# brain tan



## deersled (Jun 13, 2008)

how bout a detailed tutorial on brain-tanning hides. Step by step if someone has the time. Pictures would be great!


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## Fireaway (Jun 13, 2008)

I would be interested in learning how to brain tan some deer hides as well


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## Nicodemus (Jun 13, 2008)

I have to do a couple of deerskins before long. When I do, I`ll do a tutorial on em.

This will be a dry scrape, hair off method.


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## Nugefan (Jun 13, 2008)

Nicodemus said:


> I have to do a couple of deerskins before long. When I do, I`ll do a tutorial on em.
> 
> This will be a dry scrape, hair off method.



well hurry up , we're waitin' ......


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## Nicodemus (Jun 13, 2008)

Nugefan said:


> well hurry up , we're waitin' ......




It won`t be long. I gotta have some new leggins`.  My old elkskin leggins` are about wore out.


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## bam_bam (Jun 13, 2008)

Neat, I'll be on the edge of my seat waiting on this


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## Nugefan (Jun 13, 2008)

Nicodemus said:


> It won`t be long. I gotta have some new leggins`.  My old elkskin leggins` are about wore out.



well then I'll take yer old ones as long as I ain't gotta wrestle Klem for them .........




bam_bam said:


> Neat, I'll be on the edge of my seat waiting on this



you ain't wrong .....


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## dutchman (Jun 14, 2008)

For them that are impatient, like me, go to the link below and nose around some. You'll see their book, _Deerskins into Buckskins _for sale there. It is a fine book and has clear and detailed instructions to get your hides braintanned. It is also available in DVD.

http://www.braintan.com/

As a matter of information, the pouch in my avatar is made of braintanned deer hide that I accquired from choctawlb in trade. I think he tanned it himself and used the method outlined in the book mentioned above. It is a wet scrape method.


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## redneckcamo (Jun 14, 2008)

*kool !*

...


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## deersled (Jun 28, 2008)

ttt


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## GAnaturalist (Jun 28, 2008)

I am not tanning any presently, its hot out, but I could give you some tips that I have learned over the years that may save you some time.

This is only my opinion, but I would start with all things prime, meaning 1.) use a doe hide 2.) find one that has been shot in the neck 3.) *skin it yourself and take your time, not as easy to do a hide that bubba skinned 4) Use a knife to cut around the legs, make the cut down the belly, and up the legs....THEN PUT THE KNIFE AWAY. After those initial cuts you do not need a knife to skin the deer ! You *wedge* the hide off. Meaning you use your hands or a tool made out of wood that looks like a fat spatula. I use to know the Lakota name for this tool, but I have long forgot it, but the point is the Native Americans wedged the hide off, they did not cut it off. The reason you do this, is because when you wedge the hide it leaves no fat on the hide, all the fat stays on the deer. SO.....there is no need to scrap/flesh the fat off, becuase there is not any fat on it when you wedge. No need to put the hide on a fleshing beam, etc. I have a beam, but I use that for beaver and otter, and later in the tanning process for wet scrap method. 

So after you wedge the hide, just nail it to a big board and let it dry for a couple of days. No need to string it up, unless you want to be traditional. With the hide on the board you can move it in and out of the shade, or away from dogs (I have lost 2 hides to roaming dogs). You want to time it for 3-4 days of drying, sure you could dry it in one afternoon of full sun and low humidity, but then the hide is going to pull out all of your nails from the board. 

Some people just skip the drying process and just throw it into the freezer, I like to dry mine out, save some freezer space. 

Then I roll the hide up like a newspaper and soak it in a bucket of cool water with some lime. Sometimes I have to leave the bucket inside in the cool air in the summer (did I mention I do not like doing hides in the middle of the summer, I like spring) If the water gets to hot, then the bacteria will eat to much of your hide. Anyway, I put some lime (I get that from Van dykes) in the water and wait several days for the hair to "slip". Yes, with just plain warm water it will slip faster, but you have to be careful because in can really weaken the hide, into what looks like a mushy noodle that falls apart and smells like pig farm. 

