My Hair is falling out!

[Zonie]

Well, aside from the hair on my head which is getting thinner the real subject of my post concerns my possibles bag.

A few years ago, I bought a possibles bag that someone had made from a deer skin.
I think it's a really neat bag except for one thing. The hair is falling out.

As no post is complete without a picture here's the bag along with a shirt I bought at the same time.

Is there some oil or product that I can apply to the hair/skin that will keep the hair from falling out? If there is, how do I apply it?

 

[rabjr]

Besides Rogaine I don't know. How long have you had it? You know if it was home tanned or commercial tanned?

 

[Nifeman]

Zonie, it just adds character. Makes it look like one of them old timey ones...Bud

 

[LRB]

Yep, I agree. I like it that way.

 

[FishDFly]

Zonie,

No idea, but I would like a closer picture of your ball block/combination short starter. It has more interest than a balding bag.

Sorry, I do not think Rogain is going to help.

RDE

 

[RickD]

If I remember right deer hair is hollow and breaks off after a while

 

[rabjr]

Yeah thats the problem once it starts to slip I've never found anything to stop it. Only thing I can think of Zonie is possibly laminating another thin layer of deer skin to the inside with Barge. This would mean carefully taking apart the bag and gluing the pieces together, then restiching the bag together. That may soak in enough to bond the hair to the hide. :idunno:

 

[necchi]

got a hide from a guy some time back and the same thing,,
I asked a taxidermist,,he just shook his head, said it has to do with the tanning process done wrong,,
He advised I soak it and scrape the last of the hairs off. :idunno: He said once it starts there's no stoppin it.

 

[Zonie]

"He said once it starts there's no stoppin it. "
------

Kinda like the hair on my head.

Thanks to all of you.

 

[widget350]

What do you call a row of rabbits hopping backwards?

A receding hare line.

It looks good in spite of the hair loss. I don't think there's really much you could do to fix it, but if it's going to continue coming out, perhaps you could coat it with something to retain the remaining hair, and sew patches over the areas of hair loss, so the edge is protected against progressing further.

 

[Swampman]

My understanding is that it only slips on winter killed hides. They killed them in the summer in the old days. We rarely have that option.

 

[Zonie]

Here's a better photo of the bullet starter.

It was made from a deer horn. The short starter was carved as an integral part of the horn and it has two brass rings around it. They look like they were perhaps cut from a rifle cartridge.

Unfortunately, I can't give any other photos of this because while walking thru the desert it fell out of the little beaded pocket that is on the possibles bag strap.
After I realized it was gone I backtracked but no deal. The ants have probably reduced it to powder by now.

 

[rabjr]

My understanding is that it only slips on winter killed hides. They killed them in the summer in the old days. We rarely have that option.

I find that hard to believe. I have mounted deer heads going back to 86' showing no sign of slipage. My Uncle had a late season bow kill (Dec) professionally tanned with hair because it was a Piebald and he uses it in his Bow courses he does for years now, no hair coming off it.

 

[boar]

Had a coon hide one time and the hair wasn't set good and the fur buyer told us to put Borax on it and it set the hair tight. This hide was killed in the fall season. Not tanned. A raw hide. We put it on the flesh side. Dilly

 

[deanscamaro]

I've heard loss of hair is a virility problem......you or the skin??????
:rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

 

[gmarc]

Most times when the hair slips, its because the hide was only salted, with no alum added. That combination keeps the hair from slipping

I'm assuming that the hair is coming out at the skin, vs. breaking off

Grant

 

[wildeagle]

Zonie, Grant may have hit on something. Try an alum solution, it will cause the skin to shrink around the hair, locking it in place, if it is the case of the hair slipping and not breaking ( deer hair is hollow and breaks quite easily. I had about a dozen alum tanned hides that were used on the floor of my tipi and never had any problem with the hair slipping, but because they were walked on, they did have alot of breakage. When they were stored they did get a little stiff but after laying them on the ground for use they got pliable in no time at all. Just a thought, maybe worth a try :idunno:

 

[omarick1948]

Wildeagle, They became pliable again because they were drawing moisture from the ground.

Rick

 

[wildeagle]

I would not argue that point one bit. Even having them out in humid conditions helped to soften them, walking on them just seemed to hasten the process. It just sticks in my mind that the alum tanning seems to lock the hairs in place. You know how alum seems to make you pucker and shrink up :redface: :rotf:

 

[fatboy]

Necchi is right I had a taxidermist tell me the same thing he wont give refunds on something the tanner screwed up. I dont think there is anything your going to do with it now but you mileage may vary