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Brain Tanned Deer Fur

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agill

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I was wondering if brain tanned fur can be done in the same manner that buckskin is done just leaving out the hair scraping and membrane scraping. Anybody tried it with success? I've got a whitetail buck hide that I may try it on. Thanks, Allen
 
I was wondering if brain tanned fur can be done in the same manner that buckskin is done just leaving out the hair scraping and membrane scraping. Anybody tried it with success? I've got a whitetail buck hide that I may try it on. Thanks, Allen
It can be done with furs/pelts.

For deer, elk, antelope and moose, the manipulation required to soften braintan will break the hair. Also, since the epidermis remains, the skin doesn't soften well. The hair-on deer skins I have were left as rawhide - I scraped the flesh side to remove meat, fat and membrane and did some softening with a wooden paddle-shaped tool. The skins are thin enough that they are flexible, but not garment flexible.
 
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Of course! Black Hand gave you all the good info. That deer hide is kindergarten stuff! Have fun and when your done I'll contract you to do my other bison hide I need to do... First one about did me in, swore I'd never do it again, well here I am with another green hide... o_O
 
Of course! Black Hand gave you all the good info. That deer hide is kindergarten stuff! Have fun and when your done I'll contract you to do my other bison hide I need to do... First one about did me in, swore I'd never do it again, well here I am with another green hide... o_O

Just think, the Indian women done it day after day.
 
Yup, large hides certainly were a communal ordeal. Not only for physical well being but multiple helpers would definitely keep you sane... Although a bunch of women in one place is ultimately a recipe for disaster with sharp hide scraping tools... Likely why the me were off "hunting".
 
It was a very hard, hard life. But that was their life. My mom tells the story (born in 1923) that they wash cloths by hand, outhouses, bath in a tub 1 or 2 times a week, etc. She never thought any thing about it, but she also said, It would be a cold day in hell if she ever had to go back to those days. What you don't know don't hurt you. God rest her soul.
 
I was wondering if brain tanned fur can be done in the same manner that buckskin is done just leaving out the hair scraping and membrane scraping. Anybody tried it with success? I've got a whitetail buck hide that I may try it on. Thanks, Allen
I once had a hunting bag that was made from deerskin with the hair left on.

After a few years, the hair started breaking and falling off in patches making the bag one of the uglier things I owned.
As I understand it, deer hair left on the tanned leather will often will do this so if someone asks me if they should try tanning deer hide with the hair still attached I would advise them, "Don't bother".
 
Seems like it was a good idea to ask the forum before I went to all the effort. I think I'll just make some more buckskin. Thanks everybody, Allen
 
Brain tanning with hair on is easier than hair off. Give it a go, nothing to it besides ensuring your slurry doesn't get on the hair side. Same process, less work involved due to only scrapping one side.
 
I put the hide in the freezer for now. The winter storm coming put working on it on hold. I'll work on it come Spring. That will give me more time to think about fur on or fur off.
 
I put the hide in the freezer for now. The winter storm coming put working on it on hold. I'll work on it come Spring. That will give me more time to think about fur on or fur off.

In the 18th century, the British Army issued Back Packs made of "Hair On" Goat Skin, to make the packs more water/snow resistant. However, they almost surely Vat/Vegetable Tanned their "Hair On" Hides.

On the Frontier In the American Colonies it has been documented that many/most families had a "Tanning Pit" where they Vegetable Tanned their hides. Original Shot Pouches (Hunting Bags) sometimes have a "Hair On" Flap to also better repel water/snow.

What I DON'T know is if there is any difference in how soon the hair comes off between vegetable tanned and brain tanned hides.

Gus
 
In the 18th century, the British Army issued Back Packs made of "Hair On" Goat Skin, to make the packs more water/snow resistant. However, they almost surely Vat/Vegetable Tanned their "Hair On" Hides.

On the Frontier In the American Colonies it has been documented that many/most families had a "Tanning Pit" where they Vegetable Tanned their hides. Original Shot Pouches (Hunting Bags) sometimes have a "Hair On" Flap to also better repel water/snow.

What I DON'T know is if there is any difference in how soon the hair comes off between vegetable tanned and brain tanned hides.

Gus
It has to do with the type of hair rather than tanning method. Deer, elk and antelope hair is hollow and breaks easily. Goat hair is different...
 
I was wondering if brain tanned fur can be done in the same manner that buckskin is done just leaving out the hair scraping and membrane scraping. Anybody tried it with success? I've got a whitetail buck hide that I may try it on. Thanks, Allen
I tie flies for fishing and have handled lots of different deer hair. Deer skin and elk hair are commonly used on LOTS of flies. Most of the deer hair and elk hair skins are not fully tanned and the small patches that we buy are stiff like rawhide. However I do sometimes get some patches that are fully tanned with a very pliable hide. I never paid much attention to that though because I was more concerned about the thickness of the hair and the color and shape of the tips.

The normal process of braintanning includes removing the hair using a lye-water bath and then scraping off the epidermis with the hair before rubbing the brains or soap (like Ivory, not a detergent soap) on it to actually work the emulsified oils in for the tanning. Really results in a soft pliable skin, but no hair.

I believe that all the pliable deer hair are vegetable tanned, which was also a well known practice in the 1700's. If I recall correctly, oak tanning was one method used for hair-on tanning.

Twisted_1in66
Dan
 
I've not attempted tanning for years, but do attend the Mother Earth News fair every year and a couple of years ago attended a workshop on tanning. The presenter did both hair on and hair off on a deer hide. Google Mother Earth News hide tanning and the information on tanning will show up. It may not be a fully traditional way to tan, but I handled the completed product and it was well done.
 
I brain tan all my hides from squirrel to the massive bison hides I recently completed. It's not hard, just time consuming. One has to see the end result and be dedicated to the task or it will exhaust you. Case in point my recently completed bison hide sent me to the ER after passing out while scraping in 98° + temps this past summer. On a smaller scale one can flesh out a deer hide rather quickly and apply the brain/water solution all within a few hours or less.
 
I tanned a deer hide with fur on. After fleshing it, I heavily salted the hide side with kosher salt twice (two consecutive days). My understanding is that this causes the skin around the follicles to seize up and hold the hair in place before tanning. I then veg tanned it and applied Neat's Foot Oil to it. The hide is not as pliable as brain tanned but rolls up and works great as a cover for my camp chair to cushion my rear and keep the wind off my back.
 
I tanned a deer hide with fur on. After fleshing it, I heavily salted the hide side with kosher salt twice (two consecutive days). My understanding is that this causes the skin around the follicles to seize up and hold the hair in place before tanning. I then veg tanned it and applied Neat's Foot Oil to it. The hide is not as pliable as brain tanned but rolls up and works great as a cover for my camp chair to cushion my rear and keep the wind off my back.
Yes, it can be done with a chemical tan. But the poster asked specifically about brain-tanning. An essential part of the process is breaking the hide, which serves to soften. In this, the hide is stretched/rubbed vigorously with a wooden paddle to start the softening and finally twisting, stretching, scraping and working over a stake/branch/cable to bring the hide to the flannel-like feel and flexibility. This is what would break the hair, leaving a hide that looks more as if it has mange...
 
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