I have never mounted a tanned hide, and was just wondering if the skin is soft and pliable like a pelt(after it dries on the form); or if it gets hard like with dp. I have very limited supply of knowledge of these things so, please, go easy on me.
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The reason I asked was because all the ads for tanning kits say, "Ready to mount or put in the freezer" and was wondering why, if it is tanned, it has to be frozen.
Yes and no. Yes when a hide is first tanned it is very pliable, but as it dries it stiffens up. As far a knowledge, it's what this site is here for. See the orange button, click and type in something like tanning a hide or something similar. The amount of knowledge there is staggering. I prefer tanning my own hides but if you use DP, that's good for you.
and the thinness of skin. I have tanned my own and the deer dry out a little stiff but I don't break them. If I took the time I'm sure I could get them pretty soft. The commercial tanned capes or hides come back soft and flexible. When they get mounted with the proper use of hide paste they will stiffen right up as the paste soaks into the leather and it becomes glued to the form.
With a dry tanned skin it must be rehydrated to make it flexible enough to mount.
Once mounted you can't feel the difference as to whether it was tanned or prepared with DP.
the tan your using will have different reactions to a lot of things
the wet tans ive used seam to give me a little easier time completing the process of relaxing
one big difference i noticed when i switched to a submersible tan was the ease of sewing
when i dry preserved if i didnt have a sewing palm ready i would
use a hole puncher on the tiny hole
what you will also notice in general is less shrinkage
not every single time because some deer do act different
but the whole feel of the skin is different when tanned
you feel more like your handling a pc of leather
also to answer your original ? they dry hard also
but ive noticed if i need to rewet something like the eye to make a
adjustment it will come back a little faster