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Our whitetail seasons run from October 1st through December 31st. We have hunts for bow and arrow, regular rifle, and musket. This past hunting season I saved three whitetail hides to make soft-tanned buckskins. I didn’t use ancient methods but this could all be done with ancient methods. Using my fleshing tool I removed all the fat and meat from the hide. I sheared about 90% of the hair off which makes the hides a lot easier to work with. Each of the three buckets was filled with three gallons of hot water, two pounds of hardwood ash, and two pounds of lime. When the mixture had cooled I added a hide to each bucket and put a rock on top to keep the hide down. The hides soaked for four days until the hair began to slip. I put the hides back on the fleshing board and scraped them clean. I cleaned the buckets and filled each with two gallons of warm water and a quart of vinegar. Soaking the hides in this vinegar for one day neutralizes the lime. Next I washed the hides with Dawn dish soap, rinsed them good, and then soaked them in clear water for a day. Hang the hides up until they are dried somewhat but still flexible. I used those disposable gloves to rub the tanning solution into both sides of the hide. Fold them up and put them each in a gallon sized ziplock bag for two days. Hang the hides up to start the drying process. When the hide is still semi-moist start working the hide to soften it. I used my short fleshing board; pulling the hide back and forth over the rounded point of the board. The last step is to smoke the buckskins. I used some 2 X 4 welded wire to make a cylindrical cage. I covered the outside of the cage with a heavy paper and hung the three hides inside. Ten minutes of smoke will preserve the hide but to add some color you have to smoke them longer. I smoked the hides for three hours. You want a cool smoke. To accomplish this I used punky wood and rotting sawdust. When the temperature began to rise I would reduce the airflow. Making buckskin is something I have wanted to do for some time now. I learned a lot. I have to say, “This took more time and effort than I had imagined.”
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Michigan Yooper
If You Don’t Stand for Something, You’ll Fall for Anything -
Ron that was interesting and as you said a lot of work, I have fleshed some hides and bark tanned them for quivers but never made buckskin. The hair was left on for quiversSouth East Ga. Twin City -
Awesome project! They look like they turned out good. Looks cold up there. :-)"The education of a man is never completed until he dies." Robert E. LeeComment
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Great job my friend! I bet their velvety soft. Very cool step by step process toocall me Jay, i live in R.I.Comment
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Very nice Ron are you making a shirt?TN formerly CT Visit our store http://stores.arrowheads.com/store.p...m-Trading-PostComment
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Are ya gonna be Daniel Boone or Davy Crockett ? Suit up !Lubbock County TxComment
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Excellent project. Thanks for sharing. I would love to do a bison hide. I can get my hands on all of them I want, but they are expensive to have some one tan them.South DakotaComment
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Thanks Gary, I watched Tom on "Mountain Men" brain tan a Bison hide. It would take about 6 bottles of the trappers tanning solution that I used. You should tan one yourself: That would be quite a project. -
Hey Gary, It seems to me that the toughest part would be breaking the hide after it was tanned. I would suggest that you hang a pole horizontally a little over head high. Get some guys to help you work the hide back and forth over the pole. That's the thickest hide I know of.
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Hey Ron..I missed this post...wow what a project ...the finished product looks beautiful....that looks like a lot of work man..makes u appreciate what goes into a leather item....good post manSW ConnecticutComment
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