Any one ever brain tanned? I have QUESTIONS!!!

Advertise with us
shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Rabbit Talk Forum

Help Support Rabbit Talk Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
G

GBov

Well-known member
Joined
May 25, 2012
Messages
2,616
Reaction score
63
Location
Cumbria, UK
RIGHT!

Have been reading up on brain tanning and, I have to say, it all sounds exact until you look really close and then every site is not only different but sometimes contradict each other. :roll:

So, do you cook the brains or just warm them up before blending them?

Why do you REALLY NOT WANT the brain solution to touch the fur side?

When using a salted hide, how much soaking and rinsing does it need and why does it need much anyway, does the salt interfere with the brains?

And they all say WRING OUT THE HIDE!!! But I keep reading that wringing out a hide will make the fur slip. Who is right, wring it or never wring it?

I think that is about enough to start with :lol:

Four rabbits are off to freezer camp today so I will have four brains and I have one salted, almost prime, rabbit hide all dry and ready to experiment with.
 
GBov":1pqbeqo5 said:
RIGHT!

Have been reading up on brain tanning and, I have to say, it all sounds exact until you look really close and then every site is not only different but sometimes contradict each other. :roll:

So, do you cook the brains or just warm them up before blending them?

Erm...don't know

Why do you REALLY NOT WANT the brain solution to touch the fur side?

Erm...don't know

When using a salted hide, how much soaking and rinsing does it need and why does it need much anyway, does the salt interfere with the brains?

Erm...don't know

And they all say WRING OUT THE HIDE!!! But I keep reading that wringing out a hide will make the fur slip. Who is right, wring it or never wring it?

This one I'll say never wring it but not because of fur slippage. Don't wring it because rabbit skin isn't thick so if you wring it you risk taking the chance of tearing the pelt.

I think that is about enough to start with :lol:

Four rabbits are off to freezer camp today so I will have four brains and I have one salted, almost prime, rabbit hide all dry and ready to experiment with.
Click to expand...
 
Only did three rabbits but have scooped their brains out and scrapped the hides clean.

Dont know what to do next :lol:
 
This one seems pretty good too.............

http://www.braintan.com/articles/furs/miller1.html

__________ Mon Mar 04, 2013 5:17 pm __________

I cant tell if I have to dry my hides now or not, I am soooooo confused!

Have fleshed my three hides and scooped out the three brains.

I guess I can just try with them as they came off the animal?

Shall have a try and see.<br /><br />__________ Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:43 pm __________<br /><br />I rolled them into a dry towel and then walked along it for about four or five goes.

Hides are now damp but not wet.

Have cooked my brains - yeh, that sounds odd :lol: - and blended them in their cooking liquid and am waiting for it to cool down to warm.

Then, from my reading of MANY sites I paint lots of the emulsion onto the hides, roll them up and set them in the fridge overnight.

Shall see how it goes.
 
would love to hear how it goes!
curious if you used your normal blender for the job?
 
Amy":1zmqf1ok said:
would love to hear how it goes!
curious if you used your normal blender for the job?
Click to expand...

I used my little hand blender stick thingy.

It gets used for LOTS of odd jobs :lol:

The hides were nicely cool and not wet so I painted them with the now cooled brain water but then I remembered somewhere saying that beaver pelts could be SOAKED in the emulsion so I just put all three pelts into the brain stuff and squished them lots and lots and they soaked up all the juice.

Then I laid them flat on the towel and rolled them up and popped them into the fridge.

Shall leave them in for two days and then see about stretching and breaking one of them.

So far all they have cost is time and a bit of hand effort.
 
I have a book around here somewhere on buckskinning. I think there was talk in it about using brains :zombiebun: but at the end the hides had to be smoked. I'm trying to remember, and I thnk the only reason to smoke them was to make them supple, even if they got wet and then were dried. I suppose I should dig that book up!
 
You are going to share the results I hope because if I don't have to buy anything to tan my pelts I'll be a very happy camper. Of course if this works it's going to give my dogs fits when they aren't allowed to eat the tasty stuff on the couch. Poor pooches, not!
 