Once the hair slips freely, pull it out and put it on your fleshing beam (my beam is made out of 8inch PVC pipe that is smooth) and not only are you going to take the hair off, but your also going to scrap away the epidermis that holds the hair folicles in. This is called the wet scrap method. It is a little hard to get use to at first, but I think that the results are better than the dry scrap method. Once you get the hang of it you can take the epidermis off very evenly on both sides, and for me at least, I can take off more epidermis this way, ending with a hide that is thin, and the tanning solution can soak and penetrate well. The leather will have a nice fluff to it without any hairs left (sorry Nic, I know you like to dry scrap) *again this all just my opinion* everybody has thier own way of doing things. 
Anyway, I scrap the epidermis off both sides with a very sharp drawknife, but my favorite is an English Fleshing Knife. You have to hold the blade at a 90 degree angle, maybe 80degrees and just becareful at first. You will see the white epidermis collect on the blade. If it is to difficult to scrap this off, then re-soak for another day, and then test again. More on wet scrap if you google it, or buy the book "Wet scrap deer hides" or something like that. 

Then take the scraped hide and soak in an acid bath. This is super important because in neutralizes the base. Otherwise the hide will keep breaking down, and bacteria, etc. So, soak in acid for a day. I just get the acid in powder form from, again, Van Dykes. I think it is ammonium nitrate, not sure, or you can just use oak bark, dock roots, red bud bark, hemlock bark, saw palmetto roots, etc. (tannic acid). That is how the term "tan" a hide got started, from tannic acid.

Then get as much water out of the hide as possible, more if you google that.

After that I put the brains on. Take the brains and put it in a blender with some fat, or liver, whatever, then put the brains in a pot and only warm in up. Then rubb the brains into the hide on both sides, fold the hide up, put it in a plastice bag, and then leave it for a day, maybe two. Then take it out and work it for a couple of hours by stretching it with your hands, teeth, whatever. Then put it in the freezer. Take it out the next day, dust off the frozen water, then put it in the sun, let it warm up, and then work it again. I use the freezer sometimes because it pulls out the water, but leaves the oil in, and after all that is what you are trying to do, replace the water with oils. Often I will have to re-tan a hide. Do the process over again with more brains. 

But, I do not even use brains anymore. I use pro-tal from Van Dykes. It actually mixes with water, and works better for me. Less mess. 

You can also smoke the hide after your done, I have written to much. Some of my buckskin stuff is on here somewhere, and a bookbag under primitive quivers in the traditional archery section. I left out a bunch of stuff, I guess that is why there are books out there about this, too much to write. 

Hope this helps, D


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## choctawlb (Jun 28, 2008)

Here is a short description I did a few years back for a class. This is wet scrape method.  Hope ya'll enjoy.

                        A Braintan Short course

What is buckskin? “Buckskin is a soft porous material that is made from animal skin with the aid of lubricants, physical manipulation and wood-smoke (usually) “. It can be made from any of the hoofed animals, and it is the way it is tanned that gives it it’s name, not that it was made from a deer. The texture of the finished product has some characteristics of leather, some of cloth, and some all it’s own. It is strong, durable, and soft, quiet, washable, warm, cuts wind, allows your skin to breathe, stretches with the movements of your body, but is by no means waterproof.

Layers of the Skin

I.	Epidermis- the outer-most protective layer of the skin. It as well as hair is composed of keratin.
II.	Grain- the grain lies below the epidermis, consists mostly of active living cells, and is composed of mucus, with some small thin fibers offering support and structure.
III.	Fiber Network- located just below the grain, these fibers are composed of very small spiraling proteins known as collagen. These proteins are twisted around each other in opposite directions, much like rope. These fibers are randomly interwoven into a strong fabric that is the basis for buckskin.

Bucking- soaking the hide in a lye  or lime solution, which causes the hide to swell, making removal of the grain easier.
Fleshing- to remove the mass of flesh and fat from a hide.
Graining- to remove the hair, epidermis, and grain from a hide
Membraning- removal of fleshy and weak fibered tissue from a hide.

