Brain tanning hair on elk hide...how am I doing thus far?

[Mesophilic]

Currently about 85 to 90 percent dry, the sun is fading so the pic below is low light. 

Stsrted this yesterday afternoon.  I tried to follow a tutorial posted by Ed, but my gosh this hide is thick and when wet, with the hair on, very heavy.  So I applied the brains about 7 or 8 times.  Each time I made the doughnut and twisted.  With this thickness of hide it was like trying to wring a soaking wet shag carpet.  Following each wringing I stretched laterally by hand.  Brained it and let it sit overnight as it was getting late.

We had a good sunny day today so I finished up the last couple of braining and stretchings about mid morning and put in the sun to dry.  Continued stretching throughout the day.  Now it's dry enough that I can't really get a noticeable stretch when I try to work it.  Feels somewhere between rawhide and factory tanned leather.

The whole hide looked like the blue-ish splotches in the pic but most has gone away as it dried.  Will the rest of the splotches go away as it dries further?  Or did I screw up in one of the steps?

It's also a bit greasy feeling on the leather side, I guess not so much greasy but like dried dried hand lotion...hard to describe.  Will this subside after smoking?

[Zuma]

Kudos brother,    You are getting a work -out. I surly hope all goes well.
That should be gorgeous when finished,
Zuma

[bjrogg]

Hoping Ed sees this. I've never brain tanned but I'm thinking maybe could
Have been scrapped and thinned more. Are dark spots membrane? It may be those spots have a bit of membrane and need to dry more. Do you have hair on I don't think rain tan is preferred method for hair on tanning deer hides. It's possible but more difficult. Hope all works out for you. I know you have a lot of time invested already.
Bjrogg

[Mesophilic]

I was hoping I got all the membrane off but quite possible I did not.  I figure I've got to start learning somewhere, right?  The plan is to make a quiver with the hair on the inside, so if the final product isn't  soft and flexible It'll be alright I think.

I found a couple of good vids online, and after working this hide, a hair off deer hide seems like a walk in the park
 Every time I try out one of these old days skills I gain more respect for the people that depended on these skills.  I can't imagine going through this process on 10 buffalo hides to make a teepee.  My new saying is: back when the women were men and the  men were sasquatchs. 

ETA: after thinking about it, Bjrogg, I think you might be right about.the membrane.  When it was fresh, during fleshing,  I distinctly remember getting membrane off to at least the point of the capillaries in the hide.  I remember seeing the little blood vessels popping as I scraped further in to the hide.  Believing I had gotten the membrane already, I think gave me a false sense of accomplishment.  Before I reconstituted the hide I scraped off the salt with a dull knife.  Little bits of papery stuff lifted so I just peeled them off with my fingers.  I'm guessing.thsts the striations showing in the gray looking patches in the hide.  Some of them were long strips, which looking at the middle of the hide may account for an almost stripe like effect.

If this is the case then I've learned something for next time and will work it down more...and probably do hair off 

[Outbackbob48]

Diesel, the dark places look to me like membrane that didn,t get removed and therefore didn,t  get thoroughly  brained and are drying stiff. Braintanning definitely has a learning curve, Your doing good and learning a lot. Bob

[BowEd]

It's coming along for ya.You'll know if you got membrane on it yet.It will peal off as you rope it.When roping and stretching a person pulls the hide back and forth across the rope creating friction[on flesh side for yours] to help it dry.When not roping it,it should go in a plastic bag so it does'nt dry while you are'nt roping and stretching.That membrane is like cellophane I call it.
Preferably while it as in the stretching frame it should of been sanded[60 grit] thoroughly before braining.I stretch my hides to the max in the frame with holes every 3 to 4 inches.That blue dried color I'm afraid did'nt get any or enough brain penetration or stretch so to speak.Does'nt necessarily mean there is membrane on it.The spine areas,hips,and neck need the most attention to get stretched.
Here's what works for me with those stubborn spine areas on thicker hides.Even before stretching with the hide leather thoroughly wet and fleshed[rocks used to keep hide submerged] I put it in the freezer to freeze rock hard.I feel the ice chrystals help to loosen up the fibers some.After the hide is thawed out it goes into the frame stretched as far as one can.I take a smooth rounded ended stick and prod hard into the spine areas to stretch it as far as I can.I then retighten it in the frame to let dry to be brained and roped dry at a later date.This is why I stay away from knife slits on hides.That prodding can create holes if not careful.
The beauty of tanning this way is that nothing is harmed and can be picked up to do at a later date.I would watch for hide beetles though if storing a very long time.When done and softened smoking your hide on the flesh side will stop those bugs.
You can rebrain it and do it over if you like but for a quiver like you want where stiffness is what you want you can sew it together
It's the oils in the brains that you are feeling on your hands.It's like lanolin.

[Mesophilic]

Thanks for the advice, I'm going to put all this info in to a notebook for next year, don't know anyone else with a tag to fill this year.  Maybe I'll get to claim a roadkill and practice some more.  To be honest,  as a leather crafter its just not worth the time and energy, but as a primative enthusiast this has been a real cool experience and I'm looking forward to more attempts.

I had the hide in the house after it dried and the dog was trying to tell me how nice of a chew toy it would make.  After braining he's been going nuts trying to convince me that a marinated chew toy would be even better   

[Hawkdancer]

I know some dogs like that!  Got to make sure I am watching them when I work a hide -they have figured out how to push the folding gate open!  An additional question - is it worthwhile to try to tan leg hide after removing the sinew and hoof?  I have some deer and elk legs to harvest and am wondering if that small a piece is worth the effort?
Hawkdancer

[Mesophilic]

Just smoked the hide and now the dog is going "oh boy! Smoked and marinated chew toy"

I'll be honest,  for the amount of time and effort I wouldn't bother tanning the leg hide after doing this.  Unless you really want the experience, this was a great experience for me and gave me much appreciation for the old ways.  For grips or whatnot I think I'd just order some buckskin or leather,  or hold out till I can do a whole hide. 

[BowEd]

Aaron...About like anything else when it comes to simple primitive type process's there's a learning curve that goes along with them to get what you want.Simple does'nt always mean easy.It will get softer with more attempts.Future attempts will be better I'm sure.
Hawk...I've chemically tanned deer & elk legs before using aluminum sulfate and salt.They can be easier to soften enough for use then.