Experienced hide tanners, please help!

[Fattony77]

I have a deer head and a green hide that I'd like to try to tan (brain tan?). Due to way too much overtime, I haven't had the time to scrape the skin or harvest the brain. The deer was taken the day before Thanksgiving. Is it too late/old to do anything with them, or do I still have a chance?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Roger Norris]

You can put the hide in your freezer until you have time.  I have always used the commercial tanning mixes, never used the brain.

[ChuckC]

There are several great videos available on the topic.  I would watch one before you start. In the mean time, freeze that hide and take the brain out and freeze it.

CHuckC

[Zbone]

Have a pretty nice hide I treated the flesh side with Mule Train Borax a few years ago and hung it in the shed and it still seems to be intact without slippage... Anyone recommend something to soften it up?

Thanx

[ChuckC]

From my experience (little) and watching videos on the topic (lots), you will need to get the hide wetted again, then work it, stretch it, break down the fibers as it dries.  Only way.  ( I guess I have heard of indigenous maidens that used to chew the things soft, but I am telling you.. modern wives do not like to do that...)    

ChuckC

[lablover]

PM sent

[Roadkill]

Getting the hair and the membrane on the hair side is hard.   Having the gear-fleshing knife and beam-makes it sooo much easier.  I use brain ocasionally but will use egg white on my next one.  Probably less odor and less chance for other evils in the garage.  Temperature is key for some tanning operations and chemical baths.
You just bought yourself a bottle of IBU for doing this as your shoulders are in for a work out!  It is a unique experience and will give you an appreciatiion for why leather costs so much.  Luck

[Pat B]

Brain tanned leather is in a league by itself as compared to commercially tanned leather. It is more practical for clothing because it is soft, warm in winter and cool in summer and can be washed like fabrics unlike commercially tanned leather. It is a lot of work to produce brain tanned leather.  The term "buckskin" comes from when brain tanned leather was used for clothing in the US and Europe(it was high fashion in Europe at that time) and a brain tanned hide went for $1.00(a buck)each, from what I understand.

[JEFF B]

coat it with salt then put it in the freezer until ya want to tan it then take it out and scrape the salt off and start scrapping all the fat and crap off the hide un till it is clean as . as for Brain tanning ya could always use egg i have seen this on the web somewhere

if you want to keep the hair on you want to salt it down real good. until you get time to scrape and clean, scrape the old salt off after a couple days and resalt.  keep it in out of the weather so your salt doesent absorb moisture from the air.
  after a few days pull on the hair and see if its coming out, if not your good to go.
 you can roll it up and put it in a trashbag and put it in  the freezer to deal with at a later date.
   if your going to try brain tanning you need to get the brains out of the scull before they start to go bad, freeze those to.

[Otto]

I got my hide tanned all the time when I was a kid.

[hitman]

It don't take many brains to guess why.  

[recurvericky]

The twenty mule team borax is not a tan. It basically just dries out the skin. I would not attempt to soak it as the hair may slip.

[silent sniper]

I have a bit of brain tanning experience under my belt. For hair off buckskin, flesh skin and soak in lye or lime for a few days till the hair starts to slip. Than scrape all the hair off. rinse it out very well to get the lime out of the skin.

 Than put it in a 5 gallon bucket full of water with half a cup of vinegar for a pickle. this will acidify the skin and it will take the brains better. Soak for 15-30 mins max. Than rinse and hang and let it dry overnight.

The next morning Substitute the brains for a dozen eggs beaten and mix with just enough hot water to submerge the skin. Let it soak for an hour than take it out and wring it out well. repeat 2-3 times. Than take wet skin and hang and wring it very well. Start working and stretching the skin as it starts to dry. continue until the skin is completely dry. figure 2-3 hours for the working stage until the skin is completely dry.

After it is finished and nice and soft smoke it over a wood fire until the skin turns a nice brownish color. This will keep the skin from getting stiff when it gets wet. This is the jest of it. If you have any questions just PM me. Thanks SS

[Diane.A]

To add to silent sniper post.
Pvc pipe 3 or 4" diameter for a fleshing beam and a very dull machete for a fleshing knife. You want a distinct edge to push everything off.

Have the pipe between sternum and navel level so your back doesn't get sore.
 
Eggs work great, Ivory soap and oil works and of course brains pork, beef and deer all work.( I am using a mix of eggs and soap and lard for this years hides, last year it was soap and canola, year before that brains)

When skin starts to dry sew up arrow holes and other holes. 2 blade arrow holes sew well, 3 blade are bit trickier.  

For smoking staple hide into a sack and add cloth skirt to bottom. Heat will ruin it, cool smoke is what you want.

[Gator1]

Now this is a cool thread.

Next year this would be a good project for my 9 year old daughter and I.

Please update us on the progress.  With all the experience here this would be a good how to topic with pics of tools etc.

       

[Zbone]

Don't mean to hijack Fattony77's thread, but questions for recurvericky and Diane.A...

recurvericky - Since my hide is years dried with Mule Team Borax, do you think vinagar pickling and then egg/brain tanning solution would work to soften with hair on, or is it too far gone for the effort to try and make a hair on rug? ...Thanx

Diane.A - Would happen to have link to a PVC pipe fleshing board diagram? I searched the web without sucess... Thanx

[Fattony77]

One more question,any tips on the best way to extract the brain from the skull?

[calgarychef]

Cut the head off then use a wire put into an electric drill to scramble the brains throughout the hole in the ack of the skull.  Then balance it hole side down over a container and let it drain out.  Or....skin back the top of the skull to the bone and use a hack saw to cut a triangular piece out of the top of the skull and reach in with a plastic bag over your hand and scoop it out.  Reverse the bag and toss it into the freezer until you're ready for it.

[Tradtical Commando]

braintan.com   awesome site and more info than one can digest