GBov
Well-known member
So the hides I soaked in tea - well, sponged the dried hide side with a very very VERY strong solution of black tea so as to not get the fur wet - and then tumbled in the dryer for hours with wooden blocks finally got either done (as in soft enough for my kids to run off with them
) or were tanned but either still very stiff or stiffish and rolled/wrinkled up.
Out of the 10 hides I did, 5 were wonderful and the other 5, not so much.
My brother said as he looked at the toughest old buck hide "You know, if you cut this into shape it would make GREAT insoles for shoes!"
Hmmmmmmmm went my brain!
So I took it and laid it as flat as poss on the table and covered it with a damp towel thinking if I got it a bit damp I could flatten it out nicely for cutting.
VERY INTERESTING THING HAPPENED!!!
Once it was pliable again, I worked it gently to get the flatness I wanted and lo and behold, it was like breaking a hide but only really easy. As it dried I didn't pull it like a fresh one but rolled and twisted it, like wringing out a rag, and sometimes ran it across the back of a chair to aid the flatness thing.
As it was a very old, tough buck hide it didn't turn into a fryer hide by any means but it DID turn into a very nice, albeit stiff, tanned and broken hide.
Have sent it off to my bro so he can try it as insoles for me. I only wear sandals so not much use for me to try it out that way.
The remaining for hides that were too stiff or rolled up in the dryer and have set in wrinkles I have been damping down, one at a time (using my cooled tea bags from my two morning cups of tea, they have just enough moisture in them plus some extra tannins for the hide) till they are just damp enough to work and doing the same thing, roll, twist, flatten, roll in other direction, twist, flatten. But nothing much, long breaks between sessions because I can always dampen it down again if I want.
At one stage, when its feeling more done than less, I rub hand cream on my hands and rub that into the hide. A few more twistings to work that in and its done.
Someone once mentioned repeat breaking of hides but I couldn't imagine how that would work as I was doing conditioned raw hides then instead of actual tanned ones.
I understand it now and fully see how, with several goes like this, a hide could get totally wet and still dry out just fine.
Oh, and, because no chemicals of any kind have touched the fur side of the hides, the fur is as soft as when it was on the rabbit. Soooooo soft and fluffy.
Am now SIX hides done toward the blanket I am making myself, will be doing the start of the next 10 to go into the dryer and have three still to rebreak. The dryer does the first really hard part and then I can finish up each hide in the evening as I needle felt and watch TV.
Really loving this!
Out of the 10 hides I did, 5 were wonderful and the other 5, not so much.
My brother said as he looked at the toughest old buck hide "You know, if you cut this into shape it would make GREAT insoles for shoes!"
Hmmmmmmmm went my brain!
So I took it and laid it as flat as poss on the table and covered it with a damp towel thinking if I got it a bit damp I could flatten it out nicely for cutting.
VERY INTERESTING THING HAPPENED!!!
Once it was pliable again, I worked it gently to get the flatness I wanted and lo and behold, it was like breaking a hide but only really easy. As it dried I didn't pull it like a fresh one but rolled and twisted it, like wringing out a rag, and sometimes ran it across the back of a chair to aid the flatness thing.
As it was a very old, tough buck hide it didn't turn into a fryer hide by any means but it DID turn into a very nice, albeit stiff, tanned and broken hide.
Have sent it off to my bro so he can try it as insoles for me. I only wear sandals so not much use for me to try it out that way.
The remaining for hides that were too stiff or rolled up in the dryer and have set in wrinkles I have been damping down, one at a time (using my cooled tea bags from my two morning cups of tea, they have just enough moisture in them plus some extra tannins for the hide) till they are just damp enough to work and doing the same thing, roll, twist, flatten, roll in other direction, twist, flatten. But nothing much, long breaks between sessions because I can always dampen it down again if I want.
At one stage, when its feeling more done than less, I rub hand cream on my hands and rub that into the hide. A few more twistings to work that in and its done.
Someone once mentioned repeat breaking of hides but I couldn't imagine how that would work as I was doing conditioned raw hides then instead of actual tanned ones.
I understand it now and fully see how, with several goes like this, a hide could get totally wet and still dry out just fine.
Oh, and, because no chemicals of any kind have touched the fur side of the hides, the fur is as soft as when it was on the rabbit. Soooooo soft and fluffy.
Am now SIX hides done toward the blanket I am making myself, will be doing the start of the next 10 to go into the dryer and have three still to rebreak. The dryer does the first really hard part and then I can finish up each hide in the evening as I needle felt and watch TV.
Really loving this!