First succesful Barktan Deerskin Leather

[Matt Soultz]

My first completed barktan hide. I made several mistakes along the way but I learned and the next one should be even better.

I've got the tanning aspect pretty well figured out its the finishing/currying that'll need to be learned. In history currying was a specialized trade. Tanners would usually transport their tanned skins to currier shops to finish the hides.

Fyi, I missed the lime and dehairing step in the slide show.

Overall the leather feel is nice and pliable. Would be suitable for a bag. The neck and rump area would be really nice for knife sheaths or moccasin soles.

 

[BillinOregon]

Just excellent. Boy it is a lot of work isn't it? Helped a friend with his beaver trap line years ago, and working a hide on a fleshing board is plain brutal.
Thanks for sharing your efforts.

 

[Matt Soultz]

Just excellent. Boy it is a lot of work isn't it? Helped a friend with his beaver trap line years ago, and working a hide on a fleshing board is plain brutal.
Thanks for sharing your efforts.

It really was. Thanks for the compliment.

 

[BillinOregon]

Matt, well deserved. What bark did you use?

 

[Matt Soultz]

Matt, well deserved. What bark did you use?

White oak bark. Some I was able to get fresh and some I got from a local lumber mill that only works white oak. Lumber mill bark is not ideal. For my area it takes about 40# of bark Chopped to tan a hide "quickly". So much bark. I plan on making a small bark mill in the future. I want to really crush the bark well. Maybe a old blender or grist mill. The old book I read say the bark should be about the same size and a kernel of corn or smaller. Chopping by hand to that small would be terrible for anyone's elbow joints. Lol gotta keep my body healthy so when i get older I'm not in a wheel chair.

 

[Uriahs]

Looks awesome!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Yeah that looks quite nice

LD

 

[WALT53]

My first completed barktan hide. I made several mistakes along the way but I learned and the next one should be even better.

I've got the tanning aspect pretty well figured out its the finishing/currying that'll need to be learned. In history currying was a specialized trade. Tanners would usually transport their tanned skins to currier shops to finish the hides.

Fyi, I missed the lime and dehairing step in the slide show.

Overall the leather feel is nice and pliable. Would be suitable for a bag. The neck and rump area would be really nice for knife sheaths or moccasin soles.

Proof hard work pays off very nice job .