What is a good method for tanning hides (mostly small game but i would like to work up to deer)?

[Brandon Conn]

hes right if u skin and flesh the animal, u can mash up its brain into almost a liquid/paste and spread an even layer all over it, i have used this to tan shoulder mount capes but u should have enough to do the entire cape. the acidity in the brain is just perfect enough to turn the skin into a leather. let the skin salt for only about a day to dry it a little bit cause its like puting oil( brain) on water and it wont let it soak in.

Deadeyedave08 tell me if I got this right please. I would stretch and deflesh the hide then put the brain paste on then salt it and let it sit for a day or two to dry. Is that right?

[rudyglove27]

Agreed with texasfirst answer above and A + 1 for you sir!!!

[hunterkid94]

get on cabelas website and buy the stuff you need. plus google.it to find out how to use it properly

[deadeyedave08]

hes right if u skin and flesh the animal, u can mash up its brain into almost a liquid/paste and spread an even layer all over it, i have used this to tan shoulder mount capes but u should have enough to do the entire cape. the acidity in the brain is just perfect enough to turn the skin into a leather. let the skin salt for only about a day to dry it a little bit cause its like puting oil( brain) on water and it wont let it soak in.

[Christian Emter]

Buy a tanning kit from Tandy Leather.

[texasfirst]

Alex, the main ingredient is sulphuric acid/water mixture. Be careful handling sulphuric acid, but it is available at your local auto parts store for re-filling auto batteries. Basically, you scrape your hide clean, throw it in clean water and let it soak, then scrape the hair off if that is what you want to do. You use a scraping board or the edge of a post. Then soak it in your mixture of sulphuric acid and cool water, let it soak overnight, take it out and rinse it in cool water and borax. Then scrape on that sucker some more and repeat. When the hide is clean, then you take it out, rinse it again and let it dry. Then scrape it while it's dry and work neatsfoot oil into it and if you have a good, thick buck hide you can use it to make leggings and things out of. A GREAT source is from a little known publisher in San Antonio, and the author calls himself "Little Bear." And if you google "Little Bear's guide for Boys" or something like that, you'll get the exact steps. Good luck

[steve182]

There is a method where you use the brain of the animal to tan the hide, never done it though. Google it. A heavy salt works too, but again i don't know specifics. See Google

[Alex Williams]

What is a good method for tanning hides (mostly small game but i would like to work up to deer)?