Brain tanning - results

[Camdec]

I posted a while ago wondering if anyone has tried brain tanning. Someone put me onto www.braintanning.com. Basically, I followed directions from reading some of the articles and have attempted 3 beaver, a mink, and a marten now. Its lots of work. Very important to thin the hide of beaver before you start tanning. I also caught my first mink recently that I didn't want to sell for the small amount they are getting. Anyway, I thought I would post a picture of the results. I was really happy with how they turned out. If you work the hide (a lot) during the drying process they turn out very nice and subtle. I plan on trying to make some mitts with the beaver this winter. Absolutely no chemicals used. Just brains, water and a lot of elbow grease.

[coxy95]

That's awesome looks like they turned out great!

[Bushmaster]

X2, looks like you did a great job !

[Tfng]

Wow those look great! I've got a moose hide in the freezer I'd like to have smoke tanned. Interested? I'm mostly joking of course since I realize how much work a moose hide would be.

[Camdec]

Originally Posted by TFNG

Wow those look great! I've got a moose hide in the freezer I'd like to have smoke tanned. Interested? I'm mostly joking of course since I realize how much work a moose hide would be.

Funny you say that. I'm looking for an elk hide to try. Preferably a calf elk do to the smaller size. That's the end goal to try a moose/elk hair off. Somewhat different process for hair off, but same idea for the tan. Would be a lot of work, but would be neat to do start to finish.

[Tfng]

I'm not sure where you are but I might be able to line up another moose hide. You could always just cut it to whatever size you feel like working with.

If anyone has experience smoke tanning I'd like to hire someone to do my moose hide.

Sorry for the slight de-rail Camdec.

[waterninja]

Good job OP. I have a container of brains that I've been saving from some euro's Ive done. One of these days I'll have to try tanning a pelt.

[Camdec]

Originally Posted by TFNG

I'm not sure where you are but I might be able to line up another moose hide. You could always just cut it to whatever size you feel like working with.

If anyone has experience smoke tanning I'd like to hire someone to do my moose hide.

Sorry for the slight de-rail Camdec.

Peace River. I have a moose hide available. Thinner the hide - less work. That's why I would like to try a calf elk first ideally. Thanks for the offer.

[Red Bullets]

Excellent work. Nothing nicer than handling a pelt from start to finish.

Brain tanned smoked moose hide is very expensive to buy so it might be a good sideline income. With one smoked brain tanned moose hide going for 2K to 3K and elk from 1.2K to 2K it could be worth the work. Wouldn't be hard to get quite a few hides of moose, elk and deer from hunters that don't use the hides. One year I had 4 moose hides dropped off by hunters that didn't want them. I had them commercially tanned at the time.

Just tan 2 or 3 hides a month and your making a good honest living.

[calgarychef]

Great work on that beaver, I've heard that it's the hardest to tan and yours looks really nice. I'm interested to know how you got the grease out of the hide or maybe it wasn't a problem? Someday I'll try a beaver.

For anyone wanting to brain tan a moose, think twice because it's an insane amount of work. And I'd recommend dry scraping moose, I wet scrape the other hides but a wet moose hide weighs so much I had to use my block and tackle to lift it out of the water. Deer and elk are ok but moose....my wrists hurt just thinking about it.

I keep tanning my hides but I buy leather for my projects, it's so hard to cut into something that you've put so much time into. This year though, we had to leave my elk hide in the bush (sob) the legs came out with hide attached though, so I'm tanning them and I think I'll make some of my "famous" leather mitts with them. That'll probably be a February project before I can get at them. It looks like one leg will give just enough for a pair of mitts if I really stretch it out a lot on the frame.

Google "chopper mitts" if you want a good pattern for mitts.

[MugEye]

When braining , do you still salt the hide to set the hair ?

[Tfng]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

Excellent work. Nothing nicer than handling a pelt from start to finish.

Brain tanned smoked moose hide is very expensive to buy so it might be a good sideline income. With one smoked brain tanned moose hide going for 2K to 3K and elk from 1.2K to 2K it could be worth the work. Wouldn't be hard to get quite a few hides of moose, elk and deer from hunters that don't use the hides. One year I had 4 moose hides dropped off by hunters that didn't want them. I had them commercially tanned at the time.

Just tan 2 or 3 hides a month and your making a good honest living.

This seems very true. I just might start into this in a few years when I have more free time in the winter. It would be nice to be trained by a Cree elder but I'm not sure how many even do it anymore.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by TFNG

This seems very true. I just might start into this in a few years when I have more free time in the winter. It would be nice to be trained by a Cree elder but I'm not sure how many even do it anymore.

There's a traditional tanning workshop in May up in Bonnyville that I'm really interested in attending. I'll start a new thread with the details.

[Tfng]

Thanks Dave, May is a terribly busy time of year for me. Maybe there will be another one some time.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by TFNG

Thanks Dave, May is a terribly busy time of year for me. Maybe there will be another one some time.

Posted. I'm in the same boat. I'm REALLY interested in attending but it's too early for me to commit just yet. I'll bet that Tina would organize another workshop later on if there were enough people interested.

[Camdec]

Originally Posted by MugEye

When braining , do you still salt the hide to set the hair ?

I didn't. These are the steps I followed. http://www.braintan.com/articles/furs/miller1.html