Finally, we've put together the video on how to make a sheep-skin rug (described briefly in text at that link)! I hope you enjoy making this easy yet luxurious product!
Just put four Shetland fleeces in the freezer and now I know what to do with them come springtime in Quebec. Grateful for the clear and beautiful videos and for the general direction of your sustainable life. Merci Xavier!
Nice! If I were you though I would salt the hides now and store them over the winter so that they're ready for the rest of the process later on this year. It does take a couple of months for the salt to do its magic. Read my blog post on this site about salting hides for more information on how to do this: http://sustainablelivingproject.blogspot.com/2012/11/storing-deer-hides.html Have fun!
This is not a "true" tanning process, correct? As in, the result is rawhide, not leather: no change is made through tannins/acidic compounds to the protein structure. Why do this instead of a true tanning process? Because it's easier, and because you don't have to worry about getting the tannins on the hair side and slipping the hair? Is your resulting skin not stiff?
I have a deer hide I'm currently thawing out that I want to tan with the hair on. I was planning on doing brain tanning and then smoking it. Will this will result in a better final product than simply sticking to salt? Also, if you wanted, am I correct: you could take your sheep hide as you ended it in the final video, do the brainning**, stretch/work/dry, then smoke? (I have also watched your videos on the beaver hide and the suggested portions of the deer brain tanning).
**I'm completely confused on whether the brain solution must stay only on the flesh side or if it is acceptable to soak the entire hide, both sides, in the brain solution. You seem to be suggesting it's fine to soak it, but multiple sources I've seen seem to say that doing this will cause the hair to slip and must be avoided. (Maybe that's only if there's something like lye added?) Also, do you wring out the hide if it has hair-on, or will that damage it?
Honestly, I don't exactly know how the salt actually affects the chemistry of the hide, but yes I'd call it tanned anyway because the result is nothing like rawhide. Though it's not quite as soft as a brain tanned hide and wouldn't be suitable for clothing, it's not stiff at all and can be rolled easily without crinkling; perfect for a rug.
The main reason for using this technique is that it is indeed easier/more passive in a way, but also results in less chance of tearing up the thin sheep skin. So note that I'm only recommending salt tanning for very thin skins (like sheep and rabbits) and not for thicker ones like deer, though if you store your deer hides wet salted for a long time (say a couple of years) you'll notice that they are quite a bit easier to brain tan than usual so the salt obviously does something. But yes, brain tanning your deer hide will definitely result in a better product than just salt tanning; no question about it.
I could have indeed brain tanned the sheep skin but I think it would have been overkill for what I wanted to do with it, and though I haven't tried I believe I could smoke the hide right now just as I would have a brain tanned hide.
As long as the hair-on hide doesn't stay in the brain solution for days and gets processed in a timely manner there's no reason why the hair would slip. The main issues with soaking the whole hide in brains is 1) it's a waste of brains as a lot of it will stick to the hairs and contribute nothing to the tanning process; 2) it makes the hide a LOT heavier; and 3) it does require more wringing, which could indeed damage the hair. So I only recommend soaking the whole hide in the brain solution if the hide is small and light enough that it can be held and wrung gently by hand. So doing this with a beaver hide is fine but I wouldn't even try it with a deer hide.
For a deer hide, just set up your rack horizontally on some stumps and only apply the brain solution to the flesh side. The challenge with that is that it requires more work for the brains to penetrate the hide as the brain solution cools rapidly once applied. In the past I've tried to remedy that but applying warm towels on top of the brain solution, with warm bags of water on top of the towels to keep the brains warmer as they soak into the hide. That worked ok. The real trick to proper brain penetration on hair-on hides is thinning out the thicker areas with a dry scraper.
I hope that helps. Don't hesitate to ask more questions if needed.
That helps a lot, thank you! I think I'm going to do salt, and then brain it at a later date. It seems both like less effort, and easier scheduling.
I've been researching this a good bit, and thus far your site/videos have been the best at detailing the process, and explaining the mechanics of what is actually going on. Thank you for putting this website together.
Hi. I enjoy your youtube videos and now your blogs. I followed your steps in making the sheep rug and I made 3 great ones. However, I had many question to ask about the process ones of which you answered by replying to Jennifer. One that I did not get an answer to is; do I need to smoke the rug to protect it from bacteria or is it fine the way it is without smoking? I put so much effort into making it and I would like it to last for very long. Thank you for the great videos and knowledge.
