Trying to tan a hide

[dashooter]

This is a cape from the weekend on its first salt run (4kgs of salt on it).



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[Camel]

Persistence and a very sharp knife on a fine angle being careful. It will take a while though.


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Ok I'm on the right track then , once all cut off just wash it then use the tanning kit yeah?
Thanks.

Not knowing how well the salt penetrated through the meat into the skin, i would probably run another load of salt over the skin just to be sure (once you have the meaty bits off) then follow whatever process you need to for tanning solution (havent done the tanning bit myself).

This, get the kit, read the instructions and make sure you follow them exactly and you will have no troubles. I would be very tempted to resalt and hang for at least another week.

[220]

See if you can pick up one of the fleshing tools that come in the leder kits (used to be leidreiters) you can tear rabbit skins with them, fox skins if you try hard enough but next to impossible to put a hole in anything thicker.
A proper fleshing knife is the go but if you don't have the skill the fleshing tool is easy to use without doing any damage.

[Keith]

See if you can pick up one of the fleshing tools that come in the leder kits (used to be leidreiters) you can tear rabbit skins with them, fox skins if you try hard enough but next to impossible to put a hole in anything thicker.
A proper fleshing knife is the go but if you don't have the skill the fleshing tool is easy to use without doing any damage.

I bought that kit and it has the tool inside, I just thought it would be for when it was soft and fresh, I'll try it out.

[220]

Use the serrated side and work away from you, much easier if you have a fleshing beam. If you start at the neck and work down the skin you can often get the sinew membrane and any meat coming off in a sheet. If your lucky you can sometimes just pull it off by hand once started.
I actually find it easiest to flesh when any meat left has dried to about moist jerky levels.

[Gadge]

A proper fleshing knife is the go but if you don't have the skill the fleshing tool is easy to use without doing any damage.

Yep, a real tanner's fleshing knife is a proper weapon, right enough! And they require a 'fleshing beam' behind the skin, too.

I have a double-handled one I picked up at a disposals shop years ago. Fearsome looking item - I'll add a pic of it tomoz.

[Keith]

Use the serrated side and work away from you, much easier if you have a fleshing beam. If you start at the neck and work down the skin you can often get the sinew membrane and any meat coming off in a sheet. If your lucky you can sometimes just pull it off by hand once started.
I actually find it easiest to flesh when any meat left has dried to about moist jerky levels.

I managed to get it do pull apart by hand, much easier! Got a small bit left to do tomorrow night. There is this white stringy looking stuff coming off when I run the blade over the skin, is that just like dead skin and does that need to come off too?

[Camel]

Use the serrated side and work away from you, much easier if you have a fleshing beam. If you start at the neck and work down the skin you can often get the sinew membrane and any meat coming off in a sheet. If your lucky you can sometimes just pull it off by hand once started.
I actually find it easiest to flesh when any meat left has dried to about moist jerky levels.

I managed to get it do pull apart by hand, much easier! Got a small bit left to do tomorrow night. There is this white stringy looking stuff coming off when I run the blade over the skin, is that just like dead skin and does that need to come off too?

That white stringy looking stuff is actually called "Selvage" though some call it a sub-cutaneous membrane, same smell, different shit. The main thing I have found to get rid of is any big chunks of meat, and of course as much fat as possible. A little selvage left on the skin wont hurt, as long as it is scored so the tanning chemical can get into the skin and work its magic all will be right, after the skin is tanned, dried and softened a lot of the flaky stuff can be removed with a sanding disc using very coarse grit, about 40 works well.

[barryb]

mmmh, don't like the sound of all this , guess I'll be outa business soon with all these young fellows coming into the game & slightly older tanning gurus sharing their Leidrieters techniques. Suppose it was a dying occupation anyhow.
Good luck with it Keith , sounds like it's going to end up a nice pelt.
Barry

[220]

don't worry about the competition from me, after the work and trouble I had with the Belgium blue steer I did last year Im not sure the effort and hassles are worth the $$$.

Don't envy you, I don't mind doing them when you have control from live animal to tanned hide but there is that much that can go wrong when you only become involved part way through the process and the outcome isn't known until the finished product come out of the solution.

[trevort]

Keith, Barry did the fallow hide you have seen at my place. I recommend picking his brain before you start the next one


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[mick_762]

Keith, Barry did the fallow hide you have seen at my place. I recommend picking his brain before you sending the next one straight to him and avoid the pain


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Fixed it Trev

[Gadge]

Dying trade in Oz is all too correct; Howe Leather have a tannery down at Rosedale, not too far from me, that tans cow hides for the luxury vehicle market. That tannery takes them from raw, through de-hairing and 'wet blue', to the 'crust tanned' stage of processing.

It's recently been reported in the local news that it's going to be closed down shortly, and the raw/preserved hides shipped offshore for processing...

[trevort]

Great bakery in Rosedale. One of the very few places if not only that has a steak and kidney pie on the menu


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[Camel]

Great bakery in Rosedale. One of the very few places if not only that has a steak and kidney pie on the menu


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We get them at times in our bakery, just depends on how the cook is feeling.