I've got a deer cape that just came out of the pickle bath and I'm having problems with hair slippage. I would appreciate any ideas to help remedy the problem. Thanks
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when you have a good hide and hold the pH under 2.0 slippage will not happen. One or both were not what it should have been. Did you wash it with LYSOL if so that caused the problem by raising your pH on the raw skin.
Bruce, john gave good advice on the ph, but did you let the cape dry hard before rehydrating and pickling? Salting and allowing the cape to dry hard sets the fur and helps to keep it from slipping.
don
I never dry the hide hard, but what I am finding out is the old videos tell people to use LYSOL. IT DONT WORK NOW, IT HAS A HIGH pH! A friend swears by LYSOL, every deer he does has slippage, he claims it normal.
Ph pH pH ph any way you say it its PH related in most cases. When I do a hard dried hide, I rehydrate in the pickle.
The two causes of slipage are Bacteria, and high pH in the tanning process. Be it the pickle or tan itself. I have found as john that Lysol causes an increase in pH in the hide. If you choose to use Lysol you should neutralize the hide. But why. You can clean and kill 99% of bacteria by washing the hide in odoban. available at Sam's club. and it leavs the hide in an acceptable pH randge. Myself I do not wash the hide. I do 10 at a time , the pickle washes, the neutralization bath rinces. I start with new mix every batch.
by the way drying the hide is not what sets the hair it is the pickle.