Leather preservation

[tokguy]

2:1 ratio right? (Two brains from the animal will tan one hide)

Damn if I know. I grew up around leather, but we sure as hell didn't make it from scratch. Kinda why I don't take about 75% of the suggestions too seriously... was always around it and it really doesn't take much to keep it supple.
It's one of those funny topics that seems to foster polite debate...if it wasn't milsurp, we would have not been as polite I suspect.
We had Dubbin, Saddle soap, mink oil, neatsfoot too IIRC. Never really saw much difference. Except that ( As I mentioned before) I like the thicker viscous solutions, prolly just because they are easiest to handle and use.
Someone will be along to pimp their fav...but there is no way I would vary from the museum standard. If they have no standard...go with an average of what 3 or 4 reputable museums use.
The advice here is just too person specific, it's like hanging venison. Everyone is gonna be right and argue their position...because they cannot be proved wrong. But on the flip side...usually cannot prove that they are correct either.

 

[Painkillers]

Damn if I know. I grew up around leather, but we sure as hell didn't make it from scratch. Kinda why I don't take about 75% of the suggestions too seriously... was always around it and it really doesn't take much to keep it supple.
It's one of those funny topics that seems to foster polite debate...if it wasn't milsurp, we would have not been as polite I suspect.
We had Dubbin, Saddle soap, mink oil, neatsfoot too IIRC. Never really saw much difference. Except that ( As I mentioned before) I like the thicker viscous solutions, prolly just because they are easiest to handle and use.
Someone will be along to pimp their fav...but there is no way I would vary from the museum standard. If they have no standard...go with an average of what 3 or 4 reputable museums use.
The advice here is just too person specific, it's like hanging venison. Everyone is gonna be right and argue their position...because they cannot be proved wrong. But on the flip side...usually cannot prove that they are correct either.

The fella who made my single action rig recommended only olive oil and sparingly when it's dry. Thank your sister for the offer will you?

 

[B_noser]

If I am not mistaken, an animal has enough brain to tan it's own hide.

 

[Painkillers]

If I am not mistaken, an animal has enough brain to tan it's own hide.

I don't believe so. Way back when, when I was reading up on brain tanning, I recall thinking it was a shame that someone's hide had to be rendered to dog food rather that having enough brain to tan it.

 

[beltfed]

Won't Olive oil go rancid?

 

[Painkillers]

Won't Olive oil go rancid?

Apparently not. It's been used as a conditioner for leather for 1000's of years. It does depend on how the leather is tanned, the chemicals used to tan shoe and boot leather shouldn't be oiled with olive oil.

 

[B_noser]

I don't believe so. Way back when, when I was reading up on brain tanning, I recall thinking it was a shame that someone's hide had to be rendered to dog food rather that having enough brain to tan it.

Checked my reference library and, as I had remembered, the animal does have enough brain to tan it's hide. According to page 64 of Tan Your Hide, the native method of making buckskin involves mixing the brain and a handful of tallow from the body in hot water and cooking it over a fire. The mixture is allowed to cool and then hand-rubbed into the previously scraped hide. Pulling to soften and smoking are the final steps.

 

[Painkillers]

Checked my reference library and, as I had remembered, the animal does have enough brain to tan it's hide. According to page 64 of Tan Your Hide, the native method of making buckskin involves mixing the brain and a handful of tallow from the body in hot water and cooking it over a fire. The mixture is allowed to cool and then hand-rubbed into the previously scraped hide. Pulling to soften and smoking are the final steps.

Interesting. Thanks for taking the time to look it up. I have nothing to support my recollection of what I read all those years ago, or even where I read it?

This information brings up an interesting question...how exactly is it determined that a hide is sufficiently tanned? If one brain is sufficient, is two brains better (punny)?

 

[tokguy]

The fella who made my single action rig recommended only olive oil and sparingly when it's dry. Thank your sister for the offer will you?

I'll have to tease her. She got busy teaching Leather Working to the local 4-H kids and never did get back to me on the question for you.
I'm going to see her midday, gonna drop off a buscadero rig for her to copy... she does great acorns and oak leaves. But that don't make a good rig...just makes it pretty. If she could get both; striking and a proven design....be much better.