[TheForge] tanning hides

[Bob Ehrenberger]

***organal message*****
Date: Sat, 3 Dec 2011 05:46:15 +0000
From: blakkpawss at yahoo.com
Subject: Re: [TheForge] tanning hides
To: "Blacksmithing List Sponsored by ABANA" <theforge at mailman.qth.net>

As I recall from my copy of Foxfire that dealt with the subject, it was 
recommended to collect in the spring when the tannin levels were up.  Being 
that the trees were gearing up from the winter and their sap was highest 
then.  Brain tanning is always possible too.  The brains are free if you 
collect after you killed the deer (and of course if you didn't shoot the 
deer in the head).  Not sure what leather was traditionally used.  I'd say 
in America in the 1800's it would have been Buffalo/bison since it was 
extremely plentiful and cheap in those days. I would say that it has to be 
flexible, which buckskin would be.  But, I've always been told elk hide was 
superior to deer hide in buckskins as often the deer hides are too thin to 
hold up to use after tanning.  Remember any hide you tan for flexible 
leather will have to be worked a lot to get that flexibility.
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***Reply***
So, you are saying the bark needs to be from a live tree, since the time of 
year makes a difference. I think that bison would be too thick unless it was 
split which it may have.

I wasn't ready to get into the brain process, one experiment at a time.

Robert Ehrenberger
Shelbyville, Mo.
eforge at centurytel.net