Who wants proof of alum causing dry rot in new to newer skins?
(most people will reluctantly agree that it causes it in older skins, so what I refer to are animals and their parts under 3 years old, cold-stored)
I have plenty of pictures, dates, tannery methods, the whole 9 yards.
I'll prepare a full pictorial for those who want to sell their customers a BETTER tan (no alum).
I just got a wolverine today that is brand new and rips when I go to stretch it. How disgusting! Pretty, uncommon, animal ruined by poor "tanning" practices.
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to be the best brand out there today-?
Its pisspoor tanning, not alum thats at fault.
I have several bear piece, deer peices that have been around 15 years and they were alum tanned by me. They have not been cared for, tossed in a box in a metal building for several summers wetted down in a flood and yet they are still good.
You have a problem but it is not alum thats the fault.
Three things cause the hide to tear.
Not being properly neutralized.
Not using a good quality tanning oil.
Rotten/spoiled raw skins.
Did my own test on this subject with some scraps of hides and capes tanned with Krowtann 2000 (Alum based) I did everything your not supposed to do with an alum tan like after they dried I soaked them and even left some soaking for a couple of days in plain room temp water then I let some dry out then resoaked again several times and they were fine as far as rot or slippage goes. Also I put a few others in a plastic bag while they were still wet and sealed the bag left this bag sitting on my work bench at room temp after a week they were the same as they were when I bagged them (again no slippage or rot) I then placed them still wet and sealed in the bag in a window so they recieved direct sunlight most of the day and after a month of mistreatment they were still ok I let them dry back out and they are still in as good of condition as when I started the test no slip no rotting and I cant tear the scraps at all. These scraps were tanned over a year ago and went through more abuse than any mount should ever encounter and showed no ill effects. Go figure...
Sorry George had to say it.
still around from mid-evil times, that were alum tanned. This is some poor dude with an axe to grind. I still got that same whitetail hide that I have put through 30 yrs of abuse, in a little over a year. Left it outside in the weather for weeks, hair tight, leather strong. As far as I am concerned, this topic is completely dead. There are too many people out there that know better, AND HAVE PROVED THIS BS WRONG, time and time again. People put too much time into worrying about their tan, and not enough time into learning how to shave properly, and learning the dry end of the process. They all work together as a whole. As for this hide falling apart, any Tannery worth its weight in salt, knows that there are quite a few different things that can cause a skin to fall apart. I have seen a SYN TANNED whitetail cape fall apart in your hands. Was it the tan? NO, it was the skin, or the way it was handled. Somebody must be a little short on work right know, thats what this post is all about.
I wet it to mount and it feel apart, the pH was 5. but it turned to shreds. It was another great job by a unlimited tannery.
Everyone has to have something to bitch about, if George dont want to try Krowtann he should at lest keep his thoughts about it to himself.
If its a product and you tried it, it can be but one thing wrong. You did not have enough knowledge to use that product.
Nobody sells a product without research and development.
ive got two deer in my house 22 years old with alum.
i never really got concerned untill i found this site
because i switched to krowtann
but
funny thing is my deer look the same as 22 years ago
also funny is the source of the bad press
idont think George has any bad motives
but
in general follow the money
the salting thing is another issue
ive had more problems salting dry than not
but again maybe im doing it wrong
well after all these years if im doing it wrong well so be it
my mounts done 22 years look fine
time will tell but i dont think ill have any problems
unless i keep reading all the bad press
im not the most experienced guy but i can still see a little
much adu and fuss about nothing i believe
and yes i could be wrong
and if i am ill admit it
How the hell did that get twisted into the roast George show?
but he will get a good laugh when I tell him. Don't worry I really respect George, just like to see him get on to someone the way he can. Can't we all just get along. lol