Rawhide backing thickness

[Bearded.Jake]

Hello all,

I am planning to re do a rawhide backing on my first bow and I just scraped a deer hide partly for this purpose.  I ended up tearing the flank while scraping so I cut some strips down the side of the hide. My question is how thin is too thin for a rawhide backing?  the strips start up near the shoulders of the hide which are mayybe 1mm thick and extend down to the flanks which are probably .5 - .75 mm thick im guessing.  Paper thin!  is that worth putting on my bow even?

I figured if I just use the edges maybe I would still tan the rest of the hide.

Any advice would be great!

Thanks

[Pappy]

Yep, thinner the better. Pappy

[Bearded.Jake]

Thanks Pappy!

[Pat B]

I agree. 

[superdav95]

Yes agree.  The thin stuff is better.   Adding less mass to the limbs yet plenty strong. 

[Mad Max]

I hear brown paper grocery sack works, ask your local store for a large one.

[Pat B]

I've used brown grocery bag as backing and it works well. If you think about how paper is made with plant fibers "felted" and then set it in glue it makes for a pretty strong backing material.

[Mad Max]

I've used brown grocery bag as backing and it works well. If you think about how paper is made with plant fibers "felted" and then set it in glue it makes for a pretty strong backing material.

I heard it on this forum years ago.
I use Linen too, buy a yard at your local sewing store.

[Pat B]

That was probably from me, Mark. I said it a lot back then. 

[Mad Max]

That was probably from me, Mark. I said it a lot back then. 

  See you in a couple weeks

[Pat B]

Looking forward to it Mark. 

[Bearded.Jake]

thank you all for the advice, again!