Submitted by Vaughn Terpack on 12/4/1998. ( )
There are a lot of first-timers out here that are looking to learn a simple, inexpensive way to make leather out of the deerskins they manage to get during the season. Unfortunately, most sites discuss using chemicals to tan and this is a poor way to make leather when you don't have any experience. For clothing purposes, the best leather is brain tanned leather. If you've ever worn flannel you know what buckskin feels like. Now there is a new website dedicated to teaching the process. www.braintan.com is full of good information that will make your journey into tanning an easy one. Come on in and join the party.
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This response submitted by John C. on 12/4/1998. ( )
I have read and watched a lot of brain tanning, and to be honest about it noone has really proven to me that brain taanning is the best. It is a lot of work, and I really believe that Bruce Rittel has some tanning methods that are far superior to the old brain tanning methods. As long as thier are people there will be reasoning behind which and what methods are the best. For many people brain tanning my be the best because of its simplicity. For long wear and duribility I will put my money on SYN-TANS. John C.
This response submitted by Bill on 12/4/1998. ( yoxtax@aol.com )
...this forum isnt clothing.net ,most of the questions concern a working tan, rather than a dressing for garment tan. Hell, some of us guys here can't use our brains for the simple things no less for tanning! I know the arguement was always "well, the indians didnt use chemicals, they used brain tan". Im quite sure Bruce, old as he is, didnt offer EZ100 back then. I'm not knocking the brain tan Vaughn, just making a point and havin' some fun at your expense.
This response submitted by John C. on 12/5/1998. ( )
My Cherokee great grand mother (died picking watermelons at 105 years old) Tanned her own skins, she would gather dried oak leaves and crush them, then stirring them into water letting set for several days, she would use this liquid for a tanning agent. She also used parrifin and beeswax to boil the leather in for harness leather and shoe soles.
To slip the hair she made lye from wood ashes leaching water through it. SHe also had a old hand screw printing press she would use to press thick leather for tooling leather. But I dont ever remeber her using brains to tan a hide.
Usually fresh brains were scambled with eggs for breakfest, we even pickled the intestine for sausage casings.
Growing up in the Arkansas Ozarks really did have advantages. John C.
This response submitted by Lance H on 12/5/1998. ( )
Vaugn,
I learned the technique of braintanning buckskin about six years ago, and although I've enjoyed tanning deer hides by this means, I find it to be anything but easy. It's one of the most labor intensive methods of tanning deer hides I've ever done when done properly - the technique developed by the Lakota Sioux over 1,200 years ago.
And anyone who's taken a wahitke in hand and spent endless hours scraping and dehairing a hide will no doubt agree with me. I do agree wholeheartedly that braintanned buckskin is by far the strongest and most durable form of deer leather out there and it is unbeatable for authentic period clothing. You cannot beat it, but John C. and I recently discussed it as an option for tanning capes, and there has yet to be a reliable, quality technique developed for braintanning hair on because effective penetration of the brain solution requires complete removal of ALL the epidremis and membranes from both sides of the leather in order for the solution to the corium -the true leather. I've seen pelts braintanned, but they weren't the texture of true braintanned buckskin.
This response submitted by Bob @ Jonas Bros. on 12/7/1998. ( jonastaxidermy@worldnet.att.net )
Gentlemen, all good input, It seems as though there is always a need for tanning questions. Everyone does things a little differently, so find what what works best for you. I did want to let you know that since there is always a need for more information, We are currently working on a new web site for Knoblochs tanning products, We hope to be able to answer a lot of questions about how-to with different things. I look for it to be up in a few weeks we'll keep you posted. Keep up the great work everyone, we've got a really effective tool here.
This response submitted by C. FELL on 12/17/1998. ( )
I'm the owner of The Bare Buck,Potosi,Mo.....I've been tanning hides since I was knee high with my father. We have always used aluminum sulfate(available through farm suppliers)to tann our hides.
Instead of the customer paying $75 and waiting 6-8 months for it back we are able to have it done cheaper and faster.....$50/3 months
This response submitted by VaughnT on 12/27/1998. ( )
Braintanning is easy. I have a whole mess of elbow grease and sweat, but
I don't have pounds of chemicals or fleshing machines... As far as
clothing goes, nothing beats braintan for next-to-the-skin clothes. It
does take a stain and get soggy in the rain, but I can't make regular
leather in my backyard for less that $20 per hide.
Chemical tans are great for taxidermy, there's no substitute, but with
the discoveries of lye's effect on a hide, complete brain penetration is
entirely feasible. Dry-scraping is hard, but it isn't ball-busting labor
as some would have you believe. Good tools and good technique make light
but long work of it.
With the use of lye, wetscraping from start to finish can take less than
10 hours, with only 4 of those hours being actual hands-on working.
Give braintan.com a read and see what you think.
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