3mina":2adj88mr said:
You are going to share the results I hope because if I don't have to buy anything to tan my pelts I'll be a very happy camper. Of course if this works it's going to give my dogs fits when they aren't allowed to eat the tasty stuff on the couch. Poor pooches, not!
Click to expand...

Success or epic fail, y'all will know about it :lol:

Most of the sites say keep the hide warm - surely that would help bacteria along? - but a few others say keep it cold.

So shall take one out and let it warm up and then work it tonight after the kids go to bed. Its cold and dry today so we shall see how it goes.
 
Ok, the book I have is 'Buckskin the ancient art of braintanning' by Steven Edholm and Tamara Wilder. There is a section on braintanning with the hair on.
As far as the brains themselves, you can use a blender on them, and cook them if you are worried about pathogens, but they will work raw. You want to use hot brains, but not hotter than you can keep your hand in. The length of time the solution is left on the hide varies from 20 minutes to overnight. (This is all for heavier hides, I don't know if rabbit pelts are suitable due to their thinness)
 
I have been working one of the hides today off and on and have just tossed it into the drier on air dry to help it dry a bit more before stuffing it into my pocket to work on in snatches as I go.

My hands LOVE brain oil, they are so soft and smooth :shock: :lol:

And they smell like dinner :D
 
GBov":1xjxcrwk said:
My hands LOVE brain oil, they are so soft and smooth :shock: :lol:

And they smell like dinner :D
Click to expand...

Ewwwww! :sick: :lol:

We have a new market! :p "BunnyBrain Balm"!!! :zombiebun:
 
GBov":1xd5ajr5 said:
RIGHT!

Have been reading up on brain tanning and, I have to say, it all sounds exact until you look really close and then every site is not only different but sometimes contradict each other. :roll:

So, do you cook the brains or just warm them up before blending them?
you can do raw OR cooked OR some people let them ferment a bit even. i've not heard of any differences except some people said the fermented brains got super soft hides in the end.

Why do you REALLY NOT WANT the brain solution to touch the fur side?
the brain is what is going to get your hide from rawhide to leather. if it dries hard with no brains or working then its rawhide. when you brain it and work it the brain parts (fatty) work into the fibers of the hide and keep them from cementing together like rawhide would do. you want to brain the flesh side and it will work its own way where needed to the fur side *within the hide*... you dont want brain bits in your fur.

When using a salted hide, how much soaking and rinsing does it need and why does it need much anyway, does the salt interfere with the brains?
until its soft and looks like it was before ya salted it. you salt it as a way of preserving it. you can salt or freeze. personally i freeze all mine.
i do not think there is any interference in salt and braining. i'm sure there would be subtle differences to a pro of which was salted or was froze or differnt methods along the way.

And they all say WRING OUT THE HIDE!!! But I keep reading that wringing out a hide will make the fur slip. Who is right, wring it or never wring it?
you wring hides that dont have fur. if it has fur and you want to keep the fur then you dont wring it.
this link is for a fox fur but i think it might help you some with your questions: http://www.braintan.com/articles/furs/george1.html

I think that is about enough to start with :lol:

Four rabbits are off to freezer camp today so I will have four brains and I have one salted, almost prime, rabbit hide all dry and ready to experiment with.
Click to expand...

braintan.com is always cool to look around. i got the book and video of the guy who runs the site. get it from the library every now and then, not own it. i about have it all memorized but dont have it worked out actual hands on yet. ...yet... :mrgreen:<br /><br />__________ Tue Mar 05, 2013 2:39 pm __________<br /><br />
starshotbandit":1xd5ajr5 said:
If you smoke it, it smell even better, and it will stay soft even after you get it wet.
Click to expand...

yup. smoking it makes it more waterproof. keeps it from turning back to rawhide and needing reworked if it gets wet.

use different punk and get different smells and colors/shades.
 
How does one know when to stop working a hide?

