Easy Fur Tanning

[rwbowman]

TTT....

I have a deer hide that I am making quivers from. I have one Rawhide quiver sewn up already, but with the second I would like to try tanning it.
I like the idea of soap and oil, but am curious as to what kind or brand of soap would be best for this..??

P.S. I love the search engine on this site!

[Kc kreger]

Okay I have to say it because I know others are thinking it.  If my wife was to catch me using her blender, microwave and fridge to braintan a hide, she would sure enough tan my hide!

Good information and thank you for sharing this.  I too have the link bookmarked and want to try it on some smaller hides and eventually a deer hide.

K.C.

[Sockrsblur]

This is too funny! I guess great minds think alike!
I've been wanting to try this on a critter smaller than a deer all year. I didn't come up with one so I skinned a still limp red fox road kill. Really took my time skinned the paws so the nails were left on the hide. Its still in the freezer but was going to try it this week. I've been wondering two things after what I've read.
1) what is best to clean/ shampoo a fur hide with to clean it nice and when in the process. I was guessing dawn after fleshing and before braining to degrease the hide too. Idk.
2) smoking the hide after braining ... is it just for water resistance or does it aid in the tanning /when curing process? Idk but I was going to error on the side of caution and smoke it...
those were my thoughts after researching as always I love reading everyones input and ill post after I try it jim

[Brianlocal3]

I have used the brain from the animal, and the egg method. Soap and oil seems pretty good and clean to me!!

[Sockrsblur]

Great article,  thanks for sharing it!
Sounds like a great start to me!

[YORNOC]

I used this to tan a foxhide for a fellow tradganger and made this fox quiver last year. Works well.

 

[rwbowman]

I wonder if a guy should use lye soap or if just regular soap will do. Does anyone have any experience with the soap and vegetable oil method?

[Plumber]

when I read this it said to turn it over an rub the brain mix on the other side.I guess you rub this brain mix into the fur? do I understand this right? thanks.

[Sixby]

When I tanned the deer hide I washed it out with Dawn, then washed it with gasoline really good and then with Dawn until the gas smell was gone. Then I just let it dry to the point that it was not hard and broke it over a 2x6 until it was soft. It stayed that way and no hair ever slipped . I had that quiver about 10 years and it stayed good and soft with no hair loss at all. Its been a long time but I believe I rubbed it with Neats foot Oil as the last step. The leather was a nice soft tan color.

God bless you all, Steve

[David Yukon]

Cool info, I have a full seal pelt that need to be tanned... I will try it I think.
Thank you.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I've done my share of tanning and quite honestly i don't think there is anything easy about the whole process. unless you got time on your hands and are dealing with small hides, and just want the satisfaction of doing it yourself... i'd highly recommend fleshing them out and salting them to get the moisture content down, and ship them to USA Foxx Furs.... look at their prices some time.....

I won't ever tan another hide myself again unless i absolutely needed to do so....Kirk

[atatarpm]

Each animal has enough brains to tan it's own hide.

[b.glass]

I have read that Ivory soap is what you would want to use.

Try going to a butcher and asking him, "Have you got any brains?" Or better yet, "Hey, I need some brains!", then wait for the reaction.

[olddogrib]

My mother always tanned my hide for not using my brains...uh, sorry...I believe I'm off topic.  Some lessons just haunt you for life, LOL!

[Skipmaster1]

We have been buying brains at the super market. They will order cases of pig brains for us. $30 will get you a case and enough brains for about 12 deer hides. If not we use ivory soap and veg oil. I guess this isn't "easy" but its simple. The more hides I've done the quicker I've gotten. If I have a block of time to work on deer hides I will use a wet scrape technique. It takes me about 30 minutes to flesh a hide, I throw it in a buck solution for 3 days, another hour( on a hide that cooperates, can be many on one that doesn't) to grain it, throw it in the creek overnight to rinse, a few minutes to brain it and I can frame soften it over a fire(be careful to not burn it) in about an hour. If I don't have a block of time, I flesh it and put it in the frame to dry scrape. If I get a minute here and there I can go to the basement to dry scrape it. I just brain it in the frame and soften when ready.  Lots of times I'll work a few hides up to the braining step and freeze them. Then a can finish a bunch at the same time. Sometimes I soften inside while watching tv, other times out by the fire in the yard. We often have tanning parties, a bunch of us get together, fire up the grill, crack some beers and work hides.

[Skipmaster1]

As for smoking the hide. You do that after the hide is fully softened. It does a number of things. First, it darkens the leather, so it's not bright white. Second, it will protect the hide from bugs. Third, it locks in the softness of the hide. If a brain tanned hide gets wet, it will dry stiff, like raw hide. After smoking, it will dry slightly stiff but you can just work it by hand for a few minutes and it will be super soft again b

[CLOVIS]

www.authentictaxidermy.com  in Wynne Ar. offers a product called one hour tan that works in {ONE HOUR} He sells a lot of this to other taxidermy shops

[Cory Mattson]

Very helpful and straight forward information thanks
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[White Falcon]

Jeff B the amount that is in a deer would be all you need! A little more won't hurt!!
Grant

[FarmerMarley]

Man, I am SO glad to see that there are a bunch of people brain-tanning furs and showing interest in the topic!!

It is great that these skills are still being practiced and appreciated. We would not be here today if it weren't for these skills that kept our ancestors alive for thousands of years. Far more fundamental and important than computer skills, etc, in my opinion.

I've done a couple brain-tanning classes for buckskin and also fur-on. It is not easy, but the more you practice the faster you get. And the truth is most of us are not on this forum cause we like the easy way...Or we wouldn't be trad bowhunters. We like the satisfaction, the experience, the whole package. How much better can it get then tanning hides from animals you take with a bow or trapping or whatever?

Keep up the good work guys!