leather question?

[fort fireman]

I didn't hav e any luck getting adeer this year so I didn't get chance to try my hand at brain tanning a hide. I did find some deer hides and tandy that are chrome tanned in a light smoke color. My question is if I got that stuff(considerably cheaper than buying braintanned )could I soften up the hair side and then kinda braintan this stuff. I know its already tanned chemically but if I worked in something after the fact would it take on some of the characteristics of brain tanned leather. What I'm really looking for is the breathability of the braintanned stuff. Also what would be a good way to darken up the smoke color. Its kinda that grayish smoke color. I like a bit darker brownish gray color.

 

[pichou]

I think it is too late for breathability, but many people rough up the hair side and smoke it. Brushing the flesh side with a brass brush gives the right texture too.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Pichou is right, once its chromed, its chromed. As he said, you can rough up the grain side to get a close look but it wont breath. You can smoke it to get it a differnt color, darker if you will, but it wont change the texture.

 

[pichou]

Also, the really fluffy BT is moose, not deer, and breathability would probably be better on a summer hide (or do I have that backwards?)

 

[John Wasmuth]

No sir, you got it right. Winter hides fiber is more "Locked Up", meaning that it is tighter to the body and tighter to cure. Spring and summer hides are a dream to work. Fall and winter hides will make you wish you'da takin up wool work. Summer hides loosen up real well and take smoke easier than fall and winter. Deer hides, especially whittail are thin to begin with and stay flat after brained, worked, and smoked. I believe it has to do with the links in the fibers. Moose, elk, and buffalo tend to be fluffy when finished. Deer hides are lighter and make better garments, Moose, elk, and buffalo make better moccasins.

 

[John Wasmuth]

By the by sir, remember, small fire, BIG SMOKE!
keep the fire cool and use raggidy wood for smokin. Real brittle dry rotten punky wood. Ya dont wanta burn yer hides.

 

[fort fireman]

thanks for the info. How do ya'll that do the brain tanning alot get summer deer hides?

 

[mazo kid]

thanks for the info. How do ya'll that do the brain tanning alot get summer deer hides?

About the only LEGAL way around here would be road kill, or privately raised deer.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Only summer hides I get to brain tan are Sika deer from private ranches,(Sika deer is the smallest member of the elk family and are super when brain tanned) or the occasional free ranging ones that come thru our ranch. Early fall whitetails I get from ranches with MLD3 permits. Their culling season starts same day as archery season here in Texas.