Crazy Crow German tan skins

[sarcasmn]

Crazy crow states the German tan skins are "commercial brain tan". Does anyone have experience with these skins and are they breathable like brain tan? Are they good for making pants or a shirt out of?

 

[Stophel]

The German tanned skins are oil tanned, and as I understand it, are the closest thing you will find to the way that the vast majority of deer hides were tanned in the 18th century (not brain-tanned). The look and feel of them is very similar to brain tanned. I'm not sure I could even tell the difference, myself. I have a couple of hides, and they are so soft and supple and ooh, they're just nice to feel! :haha:

 

[rusty]

I have read that they are tanned using fish oil,in Germany..could also be very mistaken..

 

[LaBonte]

Crazy crow states the German tan skins are "commercial brain tan". Does anyone have experience with these skins and are they breathable like brain tan? Are they good for making pants or a shirt out of?

I've used a bunch of it over the years as an alternative to brain tan and if brain tan is 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, the German tan is 9.5 on the scale. The only downside is the leather is a bit heavier than typical deer hide both in thickness (more like elk) and actual weight due to the added oil.
FWIW - German Tan comes smoked or un-smoked as well

 

[Oudoceus]

I would also like to know if it "breaths" like braintan.

 

[Stophel]

It's very "breathable". :wink: Nothing at all like the slick, rubbery screaming yellow chrome tanned deerhide.

Eventually, I'll get around to using mine to make myself a pair of breeches. Eventually. :haha:

 

[Rickey Brown]

is the yellow buckskin from Crazy Crow chrome tanned

 

[Stophel]

Buckskin is almost always chrome tanned. Unless it is specifically described otherwise (like German/oil tanned, brain tanned, or bark tanned), it is chrome tanned.

There apparently is some chrome tanned imitation brain tanned stuff. I somehow managed to get ahold of a couple of hides like this from Tandy (though not advertized that way) about ten years ago. They were screaming yellow, but they were soft, and "fuzzy" on the outside surface, as opposed to the normal shiny, rubbery surface of chrome tanned. It was really neat stuff. Haven't seen any like that since.