Tanning a red hind hide

[Sunrise Stalker]

Thought I'd have another go at tanning a hide. I did a roe previously which turned out well and has retained almost all of it's hair (wish I could say the same for me!). So here's a red hide I de-fleshed on an ash log using the blunt side of a drawer knife, then stretched on to a frame (only just big enough!).

Applied a mix of Alum and borax paste, dried, scraped off, repeated this process a couple of times, gave it a sand, then neats-foot oil applied to the flesh side to help make it more pliable. Anyway, let me know what you think.

Also, if anyone has any info on the best time of year to tan hides if you want to keep the hair on - presumably not just before they are due to moult but any other times better in the year? Does it vary species to species? Thanks, A.

 

[filzee]

Love this. Would love to have a nice rug but I have 0 skill for this type of thing.
Great work and keep the posts coming

 

[Mickeydredd]

A fine effort!

 

[EssexBigMac]

That’s great! Do you deliver if we post you the hides?

 

[Sunrise Stalker]

That’s great! Do you deliver if we post you the hides?

No sorry, just wanted to try to use more of the deer. Also rendered some of it's fat to try making some candles (the price of electricity huh!?!) but wouldn't want to do hides commercially like this - it's pretty time consuming - but not that difficult - give it a go!

 

[EssexBigMac]

Always wanted to do it with foxes and muntys. Just hate throwing them away.

 

[Sunrise Stalker]

Always wanted to do it with foxes and muntys. Just hate throwing them away.

Yes - defo!

 

[T.eddie]

Well done looks fantastic!

 

[Ratcatcher]

Roe/fox/sheep work well, but the reds we've done aren't as good as the hair not only sheds but becomes brittle and snaps off in our experience, the one we tried was called white tan, Snowdonia supplies, takes a bit of time/ effort but the roe are lovely

 

[Sunrise Stalker]

Roe/fox/sheep work well, but the reds we've done aren't as good as the hair not only sheds but becomes brittle and snaps off in our experience, the one we tried was called white tan, Snowdonia supplies, takes a bit of time/ effort but the roe are lovely

Yes I'll have to see how well it retains the hair. Would like to try a fox fur

 

[sikamalc]

Well done, for the effort. Don't take this as criticism.

What you have done is curing, not tanning. The trouble is the skin will still absorb moisture, if your not careful. Even though its dried.

To tan a hide properly you first need to fix it, usually with an acid bath, citric or formic. I use a solution of formic acid with salt and water. This fixes the hair.This also makes the skin easier to shave down.
You then neutralise the acid with backing soda, then you can tan. Snowdonia have a kit called Ktan, which I have never used, as I use Lutan FN which is a tan for taxidermy purposes.
What you have done is great, but is curing, not tanning.

Regards
Malc

 

[Sunrise Stalker]

Well done, for the effort. Don't take this as criticism.

What you have done is curing, not tanning. The trouble is the skin will still absorb moisture, if your not careful. Even though its dried.

To tan a hide properly you first need to fix it, usually with an acid bath, citric or formic. I use a solution of formic acid with salt and water. This fixes the hair.This also makes the skin easier to shave down.
You then neutralise the acid with backing soda, then you can tan. Snowdonia have a kit called Ktan, which I have never used, as I use Lutan FN which is a tan for taxidermy purposes.
What you have done is great, but is curing, not tanning.

Regards
Malc

Hi Malc, thanks for the info. It seems like there's lots of different ways to tan / cure hides and it seems like the vocabulary varies interchangeably between different countries and cultures, but I take your point! As mentioned, only the second one I've done so we'll see how it holds up. Great to try these things right? Otherwise it will be another on the long lost skills of our ancestors we will soon forget. Cheers, A

 

[Ratcatcher]

And here's one i did earlier, the deer dog is still in training

 

[ancientways]

Nice to see a tanned hide! I'm in the process of setting up a microtannery for deerskins in Devon, mainly for leather but I am experimenting with veg tanned hair on. Great to use an otherwise wasted resource!

Best time of year for hair on is mid summer, not ideal for tanning our wild skins although I'll be playing with some summer roe bucks this year. I'd also like to try mid winter but I expect to be more prone to slip than mid summer

 

[VSS]

Nice to see a tanned hide! I'm in the process of setting up a microtannery for deerskins in Devon, mainly for leather but I am experimenting with veg tanned hair on. Great to use an otherwise wasted resource!

Best time of year for hair on is mid summer, not ideal for tanning our wild skins although I'll be playing with some summer roe bucks this year. I'd also like to try mid winter but I expect to be more prone to slip than mid summer

Mid winter fallow skins tan beautifully, and don't suffer any more hair slip than summer skins in my experience, but I've stopped bothering doing winter skins because they don't sell. Everyone wants the spotty summer ones.

 

[T.eddie]

Nice to see a tanned hide! I'm in the process of setting up a microtannery for deerskins in Devon, mainly for leather but I am experimenting with veg tanned hair on. Great to use an otherwise wasted resource!

Best time of year for hair on is mid summer, not ideal for tanning our wild skins although I'll be playing with some summer roe bucks this year. I'd also like to try mid winter but I expect to be more prone to slip than mid summer

I've done a muntjac taken in October and a fallow in novemeber and both have stayed on very well. Though would be great to see a tannery in the UK that would do them again

 

[Rob-E]

No sorry, just wanted to try to use more of the deer. Also rendered some of it's fat to try making some candles (the price of electricity huh!?!) but wouldn't want to do hides commercially like this - it's pretty time consuming - but not that difficult - give it a go!

That’s brilliant I’ve always wanted to give it a go, but time has been the main factor that’s prevented me.

How long did it take you? And across how many days? My issue would be if I couldn’t do it all in a weekend it probably wouldn’t get done

 

[Sunrise Stalker]

Not that long...especially if you use a jet wash for the first stage (I don't have one so used the old school method, but even then was only a couple of hours). Probably best to use a smaller hide for your first one. It took about a week, but a lot of that is just waiting for it to dry and the powder mix to do it's job