What makes a frsh tanned hide tear very easy

[rasorbackq]

 I  just tanned 4 beaver hides and all seem to tan very nicely  but during the breaking period  All the hide have toren   Hides were pickled and Lutan F ed and neutralized  not in that order shaved   But slight pulling on the hides would tear the hides . Only thing I can think was I did put the tanning oil on for 15-20 hrs rather then 3-4 hours . I used Knoblocks #1 oil. Any ideas?

[Alan B.]

Leaving the oil on that long shouldnt have done it.Obviously if they were shaved real thin the would tear easier than hides that were thicker.Im not familar with Lutan F so im not all that sure as to why.

[navajo]

how long was it in the tan?

[Alan B.]

That shouldnt matter navajo.Like i said im no Lutan F expert but you can leave hides in krowtann for years.Could Lutan F be any different?

[oldshaver]

Nothing to do with the tan or oil.(unless the oil was over heated)

1. shaving too thin?

2. Not enough salt in pickle?

3. Beavers were grease burned?

[Steve Rotramel (Witchbane)]

Lutan F left in more than 24 hours will turn a skin into a board.

Tearing sounds like shaved thin.

Were the hides well fleshed and degreased?

If substantial fat was left on the hide, inadequately salted and then stored for a long time enzymes in the grease leeching out of the fat can cause accelerated autolysis thus catastrophically weakening the skin.

Or it could be that you are superman and you never knew it.

[Steve Rotramel (Witchbane)]

Old shaver stole my answers while I was eating supper!

[muscle20]

  How old are the hides? were they fresh or dry flint? did you have to hydrate the hides? If so did they hydrate fully, then degrease, what did you degrease with? Not enough information here, You can leave hides in lutan for a couple of days if you want, but the longer you leave them in you loose some stretch, but not necessary beavers will tan in 16 hours at 30c. It does not matter that you left the oil for that length of time , but it does matter did the skins take on the oil? How much moisture in the hides when you started breaking? I shave beavers as thin sometimes as weasel and muskrats and they do not tear, slight pulling on hide and it tearing is not right, some thing wrong with the hides from the beginning or with your process , why are the fibers that weak? More information on the hides and process for ideas?

[navajo]

alan i am no expert on krowtan but from what i hear it is just a pickle and therefore you could leave it in for a long time depending on ph. the actual lutan f tan will kill a hide if left in more than the recomended time. to much oil no problem left in pickle no problem.

[Bruce Rittel]

During your pickling - were the skins degreased? If not, the fat, particularly in Beavers, could have prevented a complete tan. Try using a razor to cut away a piece of skin in a section where it tore. Examine the cross-section and see if it is white completely throughout, or does it have a brown or deep yellow center section. If it's not white throughout - than you have only a half tanned skin, and you didnt get full penetration. That may explain the weakness!

[rasorbackq]

 These were my hides and were fresh never frozen  They were salted  pickled shaved pickled degreased with Super solve Nerized and tanned for less then 20 hours Dripped and oiled and let to dry. About 3-4 days I started to break them  2X4 in vise just went right through. This was the last batch that I did have major problems with the PH . It was all over the chart as well the pickle was not at a heated temp just cool basement temps.
 Bruce the hide does seem to have a brown layer sandwiched between the outside edges So does that mean the pickle did not penetrate?  When it is squeezed it oozes oil  but that could be the tanning oil.

[rasorbackq]

 Does Oxilaic acid pickle have a smell  when the pickle is correct. If so how would you disscibe it?
 

[Hudson]

I will add this as it ties into other answers on acid/salt.....on greasy animals especially bears if you do not neutralize properly the hide will become weak and have a somewhat "crumbly" texture. It will tear very easy and WILL NOT hold a stitch when sewing, it just pulls right through the hide. Many neutralize and check the SOLUTION but you should check the HIDE ph.

My opinion is it lies between degreasing and neutralization.