Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: iowabow on December 22, 2011, 10:02:32 am

Title: first try at buckskin
Post by: iowabow on December 22, 2011, 10:02:32 am
First time making buckskin.  This was a lot of work when you do it the first time.  This was a deer that a friend of mind shot.  I think it was about 4 or 5 year old deer and the skin was about a 1/4 inch thick around the neck.  I have one question for those who have done this.  Is there a way to make this smell less like smoke or will the odor decrease with time? When it gets light out I will post a completed picture.
(http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m559/iowabow2/_12temp.jpg)
Title: Re: first try at buckskin
Post by: madcrow on December 22, 2011, 10:43:17 am
Looks great.  Sometimes I thin the necks and rump to make the drying go faster.  That smoke smell will be there for a long time, but will decrease.  I hang mine in the shop and let them air out a few weeks.
Title: Re: first try at buckskin
Post by: Pappy on December 22, 2011, 11:22:27 am
You can rinse it out with a little dish warshing liquid and that will help. Did it turn out soft ?  I thin the neck/rumb arer also if it on an older /bigger deer. :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: first try at buckskin
Post by: iowabow on December 22, 2011, 11:36:49 am
Thanks pappy for the reply.  How are you thinning the neck?
Title: Re: first try at buckskin
Post by: iowabow on December 22, 2011, 12:03:05 pm
Here is a picture of the fleshing tool I made and the finished hide.  I had to put it on the porch because it was so strong that the odor was coming in the house from the garage and my wife had a cow.  I hope that the smell will weaken like a coat does after camping.  I was concerned that the color was not going to be good because I got the hide real dirtly when fleshing on the beam I had in the woods.  The hide keep getting in the mud.  Before I smoked it there was a gray color to it.  But now I really like the color. 
Title: Re: first try at buckskin
Post by: iowabow on December 22, 2011, 12:04:23 pm
(http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m559/iowabow2/2011-12-22082744.jpg)
Title: Re: first try at buckskin
Post by: cracker on December 22, 2011, 12:09:32 pm
looks pretty darn good to me looks store bought.Ron
Title: Re: first try at buckskin
Post by: iowabow on December 22, 2011, 12:11:54 pm
Yes the hide turned out real soft like a peice of cloth feels like flannel. But up and in about 4 inches in the neck it is less like cloth and more like leather.  I want to make a shirt up don't have a pattern any suggestion on where to get some. 
Title: Re: first try at buckskin
Post by: Pappy on December 22, 2011, 12:16:57 pm
I just thin the area when I scrape the hair off,You will need more than one for a shirt,at least 3 or 4 unless they are really large. :) Not sure how you would thing it if you wet scrape,never done that. :) Nice color to it,looks like you got a good even smoke. :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: first try at buckskin
Post by: iowabow on December 22, 2011, 12:56:42 pm
Maybe I could frame it after I remove hair and take a stone to the thick areas when it is rawhide. More or less sanding it.  It took awhile to figure out how long to soak it in the ashes.   So pappy when you dry scrape it are you removing the hair and the epidermis? If I dry scraped I could skip two steps.  I could skip the ashes and the rinse to remove the lye is that correct?
Title: Re: first try at buckskin
Post by: Pappy on December 22, 2011, 01:07:37 pm
Yes I remove it all at the same time,it comes off in a sheet if you are doing it right. :) :) You can also thin it at that time. :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: first try at buckskin
Post by: Bryce H on December 23, 2011, 11:09:57 am
Missouri River has patterns for all kinds of things, Iowabow. Or, if you're making it in the manner of a northern Plains warshirt style, then the book, Mytic Warriors of the Plains by Thomas Mails has a good description that you can go from. I'm in New Jersey at the moment, far from my Texas home, or I'd scan it and post that page for you.
Title: Re: first try at buckskin
Post by: YosemiteBen on December 23, 2011, 01:47:41 pm
www.braintan.com
Title: Re: first try at buckskin
Post by: Will H on December 23, 2011, 07:23:04 pm
 :o WOW :o  That turned out exceptionally well! Good job man! ;D ;D ;D
~Will
Title: Re: first try at buckskin
Post by: M-P on December 23, 2011, 11:34:55 pm
That color looks great!   The feel of well done buckskin is unique isn't it.   I suspect that the real test of your skill will come in being able to duplicate the look so you have matching skins.   Ron
Title: Re: first try at buckskin
Post by: criveraville on December 24, 2011, 05:21:04 am
That hide turned out nice. Well done. You still have my addy info??  ;)

cipriano
Title: Re: first try at buckskin
Post by: iowabow on December 24, 2011, 01:27:45 pm
Thanks Will and pappy
And I will have a problem because I am soaking two hair on hides and want to pull the large doe out so that I can remove the hair for another buckskin so I can make a shirt.  Anyway I will also have to drag it in the dirt to get the brown color rather than the orange brown that I see in the hide that was clean.  Anyway it was a lot of work but the second time around should not be as hard because I am going to wait till spring to finish it.  The temp will be warmer and the work should be shorter.