Brain tanning fur

[Camdec]

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience tanning fur using the traditional Brain tan method? From what I eye it is the most authentic. I've used the orange bottle trappers tan with good results but am thinking about trying the brain tan with a beaver or two this fall.

[calgarychef]

I haven't tanned beaver with brains but I've heard that they're the most difficult to do and especially with the hair on it wood be easy. Best to do your first one hair off and use a young deer.

[KegRiver]

I have, what would you like to know.

[Camdec]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

I have, what would you like to know.

What sets the hair? The braining, or are you soaking in a salt bath first?

[Trappingman]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

I have, what would you like to know.

If you have time could you give a bit of a step by step procedure?

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Camdec

What sets the hair? The braining, or are you soaking in a salt bath first?

I don't know. I was taught the proceedure, not the chemistry.

I do know that we only used salt if the hide was to be stored for a while before tanning.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Trappingman

If you have time could you give a bit of a step by step procedure?

Oh geez man, it's a lot of writing and there are web pages that spell it all out.
I can only tell you what I was taught and that was not necessarily the best way or the simplest way.

I can give you the basic rundown on how it all went, but step by step procedures are best left to other sources.

As I recall the procedure went something like this.

Skin and flesh the hide. Remove the brain and mix it with an equal amount of hardwood ashes to produce a paste.

Spread this paste evenly over the flesh side of the hide and then fold the hide flesh on flesh. Place in cool dry place and cover it. Leave for 24 hours.

Then submerge the hide in a slough or muskeg for a week, or until the hair just starts to slip.

Remove hide and scrape off all the hair and the thin layer of skin under it.

Wring out the hide and stretch it to dry. When mostly dry, but still somewhat supple wring the hide first one way then the other till the hide is supple. Restretch and let dry completely.

Now wring the hide as before. twice or until soft and supple.

Spread over a smoke for a darker lasting leather, then oil with bear grease or Neets Foot oil.

That's the basic procedure so far as I can remember. There are details that I did not include because adding them all would take many pages.

Like what to use to remove the hair and how to use it.
I was taught to use a moose shin bone cut at about a sixty degree angle.
The bone was held approximately in the middle and then used in a hacking motion to sheer off the outside layer of skin with hair attached.

That's one example of a limited amount of detail. It is even more complicated then that, and every step has one or more parts that can be explained with minimal or greater detail.

Never-the less, coupled with what you can find on line and this post you should be able to get a decent tan.

[shakeyleg02]

Braintan.com can shed some light on this subject