Why use lye? To loosen the mucus from the fiber network, allowing it to be easily washed from the hide, leaving a clean and open fiber network.

What do dressings do? ( brains, eggs, soap&oil) Dressings contain emulsified oils which coat the fibers of the hide, providing  lubrication of the fibers during the stretching process, and preventing the glue bonds from setting up the fibers as long as they are moved during the process.

Why smoke? It coats the fibers with water resistant resins so that the glues cannot be reactivated and it is a highly concentrated gaseous form of natural formaldehyde. This natural formaldehyde changes the actual chemical structure of the collagen fibers, creating cross-links, like little bridges from fiber to fiber that keeps them separated from one another and permanently preserves the soft state of the buckskin. 

Steps of Braintan
1.	Obtain and flesh hide
2.	Buck hide in a solution of 6 to 8 ounces of Red Devil Lye to 20 gallons of water until the hair slips easily.
3.	Using a fleshing beam and tool, grain and membrane the hide, being careful to cover the complete unit.
4.	Soak the hide in a flowing creek or mild vinegar water to remove lye.
5.	Wring hide completely, removing as much water as possible.
6.	Mix up a dressing by mixing one Gallon warm water (not over 120 F) with one of the following: one dozen eggs, one brain from animal you are tanning, or ¼ cup oil (olive or neat’s-foot) and ¼ bar Ivory soap.
7.	Work hide in the dressing until thoroughly saturated.
8.	Wring as much liquid from hide as possible.
9.	Work hide in dressing till thoroughly saturated. (You cannot overdress a hide!!)
10.	Wring as much liquid from hide as possible.
11.	Sew up any hole at this time.
12.	Using a cable, breaking post, or combination work the hide until it is soft and completely dry. This is the most important step of brain tanning and controls the outcome of your finished product. Make sure you work all parts of the hide, in all directions to keep the fibers separated. Constant working is not necessary, however all fibers must be stretched in both directions every 30 to 45 minutes. To fail to do so will cause hard spots in the hide. This can take from 4 to 10 hours depending on hide thickness, work area temperature, and humidity.
13.	When the hide is completely dry and soft, sew into a sock shape, smoke till smoke stains saturate thinnest parts of hide, turn wrong side out and repeat. 
14.	Admire your work, rub it, smell it, enjoy it.

Ken


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## Cleankill47 (Jul 21, 2008)

*Making Buckskin: Part 1*

This is a hair-off, wet scrape explanation, moving down the grades of leather, from rough-grade rawhide down to buckskin.

*Skinning:*

First, skin the animal without a gambrel. Hang it up with a rope tied to the neck. Then make an incision up the middle, from (just above) the anus all the way to the throat. Then make cuts around all four hooves, running the cuts up to the median incision. Then cut around the neck just at the base of the rope, and start peeling off the hide like a jacket.

_DO NOT USE A KNIFE ANY MORE AFTER THAT! _

All you will need is a wood or bone knife, with a rounded blade, no point, kind of like a letter opener, to wedge the hide from the muscle. If skinned properly, there should be no score marks or meat on the hide, just the thin film of fat that normally comes off with the hypodermal layer of skin.

_*Soaking:*_

To take the hair off, you must soak the hide for a day or so to loosen the hair. Use cool or cold water; warm water will make bits of leather. Expect a two to four day soak. You shouold be able to pull the hairs out with your fingers. 

To speed up the process, you can add a shotglass of acorn boilings (water you have boiled acorns in) to add tannic acid to the water and cause the dermis fibers to fluff up more.


_*Fleshing:*_

(Done with the hair still on. Fleshing with the hair on allows a protective padding between the hide and fleshing beam.)

The fleshing removes the last bit of fat and flesh from the hide. The best tool for this is a fleshing tool, either purchased or made from a leaf spring with handles attached. You want a flat, squared edge, so the fat is bulldozed from the hide with no risk of cutting or scoring the hide. Best to use is a fleshing beam, having a rounded edge, or a log with a rounded, bullet-shaped nose. Since we are removing the hair, you will scrape from head to tail to loosen the hair follicles from the hair side.

