The Adventures of Stinky Rawhide: Deerskin Soup, Part 1

[JackCrafty]

Anybody have a good way to remove the odor from rawhide that has been de-haired the "natural way"?  I'm going to be processing several skins this season and I don't want to use the salt&dry method this year.  I was thinking of retting the skins until the hair falls out, and then drying them for later use...but I'm worried about the odor.

I've heard that soaking in gasoline works...but then they would smell like...well, gasoline.

Thanks.

[Pat B]

A bit of chlorox in the water to kill any bacteria might work. If you soak the skins in water and wood ash to slip the hair then stretch and dry the skin you shouldn't have much smell.

[JackCrafty]

Thanks Pat....hmmmm....clorox is a good idea.  Bacteria is supposed to loosen the hair.....so I guess I could soak the skins in water with a little bleach after the hair is off.  I haven't tried the wood ash method.  I'll need to make some fire.....

[Pat B]

When wet the wood ash produces lye. You can buy Red Devil lye and get the same results, I believe.There may be other solutions( pun intended) for removing the hair without stinking up the jurnt.      Pat

[orcbow]

You can smoke the rawhide to remove smell. (Though it can be hard to get it lit  ) No actually, put it in a smoke house or make a smoke tent.

[JackCrafty]

 

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[Hillbilly]

Patrick, I just stretch them and dry scrape. No smell, no gooey nasty mess.

[JackCrafty]

Hilbilly, yeah, I can see the advantage of dry scraping.  I plan to prepare at least one by dry scraping....but I was hoping for a quicker way to get the hair off.  Also, I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to the hair.  I don't think I want to have deer fur swirling around my back yard for the remainder of the season....

[Hillbilly]

Doesn't take but a half-hour or so with a good sharp scraper-takes a while to get it off after bucking, too. The flying hair is kind of messy, I usually just rake it up and throw it in the compost pile.

[DanaM]

Patrick I'm highly allergic to deer, but its not the hair its the dander that will get ya, ya know the dead skin flakes and associated little nasties living in the hair.
I get hives from contact, eyes swell shut throat constricts all the fun stuff For a bucking solution hardwood ashes mixed in the water also good old garden lime will work
don't know what ratio to use but if its to strong it'll eat the hide

[Hillbilly]

Keep shoveling ashes in until an egg will float upright, exposing an area about the diameter of a quarter. If the egg sinks, it's too weak. If it floats on its side, it's too strong.

[El Destructo]

Yep...a good Chlorine Bath gets rid of all of the Nasties....and it even whitens it up some too.....but make sure that you rinse it well

[Minuteman]

Just finished doin some reading on graining hides. This couple out in Montana does it without any special bucking solution, they soak the hide overnight, flesh it, then soak it overnight again. Then they remove the hair  with a fleshing knife.
 I have three fleshed hides in a hardwood ash solution in my basement as I type.( My wife has no idea there are deer hides soaking in her house. ) If I'd read about this technique earlier I think I would have tried it. I'm not looking forward to the rinsing out of the buck. I've got a creek behind the house but its not running.

I guess I'll have to chop a hole in the ice on the pond and sink 'em in there.

[mullet]

 I've soaked them for a day and a half without any ashes and the hair will fall off. I can guarantee if you leave it for 3 or 4 days you will have a bucket full of Goo. And I don't think you can buy Red Devil Lye anymore.

[madcrow]

Lime from the garden center or Tractor Supply works fine, but can get messy.  A couple pounds in five gallons of water usually does the trick.  I have also used pickling lime from the grocery store.  I have not noticed any bad odor in mine.  I just flesh it to get the meat and fat off and then soak in the lime.  While it is soaking, the inner membrane usually fill with the water and swells, making it easier to get off.  It takes alot of rinsing and ringing to get the lime out.  When you think it is all out, rinde it a few more times.