Substitute for brains for making buckskins?

[Ryano]

Is there a suitable substitute for brains for making buckskins? Can I just use vegetable oil or something? I'm afraid my deers brains are long since gone but I still want to tan some hides.     I have one hide all scraped and ready for the next stage......

[Pat B]

Ryan, I thing egg yokes work also.

[madcrow]

Meat broth, bone marrow, ivory soap right off the top of my head.  You could also find a butcher that sells cow brains and give them a try, but you may have to buy a full case because not all butchers carry them, but they will order them.

[Ryano]

You just use the yoke?  Any more info on the ivory soap? that sounds less messy......

[DanaM]

Ryan here's some links that should help, you could ask jamie or billy as I know they both have egg tanned.


http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,4892.0.html

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,9057.0.html

http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,5972.0.html

[Hillbilly]

I've used (whole) eggs, it works ok. I like brains better, though. You can get frozen pig brains in a lot of grocery stores.

[jamie]

hey ryan theres a lot of stuff like they said. ive had no problem with eggs . a dozen eggs in a gallon of warm water (more for a large hide) dip the hide in squeeze the eggs into the hide and ring it over the bucket . do this a few times or more and you'll get the eggs to penetratie into the hide better. and like i said on another post if you get stiiff spots sand them open and rewet

the soap works the same. grind a bar of soap into a gallon of warm water. my only dislike is it makes one slippery hide , tough to handle. smells a hell of a lot better than the others do though. peace

[n2everythg]

eggs work but I dont like the long term look. after a few months the hides I have done in egg turn a different color and tend to dry out. maybe it was just how I did it. I used the whole egg.

like steve said. call up a local meat market or some of the oriental markets. by calling around I found pig brains in 1 lb tub for like 2$.

sometimes I mix the brains with neats foot oil also. you can get that at a tack shop. I have heard some say that neatsfoot is all they use.
luck
wade

[billy]

I greatly prefer brains rather than eggs.  I tried tanning a deer skin with eggs once, and it never softened up.  Don't know why, but it was as though the eggs created a layer in the skin that was impenetrable.  I then tried braining it and  the brains never got into the skin because the eggs created a boundary.  I never got the skin soft.  I used the entire egg, maybe I should have just used the yolks. 

I've heard of others using eggs with good results, but it just didn't work well for me.  I only use brains now.

[Bent Rig]

This subject would be a perfect how to /tutorial  !

[smokeu]

At primitiveways.com the guy there has a good how to on a fox hide. he got some pork brains at the chinese market or mexican market not sure. Worth looking at though.

[Stonedog]

I use egg yolks.

Hog brains seem to be extra greasy.....barf....

[aaron]

fabric softener works- add a little or alot to what
 you got