Brain tan leather vs rawhide

[Mountain Man1]

Ok gents so here's the deal. I finally got off my kiester and braintanned a hide I've had sitting in the freezer. I have yet to smoke it and was wondering, is it ok to use as is for a grip or will my sweat ruin it? Love the white finish but not sure how it will stand up to use. Second point, I want to make a rawhide string, is the rawhide like state it goes back to once wet ok for that or will it "break" back into leather under all that stress?

[Pat B]

Brain tanned makes a good handle grip at least on the few bows I've used it on.  Can't help with the rawhide string. Never made or used one.

[gutpile]

my thoughts.. if it gets wet it will turn to rawhide if not smoked.,... if you just like the white it will turn after it gets shot enough from dirt and sweat on hand..won't stay nice and white IMO... gut

[TimBo]

Yeah, I don't think there is a way to keep it white since it is in so much contact with your hands.  I would smoke it.  I don't know about using it for string, but my guess would be that true rawhide would be better.  I have a few dried hides that need softening and smoking, and they have a different feel than rawhide (not as hard). 

[PatM]

The process of brain tanning greatly weakens hide from the pure rawhide state.

[Hawkdancer]

You need to smoke the brain tan to "set" the oils and help keep it soft if it gets wet.  Don't know about rawhide strings, but I would guess they were either oiled or waxed, and stretched.  As far as keeping the white, my understanding is you can use chalk along with the brains, or a mild ureic acid solution.
Never tried it, though.
Hawkdancer

[Mountain Man1]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Sounds like everybody is pretty well confirming my suspicions. Guess I should smoke my hide and just go get some rawhide. Was kinda hoping for the magical all in one solution but I figured it was likely a longshot. Again, thanks for the help. when I get this bow done up I'll get some pictures up, I think she's gonna be pretty.   

[PatM]

Some evidence seems to point to people using rawhide or sinew strings making a point of sitting out wet weather.

 I believe snapping turtle neck skin is said to not be as affected by water as other types of rawhide.

[Mountain Man1]

Yeah, they can be sensitive to weather. I actually had a bow as a kid with one and it didn't like the dampness much at all. I'm going to try some weather proofing, found a recipe that looked promising. I believe it was pine tar and beeswax melted together, I can always make a backup string out of Dacron (want to try a Flemish twist anyway) and just swap em if need be.

[DC]

If you were to just keep shortening a rawhide string as it stretched would it eventually break? Just wondering out loud