wait til the hair slids off easily. scrape both sides again..then in warm water ,mix in the brains. agitate the hide then let it soak overnight. now comes the hard part. ring out the hide, and start streching it . over a beam, or wrapped around a tree. you can stand on one end and pull the other..you need to keep streaching until it is totally dry. you can smoke it over a punky fire. wrap the hide around the smodering fire like a tipi.. there are lots of books on this . several different ways to do it. this process works for me..it is written that this how the native americans did it...

Squirrelbane · November 11, 2009, 09:40:00 PM

I've brained tanned squirrel hides before. I made an arm guard out of one. :D

mjh · November 12, 2009, 10:51:00 AM

braintan.com get the book and the dvd. if your handy you can make your own tools or improvise if not at least get their fleshing bar/tool It takes a little effort and time but you can make some really nice tanned skins. smoking em for me at this point is the most difficult due to where I live but other that that I can do it all at home in the back yard..

Running Buck · November 12, 2009, 03:24:00 PM

I have done about a dozen hides with the hair left on. I have had real good luck with a product called "Tannit" Huntsmart.com carries it. The last time I got some it was around 20 bucks.

Seven · November 13, 2009, 09:50:00 AM

I've done a few.
MJH, I've smoked hides a lot of different ways but the one I suggest for urban settings is this: I heat up rocks on my gas grill and then put them in a metal ash bucket, place the bucket on a non-combustible surface (drive way) sprinkle punky wood over the rocks. Lots of smoke. You can make a temporary teepee structure with three 2x4s and an old bed sheet. Don't go using your wife's favorite bed linen for this. The first time I tried this was in the dead of VT winter in my drive way. The rocks stayed hot for over eight hours. Plenty of time for smoking a hide.
-Chad