If the hide dries somewhat, the fat will cling more tightly. If this happens, just resoak the hide and continue.

For problem areas, (such as the back and belly, where fat tends to accumulate) you can use a knife blade, but only scrape at right angles to the hide, being careful not to cut or score it. 

Be sure to work until the area you are scraping is not greasy, as the grease means there's still fat on it. Dry, clean areas will have some slight friction to them.

When you are done fleshing, soak the hide overnight, preferably in a tannic acid solution. You can also use Ivory liquid soap or baby shampoo. A capful in two gallons, well-agitated, works well.

Once rinsed, the hide will dry with a hard, somewhat glassy sheen. This is rough grade rawhide, useful for strong cord or rope.

And this is the end of part one.


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## Cleankill47 (Jul 21, 2008)

*Making Buckskin: Part 2*

_*Racking*_

The best way to continue with the tanning process is to string the hide up on a sturdy rack. Racks can be made four to six feet square, and quite easily, by simply square notching and lashing four(4) two- to three-inch diameter poles. All racks should have support, such as a tripod or legs that stick out from the bottom, or even leaned against a building or tree.

To rack the hide, first, with a sharp knife, cut one-inch slits every three to four inches all the way around the hide, about a quarter-inch in from the edge of the hide. (One-inch slits pull more evenly than small holes, and are less likely to let the cordage pull through.) 

Then, using baling twine, or another non-stretchy twine, tie a separate four-foot piece of cordage to each hole. Do this by folding the twine in half, pushing the middle of the string through the slit, and pulling the ends through the loop. Then use a square knot or shoelace knot to secure the hide to the rack. (Make sure you use a knot that's easy to untie, as you will take off and re-rack the hide twice more for this process.)

Start by tying the neck to the top beam and the hind legs to the lower beam, then alternate sides so that when you're finished, all sides are firmly and evenly held by all four beams of the rack.


_*De-Hairing*_


Next, while the hide is still wet, start pulling the hair out with your fingers. For tougher areas, use tweezers or a fat pair of wooden tweezers made with two flat pieces of wood lashed around a wedge. Whatever you can't get out, you will remove with the scraping tool.


_*Scraping*_



Before you begin scraping, let the hide dry on the rack for about 24 hours. It will shrink and tighten up as it dries. But, if there is hair left on the hide, you will want to get that before the hide dries.

Also before it dries, you will want to stitch up any holes in the hide you may have found. Use a baseball stitch, it gives the greatest strength.

As it dries, both sides will develop a dull, glassy sheen. your job with the scraper is to remove that sheen by scraping with a scraping tool, usually a piece of leaf-spring iron that is rounded, beveled on the top edge to a sixty-degree angle (no knife edge, you are scraping, not carving or cutting), and lashed or screwed onto a sturdy handle.

Start with gentle, downward strokes, pulling the tool down in a slight arc. At the beginning of each stroke, you shouldn't even be touching the hide. As you come down, push in, and shave off a few inches of cuticle before coming off the hide at the end of the stroke. Don't scrape upwards, you'll very likely damage the hide. Keep the blade clean, and sharp throughout the process, and stay alert. Don't scrape directly over holes, but to the side of them. Use fine grade sandpaper on very sensitive areas, like score marks or holes.

Scrape one area at a time until the sheen is gone and you can feel the soft, fluffy dermis fibers beneath. Continue in small areas until you complete the entire hide.

When you finish a side of the hide, sand the entire hide with quick, circular strokes with a fine-grade sandpaper. This makes the fibers fluff up more, making it feel like chamois, even before the hide is brained and buffed.

Congrats, you now have a fine-grade rawhide. It can be used for cords, ropes, boxes, bags, pouches, moccasins, and a great many other things.

And this is the end of part two.


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## schleylures (Jul 22, 2008)

bam bam nice carvings where did they come from and what are they on


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## hc521v (Nov 15, 2008)

Or get the book "Deerskins into Buckskins" by Matt Richards. It's cheap on amazon.com and covers tanning from A to Z.


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