smoked deer hide w/ tipi

[brownhillboy]

The family and I sat outside this evening and tried to smoke my 1st attempt at a deer hide.  I egg tanned it and then smoked it to try to soften it up a bit.  The smoke definitely made the flesh side look better and made it smell better, but I'm not sure that it helped it at all with being softer.  I'm sure I didn't work it enough to make it really supple.  If I continue to work it over or around something, will it get softer, or do I need to do something else first?  Here's some pics too.  We started the fire first, and then found a tarp to wrap around the tipi, so it would channel the smoke better.  It was fun anyway!

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[mullet]

 That looks like a fire , not a smokin' fire.

[brownhillboy]

We just had put a little more on in that pic.  The flame was gone for most of the time and was smoking a lot.  The smoke doesn't show up in the pics.

[mullet]

  Okay,,,You should be using green or wet wood or Oak leaves. No flames, look's like you are slow cooking it.

[brownhillboy]

We did use wet wood and leaves, but only after getting it going with some dry wood.  How do you burn wet wood and leaves without fire?

[El Destructo]

You get a nice Bed of Coals going....then you put either wet Wood...or Punky Rotten Wood and wet Leaves on the Coals....and just let them Smolder....making Lots of Smoke....not any heat.....you should be able to put your Hand in the Smoke right above it....and not get Burned....you put Heat to the Hide....and you are making Doggy Chews out of it

[billy]

hey brownhillboy,

I've tanned many deer skins.  First off, brain or egg tanning deer skins with the hair on can be done, but it increases the amount of work you have to do at least 4-fold.  The grain (epidermis) of the skin is usually removed in the tanning process.  If you don't remove it, it tends to form a stiff crust that will lock up, prevent the underlying fibers from stretching and resulting in stiff, rawhide-like skin.  I've never tried tanning a deerskin with the hair on, what I'm relaying is just what I've read. 

And yes, you need to pull, stretch, and work that skin until it's totally dry.  I've softened deerskins that have taken 8 hours till they were dry.  I softened an elk skin that took 9 hours.  It's the most physical and testing part of the entire tanning process, but that is what makes them buttery soft.   

I use the wet-scrape method that I read in  Deerskins into Buckskins by MAtt Richards.  It's a great book and results in excellent quality buckskin.  If your skin isn't soft to your satisfaction you can re-brain (or re-egg it), and then stretched till dry, but usually it must be done several times.     

[JackCrafty]

I don't think smoking a hide makes it softer.  I've heard that it makes the hide soak up the brain (or egg) better (after it has been smoked).

I know for sure that smoking will keep the bugs off it, though

[ricktrojanowski]

I don't know anything about smoking hides so I can't comment on that.  But that looks like a nice way to spend some time with the family.

[El Destructo]

             Oh....I don't know about the Smoking not making the Hide Softer.....Look what it does to Peoples Brains!!!!!!!

                                                      Seems to do a Good Job Tenderizing Them!!!

                                                              Not that I even Smoked any Rope

                                                                         Just Read About It
                                                     
                                                                                     

[DanaM]

I don't think smoking a hide makes it softer, you have to break the hide first and get it nice and soft. My understanding is
the smoke makes the hide breath and if it gets wet it will dry soft again, rather than reverting to rawhide. As for material to smoke with
from what I've read punky cottonwood is one of the best materials to use. And absoulutely no heat on da hide, cold smoke only.

[brownhillboy]

Thanks guys.  I don't think I put much heat on it with it being as high as it was, but I understand that I didn't do it exactly right either.  My wife kept complaining that the fire wasn't warm enough!  So, if I want to bother making it softer, I'll need to re-egg it and work it again.

[madcrow]

We must have been on the same wavelength because here is one I did last night.  I made the tipi with 7 foot pieces of EMT over a Weber charcoal grill.  My wife was complaining too, but it was because she wanted burgers on the grill.  Due to some shoulder problems, I cannot stake the hide or use a cable like normal, so I after the last braining, I wrung the hide out and stretched it.  The draped it around the top of the tipi to catch the smoke.  About every 10 minutes, I would take it off and stretch the heck out of it and put it back on.  I did that until it would not stretch anymore.  I should have left it on longer so the color would bleed through to the skin side, but they were all hungry.  Fairly soft except for the across the shoulders, but I can work with that.

[Hillbilly]

Yeah, the smoke just keeps it from stiffening up if you get it wet. Punky wood over coals is the way to go-you don't want heat getting to the hide, just smoke. I like to put some coals in a metal bucket, and add a thick layer of punky wood over them. Sew or glue the edges of the hide together to make it into a sack, and fasten a skirt made from a bluejean leg to the bottom of it. Then put the skirt over the bucket top so all the smoke goes into the hide. You have to watch it like a hawk to keep it from flaring up. Flames=ruined hide.

[Shadow Walker]

I have done a fair number of  braintanned hides. I have done hair on tanning as well on a black bear and some coyote.
You have to tan ( or "break") the hide first.When you smoke the hide, the pitch from the smoke permeates the hide and prevents it from going stiff when it gets wet. When the natives replaced the tops on their tipis, the hide that was replaced made the best garment hide because of the prolonged exposure to the smoke.
Smoking with punky wood gives a golden tan colour. If you want a deeper brown color, you can smoke the hide with pine cones.
Either way, the longer you smoke he hide, the deeper the color becomes.