Tanning Hides the Native way

[Derp]

Found this online and I'm just curious if anyone has tried it?

"Curiously enough, each animal has exactly the right amount of brains to tan its hide. Take the brains and mix them with water. Scrape the hide and remove ALL traces of skin. work the brain mixture into the hide, the inside, not the hair side. Let it dry. Then set up a board between your knees and scrape the hide back and forth over the board. The idea is to break down the fibers and make them flexible. This really takes time and dedication and work. Eskimo women would chew the hide, incidentally. If you try that aproach, your dentist will love you. After the hide has been sufficiently loosened so it is pliable (you'll know when it's right), consider smoking the hide. Build a small fire, put on lots of green leaves and allow the smoke to rise into a cone-like arrangement of poles around which the hide would be wrapped (allowing the smoke to come out the top. Be careful not to burn the hide. The smoking helps waterproof the hide. Yes it will "stink" afterwards so let it sit outside for a few days to get rid of most of the smoke smell. You now have a tanned hide just like the indians used to make them. "

[BiG Boar]

No I havnt tried that yet. Nor will I. Some things are best left not tested.

[Pete]

[quote=Derp;668955]
Found this online and I'm just curious if anyone has tried it?




"Curiously enough, each animal has exactly the right amount of brains to tan its hide.
Hence the quote "he don't have enough brains to tan his own hide"

[boxhitch]

Worked good for them, but remember they probably were continually replaceing garments, lifespan of the furs or hides was not important.
I had a pair of wolf mitts that were smoke treated, lasted about threee winters, til the bugs got to them.

[elkdom]

gotta be a bit tough on the 'dental work" ?, chewing a moose hide till its all soft!:?

I dunn know?:?, can your wife still kiss yah nice ?, after chewing moose hides for 20 years? :cry:

come on girls ! ,,,,speak up! :wink:

[BromBones]

Something I've been interested in but never had the time to do it.

I remember doing the trappers ed course, someone asked Wayne Sharpe if he ever tanned hides off any critters, he replied -

"No. My wife has bad teeth."

[Pete]

Something I've been interested in but never had the time to do it.

I remember doing the trappers ed course, someone asked Wayne Sharpe if he ever tanned hides off any critters, he replied -

"No. My wife has bad teeth."

You had better pray that Marlene dosen't see this or you are going to have a REALLY bad day:-D

[peashooter]

probably worked back in the day, but it is probably as effective as tossing sharp sticks at bison. things change for the better.

[Johnnybear]

Lot's of books and DVD's on the subject (look it up). I'm assuming it works just as good today as it did in the past. The only difference is the majority are not interested in it.

I would love to try it one day. I would like to have someone who knows what they are doing to show me so I don't screw up a perfectly good piece of hide:-D. I like the method as it doesn't involve all the chemicals used today for the same method.

Halford's has brain tanning kits if I recall. Time is not on my side right now.

[BimmerBob]

I remember an old native lady just outside Lytton that used to tan deer hides this way. We used to take her all our hides and she would make us gloves or moccasins in return. The gloves would stink of smoke for ages but the leather was amazingly soft and they lasted almost forever. I still have a pair of gloves that are probably 45 years old. I am sure there are some elders in the various villages that have kept the tradition going, it would be a shame to see the art lost.

[Ddog]

its covered on here a number of times in the past year or two, i cant remember who has done it but there are a few members.

[Hadda]

Worked for millenia, still does. There are many ways to go about it, so you can experiment with different methods and find what works for you and your situation.

[Derp]

Instead of tossing unwanted bear hides in the bush, I will try this method just for fun and see how it works :-D

[Monashee]

Properly braintanned and smoked hides produce a very high quality leather , long lasting and durable . It is not a stinky process if you do it in cooler weather.

A fellow from Grand Forks used to braintan for a living and taught courses .

[snareman1234]

tried it, it works, but theres more to it than you think
read up more on it,

The working of a bear hide to dry, may take 4-5 hours,
easy to say 4-5hrs of working a hide wont be that bad, when your on your computer

wait til your doing it

then at the end, the hair might slip lol

I bring mine to the taxidermist

[Monashee]

Bear hides have a lot of grease in them , not a good hide to start with .

Deer hides are easier , also you can simply do part of a hide to learn with .

Many hides are ruined during skinning from knife cuts , when in reality most of a deer hide can be peeled off with a minimum of knife work.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

The neck area from a big boar bear can be pretty dang thick. Wonder if it would make some tough leather for a pair of moccasins?

SSS

[Awishanew]

Over the years I have tanned many deer hides. For your first hide I would strongly suggest a small deer rather than a bear. It is a lot of work and I did it somewhat different as was written. Also, I got brains from a butcher as the deer brains were not large enough.

[BromBones]

You had better pray that Marlene dosen't see this or you are going to have a REALLY bad day:-D

I'd be more scared for Wayne!

To his credit, he was only joking (I hope):mrgreen:

[brad ferris]

the brain tanning method is meant to be used in a hair off leather.as in traditional buckskin.the brains are essentially grease that penatrates and lubricates the fibres in the skin. the smoke is used as a preservative.contains formaldehyde. it also gives the yellow colour. i've done a couple wt does and a hereford calf this way.its a huge amount of work. a less traditional aproach uses neetsfoot oil and ivory soap with a better end result.

[silvertipp]

Over the years I have tanned many deer hides. For your first hide I would strongly suggest a small deer rather than a bear. It is a lot of work and I did it somewhat different as was written. Also, I got brains from a butcher as the deer brains were not large enough.
sounds like that must have been a real tupid deer:mrgreen:

[xrunt]

I'd like to hear more details on the neetsfoot oil and ivory soap method.

Also, Monashee dont you still have to get down to the fibre when you skin your WT like that anyway?

[brad ferris]

[quote=xrunt;671916]I'd like to hear more details on the neetsfoot oil and ivory soap method.

after preparing your hide by dehairing it and also if you want soft buckskin you need to scrape off the grain layer of the skin.this part is where the work really starts.wring out the hide to get as much water out of it as possible.oh ya the previous two steps involve a soaking wet hide. now grab a bar of soap and the wifes cheese grater. use the fine side and shred a bar of soap. mix in a cup or two neats foot oil from the local tack store. this gooey paste essentially becomes your brains. or your brains on hbc.work it into both sides of the hide. let the hide start to dry out a bit.as it starts to become stiff its time to start working it. the drier it gets the for you want to keep stretching it. about 4 hours and 10000 calories later you have a piece of buckskin. 2 or 3 more hides and you'll be able to make a pair of pants.
good luck

[Monashee]

I'd like to hear more details on the neetsfoot oil and ivory soap method.

Also, Monashee dont you still have to get down to the fibre when you skin your WT like that anyway?

No .

It is FLESHING a hide that removes all the meat and clingy tissue , skinning is just taking the hide off.