Hide Tanning and Making Buckskin
Hide tanning and making buckskin is a challenging but beautiful process. Turning your animal skins into a preserved and useable material. Buckskin is often referred to as brain tanning as the brains where traditionally used to make buckskins. We don’t use the brains for a few reasons. However, the process is exactly the same and gives the same results. If your like me maybe you have a deer hide in the freezer that you can’t bring yourself to throw out or you don’t know what to do with it. Making buckskin is the best/only option.
Buckskin is a great breathable durable natural material for any item of clothing that you care to make. Moccasins, mukluks and mitts are the probably the most common but there is no reason you can’t make buckskin skirts, pants or tops. Quivers and bags are also a great option that don’t need to be sized to fit a person.
Bring your own hides or we can provide one for you. We will flesh, dehair, thin, tan, soften and smoke them into an amazing material for all your craft projects. Buckskins is a super soft, supple, breathable material that will outlast any clothing you have. That is except if you make moccasins with them. The soles deteriorate quickly walking on concrete! How about a skirt or waistcoat? Pants or jacket.
The Schedule
The course is spread over 3 days The first two days will be full days and the last day will be shorter with just the hide smoking taking place. We have split it this way as the soaking, rinsing, drying and smoking required by the process is better if it is spread out a bit. When it comes to softening it could take 2 hours if its warm, dry and windy or it could take 6 hours. On the second day please give yourself space and don’t book anything in later you may just need it. This is because the weather can have a very definate impact on the time needed to soften the hide.
We actually don’t use the brains of the animal. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is slowly migrating north and west from Alberta and the USA. We prefer not to utilize the brains as CWD is mostly rooted in the nervous system. Although, it is interesting to note that the animals brain is exactly the right amount to tan the hide. We will go through how to use the brains for the tanning should you wish to do this for future hides.
No prior experience needed. Please bring a set of dirty clothes, apron, coveralls or waterproofs as it will get a little messy to begin with!! If you forget don’t worry. You will get a custom garbage bag apron. I use them all the time!
