Hide preserver needed

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Khaehaub
Dúnadan
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2013 2:37 am
Location: Lewistown, Pa

Hide preserver needed

Post by Khaehaub »

I shot a buck and I wanted to know if anyone could preserver the hide for me. I only need the white belly fur done because I want to implement the fur into the ranger suit that I'm planning on making after Christmas. Also it would be nice for some tips for the next time if I plan on doing this again. I will pay for the services.
May the best dwarf win... That still only counts as one!
~Gimli
Straelbora
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Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:00 pm
Location: Indianapolis, IN USA

Re: Hide preserver needed

Post by Straelbora »

Khaehaub wrote:I shot a buck and I wanted to know if anyone could preserver the hide for me. I only need the white belly fur done because I want to implement the fur into the ranger suit that I'm planning on making after Christmas. Also it would be nice for some tips for the next time if I plan on doing this again. I will pay for the services.
When you say 'preserve,' do you mean 'tan?' It's not that hard to tan a deer hide (if you want super supple leather from it, that's another story). Either way, first thing you want to do is to remove as much of the fat and other tissue from the inside of the skin. Then spread it out and coat it in non-iodized salt. Let this layer soak up some of the liquid, scrape it off and dispose of it, then put a clean layer down and carefully roll up the hide (trying not to spill out the salt) and keep it someplace cool and dry. That way, they'll at least be preserved until you can figure out what to do with them. I have some in my shed right now, so between the sub-freezing temps and the salt, they'll wait until I have time to tan them in the spring.

You can go online or to a local craft store or Tandy leather and buy some stuff to tan the leather. There are ways to use the brains (or buy, say, pig brains from a butcher) to tan the hide, but I haven't had much success with it. I tried brain tanning and it was a mess (my roommate wasn't happy; I doubt my wife would tolerate it if I tried again these days).

There's another issue, since you've got a deer hide. Deer hair is hollow and breaks off easily. If you're planning on using the white belly portion of the hide to incorporate into ranger clothing, keep in mind that it will eventually shed much if not most of the hair through use. I've tanned both hair on and shaved deer hides. The leather I tanned from the shaved hides turned out pretty stiff and even after working it over a piece of wood for a long time, it bends, but isn't buttery smooth like the chemically treated deer hide you can buy at places like Tandy Leather. The hair on hides I've tanned are just used as rugs for period tent camping, since the hair breaks off and kind of gets all over. I guess once they get kind of mangy-looking, I might repurpose the leather.


I'm sure there are others on the forum with more experience; I just wanted to share with you from mine.
Vápnum sínum skala maðr velli á
feti ganga framar því at óvist er at vita
nær verðr á vegum úti geirs um þörf guma
Hávamál
Khaehaub
Dúnadan
Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2013 2:37 am
Location: Lewistown, Pa

Re: Hide preserver needed

Post by Khaehaub »

Thanks for the advice Straelbora. :mrgreen:
May the best dwarf win... That still only counts as one!
~Gimli
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Udwin
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Re: Hide preserver needed

Post by Udwin »

Yes, what he said^. Hair-on deer is far from ideal for clothing as it breaks and goes EVERYWHERE. If you want soft fur for an outfit, you're better off looking for, I dunno, coyote, weasel, stoat, something like that? Cat? But then again, fur is murder (unless it's roadkill!) and all that.
On the other hand, a properly dressed and processed deerhide can be made into wonderfully soft buckskin (think chamois) which is an excellent period-appropriate material for rangering. However, the process is a little daunting at first, especially for the uninitiated. Check out Matt Richards' Deerskins Into Buckskins (isbn 0965867242). Personally, I use the brain-tan method, except with raw eggs instead of brains; it produces buckskin of equal caliber as brains, but without the horrendous stink and brain diseases, &c.
Personae: Aistan son of Ansteig, common Beorning of Wilderland; Tungo Brandybuck, Eastfarthing Bounder, 3018 TA; a native Man of the Greyflood, c.850 SA
Khaehaub
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Posts: 77
Joined: Tue Oct 15, 2013 2:37 am
Location: Lewistown, Pa

Re: Hide preserver needed

Post by Khaehaub »

