Rawhide Beaver Tail Questions

[wooddamon1]

Hey guys, I have a rawhide beaver tail for a handle wrap on a bow I'm getting ready to finish up. I got all the fat and grease off soaking and scrubbing with Dawn and I'm wondering what's the easiest way to tan it if necessary. I have some brown leather dye I want to use on it as well.





I'm sure tanning isn't entirely necessary,  but if there's a quick way to do it on the cheap I don't mind and it may look a little better. I have leather conditioner if that would help? I've looked online a bunch and seen some different methods, but I figured you guys would have some suggestions. Thanks!




Here's the bow it's going on just for a little show and tell. I'll post up pics when she's all finished up.

[superdav95]

Good lookin bow.  I’ve done a few beaver tail handles and they look cool and have a great feel.   I’ve used commercial tanned beaver tail and also beaver tail I’ve processed myself.  The commercial or professional tanned tails tend to be softer and more mailable to curves.  For your tail hide if it was anything like mine which I basically salt cured,  it was pretty stiff and dry.  I applied mine by soaking it in warm water for few hours cut to square dimensions of my handle layout.  I then cling wrapped my bow handle well from fade to fade and taped it down.   Once the tail hide was good and soft and wet I wrapped it onto the handle where I wanted it position.  I used little tape to hold it in place.  I then wrapped with old t shirt strip about 1.5-2” wide.  As tight as I could wrap it.  As added measure of ensuring it confirmed to my handle shape I then wrapped with bycicle inner tire strip good and tight.   I left this overnight and removed the wraps and let air dry bit through the day and removed the tail hide.   There was some overlap at the back of the handle and I used this to mark my cuts and punched my stitch holes.  This worked out good for me.  I added some mink oil or danish oil to mine after to soften it up.   The inner tube may not be necessary but I did it and worked out good.  Best of luck.   

[wooddamon1]

Thanks, Dave! Great info. I soaked this tail skin before washing it with Dawn and rinsed it off and laid books on it to dry flat. I think I'll just dye it and then re-wet it before I plan to slap it on. I'll try your preforming method. Appreciate it!

[Pappy]

Never really tanned one , I do them about the same as Dave, I did find you really need to get it fitted and then punch the holes for stitching, if you try and pull it together with the stitching like I do on most leather grips it will pull out the holes. It's not very tough in that part of the tail 
 Pappy

[bjrogg]

Thanks for this thread. I have been wanting to try this

Bjrogg

[wooddamon1]

Thanks, Pappy. I've done a tanned one and it wasn't too bad, but I know what you mean about fitting it first. I'll dye it and do it like it's just another tanned one.

BJ, if you're looking I found a 2 pack of tanned ones on the auction site for about 40 I believe. As for self-tanning there's all kinds of videos on the tube, but I couldn't find anything that wouldn't require a small investment. Maybe if I find a good source of raw tails I'll set up to tan a few.

[DV IN MN]

I will be trying my hand at tanning the tails myself this year. got some from this fall/spring and another 24 that are salt dried.

[wooddamon1]

Very cool! Let us know what process you end up using, DV!

[DV IN MN]

It will be a few weeks before I get back to the tails. But I think I will start by sanding them on the sander a little not a lot some are pretty thin already then, I will soak them in a salt bath for a while and then clean and wash in dawn soap and rinse and let them get semi dry then I am going to try the first group with the orange tanning bottle and see how that works. Then adjust as needed.

[wooddamon1]

Orange tanning bottle? Where can I find that? Sounds pretty simple, I've seen a video where a guy used alum and alcohol I believe it was? He claimed it turned out great.

[wooddamon1]

So, I ended up using an already tanned tail I had on hand and bought a 2-pack of the orange bottle tanning solution to try on the rawhide tail. It's drying now and I'll rub it good with some leather conditioner before I use it on a bow.

[Will B]

I’ve tanned beaver tails and hide using “Hunter Trapper Formula” with good results. A lot cheaper than buying professionally tanned hides/tails. I’ve done alot of bow handle wraps with them and they turned out nice. Good luck!

[wooddamon1]

Thanks, Will! Good to hear from someone that's had success with it, it's definitely cheaper than buying anything already tanned,