Quote:
Originally Posted by Camdec
I’ve used several.
I had a decent experience with the orange bottle tanning a couple beaver, however they’ve just been hangers. The biggest issue with beaver hides is they need to be thinned for garment use. Quite frankly I would put mitts into this category.
I would guess that 1% of home tanners have a hide thinner, so unless if commercially tanned you are pushing you’re luck to make mitts.
I’ve brained tanned beaver as well. I’ve made mitts that I consider very good, but have been selective of the “best of the batch” hides I’ve tanned. I don’t have a thinner, so to do yourself is a chore.
All that being said, its rewarding if you make yourself from start to finish. I have no desire to do so for commercial sale. If I was looking for hide for someone to make for me I would look to commercially tanned hide. If you want to do pursue yourself from start to finish then I would consider researching brain tanning first, and orange bottle second.
When I think of “make myself” I think traditional, so would do some research on traditional methods.
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Your right with the fleshing wheel(hide thinner) but there is also more to it than that if you want the same luxury as the commercial guys like the tumblers, stakers and industrial sanders etc.. it is a process that most will not do which is why the tanneries charge what they do. I also do my own brain tanning and although its the most work its also the most rewarding! I personally would not recommend the orange bottle preservative at all for DIY there is WAY better products out there that don't cost that much more....