Making rawhide to back a bow

[Eric Garza]

So I just fleshed out a pair of fawn hides and intend to make rawhide backing strips out of them. Do people prefer rawhide where the epidermis is scraped off with the hair, leaving only the dermis, or is it better to leave the epidermis on and remove the hair by letting the hide sit in a bucking solution until it slips?

[JonW]

I have used both Eric and I will say I like the scraped hide better. The bucked hide had a different texture to it was the only real difference I could notice. Some sanding of the hair side and there may be no difference.

[Traxx]

I prefer epidermis left on,for backing

[mullet]

I prefer it scraped and then hit with an orbital sander. I like it thin and transparent.

[Dances with squirrels]

I prefer it left on. It's stronger.

[Eric Garza]

Nice range of opinion here. Does leaving the epidermis on make the rawhide backing any more water resistant than when it's scraped off?

[mullet]

I'm not looking for strength as much as protection. If I want strength I'll use sinew. If I was really worried about rawhide and strength I'd use it from a cow or elephant, but why add all of that extra weight.

[Swatch]

I backed a bow with the epidermis left on. I am making some buckskin today, and where I got the epidermis off real good, it is soft and flexible.  On the spots that I didn't get it off, the leather is stiff and strong.  I brained it yesterday and left it in to soak overnight and softened the hide today. I can really see that for making buckskin, getting the epidermis off is very important. Probably for two reasons, first, to get rid of the stiffness and second, to let the brains penetrate better.  My elk hide is next and I am going to work to get the epidermis off real good on that hide.

In my opinion, I think I would leave the epidermis on for backing a bow.

[Traxx]

Swatch,
You are absolutely correct.
For tanning,the Epidermis is scraped off for better penetration of the solution and to create a softer hide.