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Post by bushfire on Feb 5, 2023 5:33:07 GMT -7
Chatting to a fellow member here has me interested in trying my hand at tanning my own leather from my next deer for making a shooting bag.
Are there any suggestions for the best introductory type of leather tanning for a new person? And also if there are any reference materials you would recommend?
Thank you.
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Post by brokennock on Feb 5, 2023 6:53:30 GMT -7
There is a book that seems to have been a "go to," for a long time, "Deerskins to Buckskins," or something like that. Not sure if it is still relevant. Folks here can walk you through the process, I can think of at least 3 or 4 I know have done brain tan. Not sure if anyone here has done bark-tan.
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Post by Black Hand on Feb 5, 2023 10:31:00 GMT -7
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Post by brokennock on Feb 5, 2023 19:43:41 GMT -7
That's just it. It's a simple process, that is difficult to do. It is time and labor intensive.
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Post by brokennock on Feb 5, 2023 19:47:16 GMT -7
I'm not sure how much more time is involved for a bark tan, which essentially as I understand it, is just a form of vegetable tan, but, the leather created would seem to be more shot pouch worthy. Brain tan is pretty soft and stretchy. Seems most folks I see making shot pouches out of it wind up lining them with fabric. Not saying it can't or hasn't been done without a lining, but there can be some stretch and deformation expected.
What trees do you have locally that have a lot of tannins in them?
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Post by spence on Feb 5, 2023 20:39:38 GMT -7
Black Hand said: "If you have a couple young lads about to help with the stretching and scraping, it'll make it easier." Or one old Native American woman.  Spence |
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Post by hawkeyes on Feb 6, 2023 5:49:07 GMT -7
Overall, not a difficult process but very labor intensive. I did a bison hide (brain tan) many years back by myself and will NEVER do one again. A deer hide is my maximum size limit nowadays.
Many good resources are out there but nothing beats the hands on experience. I'd recommend trying the process on some smaller game animals to get a feel for the process.
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Post by bushfire on Feb 6, 2023 12:51:33 GMT -7
I'm not sure how much more time is involved for a bark tan, which essentially as I understand it, is just a form of vegetable tan, but, the leather created would seem to be more shot pouch worthy. Brain tan is pretty soft and stretchy. Seems most folks I see making shot pouches out of it wind up lining them with fabric. Not saying it can't or hasn't been done without a lining, but there can be some stretch and deformation expected. What trees do you have locally that have a lot of tannins in them? Our black wattle was used extensively for bark tanning for many years, it has a very high tannin level. Lots of it where I live. |
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Mar 4, 2023 7:00:09 GMT -7
Bushfire, First, good on you for wanting to delve into a very important period skill. I think that this topic has become something that is made out to appear more difficult than it actually is. I have fell prey to feeling this way about it from what I have heard from others. Remember this : all of the "experts" started out just like you and only after making many more mistakes then they usually admit to, they started producing a viable product. I fully admit that I have yet to take the process all the way but I don't know if labor intensive is the right words for the work you will be doing. I think that is relative to the person doing it, If you have a job that is not physical, then; YES! You will discover muscle groups that you forgot you had... It is a process of stages and some of the stages have little to no lag time, IE; the braining stage. I will suffice to say that I just recently returned from an AMM Territorial event and there was a "college" on brain tanning that was an eye opener for me. Nothing can simulate hands on experience with a mentor(s) willing to share their knowledge. You can and should read all the books recommended here, watch as many videos as you can find and then commit to the task but you must set the stage for your success, as with most things. I agree that you should try a smaller hide that is forgiving, like squirrel but that will not prepare you for deer hide, only a deer hide will... A few things you should have beforehand: a fleshing knife (don't get cheap crap), a fleshing beam (make one), a rubberized apron and dishwashing gloves. If you screw it up, toss it and get another one, figure out what you did wrong and start over. Its a journey. BTW, if you want labor intensive try skinning and fleshing beaver!! Ask me how I know... GOOD LUCK!!! PM me if you have any other questions and I will do my best to answer them. Check out this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQkJIzBa_vs&list=PLKNiRWUHVdNBEjJxZGRzncsCJX9L2Nv0N&index=2; |
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Post by bushfire on Mar 6, 2023 16:19:27 GMT -7
Thank you for the reply Sicilianhunter,
Our main hunting season i.e. the rut, kicks off in about three weeks so I'll start doing a bit more hunting then and hopefully get myself a skin or two.
When I was a kid I shot a black rabbit and wanted to tan the skin. I somehow managed to successfully bark tan it with black wattle and it lasted about 10 years until my brothers dog ate it. That was a basic hair on type thing and it wasn't very supple at all.
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Post by Sicilianhunter on Mar 21, 2023 4:06:50 GMT -7
Bushfire,
Speaking of hair-on brain tanning: I am being gifted a black bear hide that I want to brain tan as this process is so much more friendly to the hide and therefore it's longevity.
Recently, a friend gifted me a commercially tanned bear hide and because of it being poorly stored, it tore like rotten cardboard!!
A terrible waste I hope to avoid with this green bear hide I will soon be getting.
I'm not as concerned with getting the leather butter soft as it will become a saddle blanket or bedding.
I just don't want the hair to slip!!
Sorry, to hear about your black rabbit hide becoming a dog toy!!
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Post by Black Hand on Mar 21, 2023 4:14:28 GMT -7
IIRC, some bearskins were left green (as eawhide) and scraped thin rather than being tanned.
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