#Tanning hides in florida skin#

Mix the brains in only enough water to make a mash that resembles the consistency of runny mashed potatoes.Below you’ll find no less than 9 recipes that use natural ingredients for your home tanning of game hides!Īlways wear rubber gloves while working with these solutions, even if you are using natural products. Some products can be used for snakeskin and alligators while others are meant to be used only for animals with fur.įor all the reasons above, though admittedly an optional step, one of the best ways to preserve your hide is to apply a tanning solution to it, either before or after the process itself. This will produce an Indian-style tan (which is soft and supple, with hides ready to go and be used in projects in just 5-7 days). Most hides allow for a tan hair-on or a tan hair-off. This solution then crosslinks with the fibers, which results in a more rigid and durable product.

#Tanning hides in florida skin#

The chemicals in the solution break down the fibers creating an opening in the skin to allow the solution to penetrate to the core. The solution works differently depending on the type of hide and the product used. There are some types that can even be used on non- fur skins, like alligator, though I don’t have much experience with those.īasically, all you need to know is that a hide tanning solution functions by denaturing the protein structure of the hide, removing all non-essential substances and fats, and then rebuilding the protein into a more durable form. It can be used on all kinds of different animal hides, including those from elk, fox, goats, moose, caribou, raccoon, squirrel, beaver, muskrat, and more. Hide tanning solution comes in different forms, including liquid, powder, or paste, and each form has its unique benefits. The solution is typically composed of chemicals such as acids, oils, and salts that have varying effects on the buckskin leather hides (or whatever you’re working with). It is a crucial ingredient in the tanning process, especially when tanning leather. Hide tanning solution is a mixture of chemicals that help to preserve, soften, and make animal hides more durable. Easy home tanning of all fur skins is possible with these simple methods. However, I realized that you can also make your own, which not only works just as well over the entire hide, but is more cost-effective. This product worked great, but it was expensive. You can also use coarse sandpaper for a higher degree of suppleness. You do have to thin skin with a sharp knife before you get started and then wash the hide in warm water with liquid dish soap to get rid of the old salt and grease.

I used a deer hunter’s & trapper’s hide tanning formula that was meant to work with these animals specifically (more info on this at the end of the post!).

I used to buy a commercial trapper’s hide tanning formula, which was pretty effective at working with cow and deer hide.

There are plenty of other things you can use with your tanned hides, too, like:.

Yes, at the time of publishing, it is only February… but I’m planning ahead! The cow hide I am tanning now will be used to make multiple pairs of moccasins for Christmas presents.