Wet-Scrape Buckskin Brain-Tanning

Here is a brief description of how to tan animal hides the Indian way, making so called buckskin. I originally wrote this for the Frequently Asked Questions list that I maintain for the Primitive Skills Group (a mailing list where I am active).

There are some good books on the topic:

• Wet-Scrape Brain tanned Buckskin : A Practical Guide to Home Tanning and Use by Steven Edholm and Tamara Wilder. Paleotechnics, 1997, ISBN 0965496546.
  This is a comprehensive book with lots of information. A must if you are serious about this.
• Deerskins into Buckskins by Matt Richards. Backcountry Pub, 1997, ISBN: 096586720X,
  This book is less comprehensive than Edholm-Wilder, but probably more accessible to the beginner.
• Blue Mountain Buckskin by Jim Riggs.
  This booklet is the classic, but describes the dry-scrape method, which I have never used. Worth it for the pictures alone, if nothing else.

I have recently experimented with the lye techniques described by Matt Richards in his book (see above). The hide does take the brains much faster than without, and I recommend everyone to use that method instead. I'll modeify the instructions below as soon as I can spare some of my Copious Free Time.

Equipment:

• a bucket for soaking/braining
• a log for scraping against (6-8" water pipe works fine)
• a scraping tool: imagine a long, _extremely_ dull knife with a handle in each end. There are woodworking tools that look like this and can be dulled.
• a beam for wringing (a smooth 3-4" thick log, attached horizontally)
• a stake: imagine a giant (4-5" diameter) screwdriver sticking out of the ground (carved fencepost?)
• cable: a 1/8-1/4" wire cable, not strictly necessary
• pumice: not necessary, but nice for fixing rough spots
• clamps: when using the water pipe I like to use a couple of spring loaded clamps for holding the hide in place

Procedure

1. If there are large chunks of meat and/or fat on the hide you can tear it off with your hands; no tools needed. This makes most difference if you are going to soak the hide in a bucket; meat and blood can get a bit "off" quickly.
2. Soak the hide in water (some add a fist-full of wood-ashes per hide, some don't) until the hair comes off with a sharp tug. This can take from one to three days, depending.
3. Place the (still wet) hide on the log, and pin it between the top of the log and whatever it is resting against (or clamp it to the pipe) with the neck up, and hair out. The log should be at app. 60 deg. from horizontal, and you either stand next to it or straddle it.
4. Hold the scraper perpendicular to the hide and scrape off the hair. Just press the scraper against the hide and pull towards you. Thin portions (armpits, bum) will tend to tear, as will any holes. Be careful, but accept that this happens sometimes. You will need to reposition the hide from time to time, and reverse it to do the neck. Scrape until you've gotten all the hair off, I tend to get the epidermis off at this time as well, but some need to do a second pass at this later.
5. Turn the hide and scrape away all the membranes from the inside.
6. Wring the hide out on the beam to open the hide up. You first need to roll the hide into a loop on the beam. Twist both ways, and turn the hide over and do the same. Some claim it makes a difference which way you wring first, some fail to understand how this can make a difference.
7. Place in brain-solution. Use enough hot (not scalding, just hot) water mixed with your brains to cover the hide. If using mayonnaise, egg-yolks, etc do the same with them or follow specific recipes.
8. You will need to take the hide out of the brains and wring it every now and then (a few times a day) until the hide is done. It is done when it "bubbles" all over when wringing.
9. Now you need to work the hide until dry. Pull over the stake, pull in all directions between your hands (as if you where trying to tear it apart), and cable occasionally. Don't miss the edges and neck, and keep working it until it is dry and feels warm when you place it against your cheek. Use the pumice for fix spots where you missed epidermis or membrane.
10. You will almost certainly have to cut off some edges that turned out hard. You can now use the hide as "white" or unsmoked buckskin.

11. For smoking you need to sew your hide into a long tube (i.e. like it was on the deer), leaving an opening in the bottom. To avoid tears and self-recriminations also attach a piece of fabric as a skirt to the opening. Prop the tube open here and there with some small, springy sticks. It is possible to sew two hides together: just superimpose them (flesh-side to flesh-side) and sew along the sides and neck.

12. Dig a hole in the ground (20" deep, 15-20" diameter) and get a good fire going inside. What you want is a good, thick bed of charcoal (yes, you can buy some and cheat).
13. Suspend the hide over the pit and place rocks on the skirt to seal it. Put slightly damp rotten punk wood on top of the charcoal. The goal is to get a good, thick smoke inside the hide. Keep watch so that the coals don't flare up, and keep adding more punk as needed (you will need on the order of two grocery bags worth).
14. When the smoke is coming through the hide, and it has turned a nice color on the inside you turn it inside out and smoke the other side. All told this will take from 2-6 hours, depending on a lot of things.
15. Do something nice with your hide. The worst (or best) of the smoky smell will dissipate with time.