The thing about dry scraping is that on old thicker hided animals with thicker epidermis it can come off in layers so to speak.Not just with one stroke.Especially in the neck areas.On younger thinner hided animals many times 1 stroke is all that's needed.This can depend on the sharpness of your scraper too and amount of pressure used.It's that learning curve again!Although we never stop learning the more you do the easier it gets as you get a feel for it.The thinner flanks are done with the scraper as sharp as possible so less pressure is needed.A narrower band taken off can aid in that too.
With the wet scraping it usually always comes off to the leather depth and not in layers although you've got to watch it like Outback said not to leave any thin overlooked strips.Overlapping your strokes prevents that from happening.Those strips do not smoke well either.Overlapping strokes dry scraping helps to eliminate all of the epidermis too.
Dressing and smoking hides like this is simple,and most times simple does not mean easy.I could ramble on and on I guess just because I like the outcome of the process so much and I guess a connection and respect for and with the people who did it 100's of years ago and the simple fact that it still produces top notch double tough leather.All it really is,is softened smoked rawhide in reality with no chemicals in it to be breaking down the natural toughness,and everyone has heard the saying tough as rawhide before to confirm that.
The hair I believe would make an excellent buffer from the cold ground camping out in a primitive situation.Hair on deer hides served that purpose too.In the past at froze foot rendezvous's I slept on willow rod mats on the frozen ground which did the trick along with buffalo robes laid down.
There are some amazing brain tanners out there,but you'll find that's all done basically the same with some variations but with the same thing in mind.The bigger hides require more effort but the rewards are bigger too.In my time era of making them per sq. ft. the price on them has almost doubled.From $10.00/sq.ft. back in the early 1980's to $20.00/sq.ft. nowadays just for deer hides.Thicker hides like elk/moose/buffalo will get a higher premium price yet.Which they should.They are a lot of work.
I'm satisfied nowadays to just supply myself with a little extra to swap with others about as my bread and butter for living does not depend on selling brain tanned hides.Doing your own hides from animals you shot with primitive equipment is enough of a very satisfying feeling for me.
