Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Primitive Skills => Topic started by: Ryano on March 11, 2009, 01:35:01 pm
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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. ::) ;D I have one hide all scraped and ready for the next stage...... :)
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Ryan, I thing egg yokes work also.
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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.
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You just use the yoke? Any more info on the ivory soap? that sounds less messy......
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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This subject would be a perfect how to /tutorial !
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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.
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I use egg yolks.
Hog brains seem to be extra greasy.....barf....
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fabric softener works- add a little or alot to what
you got