One nice thing about this type of tanning is that the rawhide or brained softened hide will wait till you get around to finishing it if it's stored properly.I try keep up with it over here.Smoking it can be done any time of year or temperature.
You are right I've been doing this longer than most on here have been alive and have done hundreds of hides.I still can go into my own glory when I finish brain tanned hides.They are unique.Wonderfully soft and tough as rawhide because all they are really is softened rawhide.
I'm truly surprised as to the lack of interest into these type of skills on this forum with all of the more primitive type outdoorsman people on here.It's a gift that keeps on giving.
"Ai'nt nothing like brain tanned leather"
There's many ways to do this as I stated earlier.I've refined my way to be totally predictable when I do it.I try to comment on every difficullty that might be encountered.
Another day,another hide smoked.Pictures are pretty self explainable.I try to keep the smoke pretty intense throughout.I add smoking material around every 10-15 minutes to keep the intensity up.Using hickory bark [a thinner material it coals over fairly quick] it creates some good heavy smoke.
Check it at 45 minutes and move on.The side against the skin for clothes is usually a little darker than the outside or hair side.
I usually smoke mine fairly dark compared to most.Reason being is these hides can be washed in a regular washing machine if you like and scuffed back out soft.Getting wet from the river or rain or washing will fade the smoke color a little each time.I like to start out with enough color to go quite a while before needing to resmoke it.Washing it does even out the color nicely if desired.Quill and bead workers usually like it a little lighter.
Resmoking a garment will need to be done in a shed or a tipi.Hung up out in the open to let the smoke adhere to the garment.
My hides will usually be a little tacky after smoking.After smoking the hide should be rolled up or folded and left to set a couple days to let the creosote dry out completely.
They can be scuffed over the rope a few times then and be ready to use.
Smoking this way forces the smoke completely through most deer hides.Smoking in a shed or tipi it can go through fairly well also but not as much I don't think.One good thing about smoking that way is that you can smoke a number of hides at 1 time,but it will take a little longer.8 to 12 hours or longer.Safe way to smoke them and you won't need to babysit the smoking procedure for fear of burning up.Just check the color occasionally.
In a tube it takes me normally around 2 to 3 hours per hide.You can see the smoke showing through already on this hide.
Some of my smoking material right outside the door of the tractor shed.
Smoking in a quiet windless enviornment is best.Too much wind can create an excess draft and the smudge fire can ignite and burn your hard work.Plus the smoke job onto the hide will look streaky as well.