One spot crinkles so I dont think it got enough brain oils but the rest seems nicely flexable. In fact, htat is why I am not sure its done, are done hides flexable from side to side or just soft to the touch?

And perhaps spring hides from rabbits shedding are NOT the best hides to try *fooooof* lots of fur flying round here :lol:
 
GBov":1m46f9hx said:
How does one know when to stop working a hide?

One spot crinkles so I dont think it got enough brain oils but the rest seems nicely flexable. In fact, htat is why I am not sure its done, are done hides flexable from side to side or just soft to the touch?

And perhaps spring hides from rabbits shedding are NOT the best hides to try *fooooof* lots of fur flying round here :lol:
Click to expand...

:lol: ya perhaps not.

if you saw the video from braintan.com that makes it alot easier. i'm a visual learner with most everything. and he goes through everything very simple and straight forward and makes sense.

a crinkly spot might be where the brains werent worked in all the way. or where the fleshy part is still there or was there long enough to keep the brains from penetrating thoroughly.

seems its done when it looks like worked leather and not rawhide really. there should be a color change as well from raw to worked. unworked parts will be slightly different shade. again, easier to see and understand then to read about and understand.

also if you smoke the hide, the parts that arent worked wont take the smoke. so will leave spots.
 
ohiogoatgirl":3ida1y3o said:
GBov":3ida1y3o said:
How does one know when to stop working a hide?

One spot crinkles so I dont think it got enough brain oils but the rest seems nicely flexable. In fact, htat is why I am not sure its done, are done hides flexable from side to side or just soft to the touch?

And perhaps spring hides from rabbits shedding are NOT the best hides to try *fooooof* lots of fur flying round here :lol:
Click to expand...

:lol: ya perhaps not.

if you saw the video from braintan.com that makes it alot easier. i'm a visual learner with most everything. and he goes through everything very simple and straight forward and makes sense.

a crinkly spot might be where the brains werent worked in all the way. or where the fleshy part is still there or was there long enough to keep the brains from penetrating thoroughly.

seems its done when it looks like worked leather and not rawhide really. there should be a color change as well from raw to worked. unworked parts will be slightly different shade. again, easier to see and understand then to read about and understand.

also if you smoke the hide, the parts that arent worked wont take the smoke. so will leave spots.
Click to expand...

Do you have a link to the video? I can find the site alright but not a video.

The hide LOOKS like worked hide but I am still working it just to be sure.

__________ Tue Mar 05, 2013 6:14 pm __________

Never use four sticks of fat lighter to light your small fire, it smells like a creosote factory out there :roll:

Once the fire burns down to coals and I put some cherry on I will smoke the hide.

It rustles and crinkles but its pretty good. I think more brains were needed so no, one rabbit does NOT have enough to preserve its own skin.

Or, in the case of the doe I just held onto her nest, enough brains to make a nest all the babies can reach the mammafood from :roll:

No pictures of what I have done with the hide though, the camera battery decided to give up the ghost.

Figures :x

__________ Tue Mar 05, 2013 6:37 pm __________

Hide is now smoking!

I put a bit of wire fencing on the wood grill, put apple wood chips on the coals, put the hide on hte wire over the chimney and covered the entire thing with a towel to keep the smoke off the fur.

Just 30 min to go and we shall see how it looks.<br /><br />__________ Tue Mar 05, 2013 7:39 pm __________<br /><br />It is a lovely blond color underneath and soft and fluffy above. It even has one quarter that is as soft and I thought all of it should be. All of it feels like suede and looks like proper hide but its just a bit stiffish.

Never mind, I shall freeze the ones in the fridge and wait until I start my new job in two weeks. Its at a pasture raised cattle company so brains, or lack of them, will no longer be a problem :cool:

My kids are dead impressed though, my daughter is already making moves to get possession of it :lol:
 
that sounds awesome :)

by video i meant the movie he made. there is a movie and book. you can get the movie in DVD or VHS and book comes in hard and soft cover i believe. my local library is TINY and i got it ordered in, you might try that.
i'll see if i can find a video somewhere of braintanning. i've not found many unfortunately.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top