cow hide

[trail walker]

hey y'all! So i have a question for you. School is almost done and i will have some time to finish that cow hide. I am going to get brave and try to brain tan it. i Figured if it was worth doing it was worth doing right. . so now my question, is there something i can add to the brain solution to make it penetrate deeper? i am planing on using a belt sander to thin the hide. And we figured that if there was something that could help it penetrate deeper we might not have to do 500,000 brain applications. 
thanks,
Trail Walker.

[Hawkdancer]

About 5 tons of elbow grease might work👹👹😂!  I used an 8 lb sledge to massage an elk hide years ago, I think I'm older and wiser now .  Actually, the brain mixture probably should be thinner, like broth, and a lot of applications, soaks, and twisting!  You have your work cut out for you, I'd suggest having a bunch of buddies over and a keg of good beer, maybe even steaks, or at least burgers!  Surely, I jest - about thee steaks and beer anyway, but a zen brain tanning party can be fun!  Getting everybody back again is another challenge😀👹😂.  Let me know how it turns out and I'll send you my cowhide to work, hair is off, and it's been in the freezer for about 25 years waiting for me to do something with it!
Hawkdancer

[tipi stuff]

trail walker, are you tanning it with hair on, or off? Thinning the hide is very important to getting it tanned softly. If the hair is left on, thinning becomes even more important since there is an epidermal layer on the hair side. You won't get any Bain penetration through the epidermis.
      As far as additives, almost all of the old accounts of Native American tanning of bison and cattle mention the use of grease. The grease they are describing is bone marrow grease, which is made by boiling the bones and skimming off small amounts of the grease. You can short cut this tedious process. Just as you can use Knox Gel for hide glue (it is purified hide glue), you can use neetsfoot oil for your bone marrow grease. Do not buy the compound, buy the pure neetsfoot. Use about half a cup, per pound of brains. Do not prop the hide up in the sun with the brain/ grease solution applied, as it will grease burn and fall apart while tanning.   Curtis

[trail walker]

tipi stuff it's hair on. i was thinking to try to tan it on the frame. how thin do i need to get the hide? would a belt sander work good to thin it down?
lol Hawkdancer that sounds a little like my freezer. a hide softening party sounds like a good idea to to me! It would make it so i don't have to swallow all 5 tons of elbow grease by myself.

[tipi stuff]

The hide needs to be really thin if the hair is going to be left on it. I have to confess, I've never tried belt sanding. I use a scraper blade made from a file. It is set in an elk antler handle. A belt sander might work.  Curtis

[Hawkdancer]

While we are talking about brain tanning, am I correct in thinking grease was only used for real heavy hides?  I have one deer hide waiting to be smoked, brains only; and a number of antelope still waiting for me to decide what to do with them, there might be an elk hide lurking in the freezer too👹😂!  I am not sure if I want to do the antelope hair on, I think they have been waiting too long.  They are salted pretty heavily.  What is the best way to set the hair for brain tanning the old way?
Hawkdancer

[tipi stuff]

You can use grease(neetsfoot) on smaller hides too, but much less grease of course. The texture of the hide will be a bit different. My interest is in Plains culture, so I can't speak for other tribes or other cultures, but most all deer and antelope were done with the hair off. They make great shirt material. Deer, elk, etc, have hollow hair that will break off and shed if you use it for much more than than hanging on the wall. It won't take a lot of heavy use. The cow hides were used, with the hair on, for quivers, and sewing bags. With the hair off, they were used much like buffalo hide. As rawhide, they are much stiffer than buffalo, and do not break down as easily. The fibers in cattle are much tighter together.  CC

[trail walker]

in a book i read about the Paiutes  there is a quote by an elder and she said that she did not use grease to tan hides because it stained. she could have been referring  to smaller hides like deer and antelope. I'll have to go read it again and get a direct quote.

[bjrogg]

I'm afraid I don't have a lot of helpful advice for you trailwalker but I'm watching. Good Luck, I'd love to see a nice pair of chaps.
Bjrogg

[trail walker]

i would to. lol.