Tanning a hide - anyone know how?

beadysam

Hiya
My neighbour is into reinactment (Sealed Knot type stuff) and today he turned up with a couple of fresh deer skins complete with bits of tail flesh etc. He asked if we knew how to tan it and I offered to have a go! :eek: The skins were free from a cull on a country estate in Hampshire so even if I wreck them its not too much of a problem. Its something I'd like to have a go at and I know there are various chemicals involved but I'm not sure what or where to get them. Can anyone with experience of this process help at all?
Thanks :xmassign:
SAM xx

Quasar

Dear o dear.

All I know is that you will require tannin, which is abundant in acorns. How it is extracted and how it is used and/or what else you need to have, beats me.

apprentice_tycoon

I bet that someone on hugh fearnley-whittingstall's river cottage website will know

russ_c

i seem to recall seeing a program a while back about tanning leather i think it involved dog poo.... but im sure theres a more modern alternative...hopefully

stellagypsy

I saw that tv prog too - I think it was one of Tony Robinson's "worst jobs in history" series.

I know it involves the use of copious amounts of - ahem - urea (ie wee), as (many years ago, in another life) OH used to sell the chemically concocted version of this to fellmongers and tanners. I think that is as modern as the tanning process gets as he used to reek of something indescribable when he came home from visiting those factories.

Sounds a real pain to me - can you cheat?!?!?!?

Stella

critical1

yep Urine is the one, the acid in it cures the leather.... but you have to soak it for days or just get the Uric Acid from a good chemist?

Newbird

Why not ask for a book in your local library. One of the smallholding type books should have details. I know there are details in some goat keeping books, but I can't remember which one!

You will need to wash the skin, then saltpetre and alum amongst other things are what you need. You may need to peg it out on a board to work on. It's a stage by stage job, takes a while, but in the end you should have a useful skin to make clothes with or rugs etc.

bugs

Hi Beadysam :santa2:

I wouldn't normally just post a link to a whole thread, but there's so much information on this one (including a guide from another re-enactor, and the experiences of someone's first attempt at tanning a deer hide) that I think its usefulness justifies any risk of being told I'm "pimping" our site (it does happen although I'm glad to say, not here :grouphug: )

http://forum.downsizer.net/viewtopic.php?t=3498

Hope this helps :snow_grin

Ooh what marvellous Christmassy emoticons! A little editing before submitting.. :snow_laug

Bugs :rudolf:

beadysam

Thanks everyone!
I had an idea about the wee - that doesn't bother me too much but I don't fancy messing with dog pooh! That would really make me heave! _pale_ I'll have a look at the river cottage site, and see what they say there. I am also a member of downsizer. net but had forgotten so I will go and read the suggested thread. Its a good site and I should have thought of it really. The library is useless - I've looked for allsorts of self-sufficiency type books before and they never have anything like that - but I'll pop in today.
Thanks
SAM xx