Thanks Udwin. My idea was to use fur of my first buck and implement it into my ranger gear. Thanks also for giving me other suggestions for animal furs.
May the best dwarf win... That still only counts as one!
~Gimli
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Ringulf
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Re: Hide preserver needed

Post by Ringulf »

I have not been on a deer hunt since childhood, it never exited me.
After my first bow hunt for bear I never thought I would hunt again as bringing down a big black in Maine was an experience for me very near to shooting my own brother.
I have been a naturalist and nature artist the majority of my life, as well as a bird watcher.
When a friend of mine who was a duck hunter found out I had the interest he invited me to try my hand at duck hunting. My ability in the wild and in identification served me quite well and the fact that I had shot skeet and trap, carved decoys, built duck boats and trained dogs didn't hurt either.
So, to make a long story short, I became a hunter again.
That has now extended to turkey and pig as well as gator and some bowfishing. I have not gotten back to deer, but I am seriously considering it as long as I can apply the same philosophy: no waste, wise management, and a thankfull heart.
If you shoot it thank whatever powers that you see fit and recognize the sacrifice, then honor it by utilizing every bit that you can. That has been the difference now for me.
I am finally back in a position to be able to do that with the type of crafting I do. To me the subsistance thing and the method of the hunt is enough sport. the greatest trophy is the experience and what can be learned.

I will get of my hunter soap box now, but I only felt I could comfortably share my heart about this subject with you folks because of the feeling of respect and sincerity that has always been exibited on this site and the tolorant openmindedness that this has fostered as a result here.

Scott/Ringulf
I am Ringulf the Dwarven Woodsman, I craft leather, wood, metal, and clay,
I throw axes, seaxes, and pointy sticks, And I fire my bow through the day.
Come be my ally, lift up your mead! We'll search out our foes and the Eagles we'll feed! :mrgreen:
Straelbora
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Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:00 pm
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Re: Hide preserver needed

Post by Straelbora »

Ringulf wrote:I have not been on a deer hunt since childhood, it never exited me.
After my first bow hunt for bear I never thought I would hunt again as bringing down a big black in Maine was an experience for me very near to shooting my own brother.
I have been a naturalist and nature artist the majority of my life, as well as a bird watcher.
When a friend of mine who was a duck hunter found out I had the interest he invited me to try my hand at duck hunting. My ability in the wild and in identification served me quite well and the fact that I had shot skeet and trap, carved decoys, built duck boats and trained dogs didn't hurt either.
So, to make a long story short, I became a hunter again.
That has now extended to turkey and pig as well as gator and some bowfishing. I have not gotten back to deer, but I am seriously considering it as long as I can apply the same philosophy: no waste, wise management, and a thankfull heart.
If you shoot it thank whatever powers that you see fit and recognize the sacrifice, then honor it by utilizing every bit that you can. That has been the difference now for me.
I am finally back in a position to be able to do that with the type of crafting I do. To me the subsistance thing and the method of the hunt is enough sport. the greatest trophy is the experience and what can be learned.

I will get of my hunter soap box now, but I only felt I could comfortably share my heart about this subject with you folks because of the feeling of respect and sincerity that has always been exibited on this site and the tolorant openmindedness that this has fostered as a result here.

Scott/Ringulf
I was on a Yahoo Tolkien fan list and a few years ago, one of the guys who lived in Minnesota mentioned that he was going to be gone deer hunting and a contingent of the English fans reacted with horror at his plans to "murder innocent deer" (their word choice). The ensuing firestorm nearly tore the group apart. It's interesting to me that when most Americans lived in small towns or in rural environments, hunting was as expected from men as a normal part of manhood. I think as people move away from living near nature, they become estranged from the cycles of life and death. I read a book by a woman who had been a very vocal vegan who moved to the country and tried to live completely by subsistence organic farming. She eventually transitioned into a person who also raised chickens and hunted. It's nice that you were able to reconcile hunting to your spirituality in a way that allows you to have returned to it.
Vápnum sínum skala maðr velli á
feti ganga framar því at óvist er at vita
nær verðr á vegum úti geirs um þörf guma
Hávamál
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