Hey. Congrats on making the rugs! If you're going to keep the rugs inside a dry space there is no need to smoke them. I've had mine for many years in our bedroom and they're as good as new. But if the rugs are exposed to moisture then it would probably be best to smoke them a little on the flesh side. Let me know if you have other questions.
We raise sheep and I will be doing this for ALL the lamb hides we harvest! NO chemicals I love that.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting
Carrie
Just put four Shetland fleeces in the freezer and now I know what to do with them come springtime in Quebec. Grateful for the clear and beautiful videos and for the general direction of your sustainable life.
ReplyDeleteMerci Xavier!
Nice!
DeleteIf I were you though I would salt the hides now and store them over the winter so that they're ready for the rest of the process later on this year. It does take a couple of months for the salt to do its magic. Read my blog post on this site about salting hides for more information on how to do this: http://sustainablelivingproject.blogspot.com/2012/11/storing-deer-hides.html
Have fun!
Hi , I have seen many video's and all using chemicals such as oxalic acid and alum, thanks for your help
DeleteThis is not a "true" tanning process, correct? As in, the result is rawhide, not leather: no change is made through tannins/acidic compounds to the protein structure. Why do this instead of a true tanning process? Because it's easier, and because you don't have to worry about getting the tannins on the hair side and slipping the hair? Is your resulting skin not stiff?
ReplyDeleteI have a deer hide I'm currently thawing out that I want to tan with the hair on. I was planning on doing brain tanning and then smoking it. Will this will result in a better final product than simply sticking to salt? Also, if you wanted, am I correct: you could take your sheep hide as you ended it in the final video, do the brainning**, stretch/work/dry, then smoke? (I have also watched your videos on the beaver hide and the suggested portions of the deer brain tanning).
**I'm completely confused on whether the brain solution must stay only on the flesh side or if it is acceptable to soak the entire hide, both sides, in the brain solution. You seem to be suggesting it's fine to soak it, but multiple sources I've seen seem to say that doing this will cause the hair to slip and must be avoided. (Maybe that's only if there's something like lye added?) Also, do you wring out the hide if it has hair-on, or will that damage it?
Hi Jennifer,
DeleteAll great questions.
Honestly, I don't exactly know how the salt actually affects the chemistry of the hide, but yes I'd call it tanned anyway because the result is nothing like rawhide. Though it's not quite as soft as a brain tanned hide and wouldn't be suitable for clothing, it's not stiff at all and can be rolled easily without crinkling; perfect for a rug.
The main reason for using this technique is that it is indeed easier/more passive in a way, but also results in less chance of tearing up the thin sheep skin. So note that I'm only recommending salt tanning for very thin skins (like sheep and rabbits) and not for thicker ones like deer, though if you store your deer hides wet salted for a long time (say a couple of years) you'll notice that they are quite a bit easier to brain tan than usual so the salt obviously does something. But yes, brain tanning your deer hide will definitely result in a better product than just salt tanning; no question about it.
I could have indeed brain tanned the sheep skin but I think it would have been overkill for what I wanted to do with it, and though I haven't tried I believe I could smoke the hide right now just as I would have a brain tanned hide.
As long as the hair-on hide doesn't stay in the brain solution for days and gets processed in a timely manner there's no reason why the hair would slip. The main issues with soaking the whole hide in brains is 1) it's a waste of brains as a lot of it will stick to the hairs and contribute nothing to the tanning process; 2) it makes the hide a LOT heavier; and 3) it does require more wringing, which could indeed damage the hair. So I only recommend soaking the whole hide in the brain solution if the hide is small and light enough that it can be held and wrung gently by hand. So doing this with a beaver hide is fine but I wouldn't even try it with a deer hide.
For a deer hide, just set up your rack horizontally on some stumps and only apply the brain solution to the flesh side. The challenge with that is that it requires more work for the brains to penetrate the hide as the brain solution cools rapidly once applied. In the past I've tried to remedy that but applying warm towels on top of the brain solution, with warm bags of water on top of the towels to keep the brains warmer as they soak into the hide. That worked ok. The real trick to proper brain penetration on hair-on hides is thinning out the thicker areas with a dry scraper.
I hope that helps. Don't hesitate to ask more questions if needed.
That helps a lot, thank you! I think I'm going to do salt, and then brain it at a later date. It seems both like less effort, and easier scheduling.
DeleteI've been researching this a good bit, and thus far your site/videos have been the best at detailing the process, and explaining the mechanics of what is actually going on. Thank you for putting this website together.
You're very welcome.
DeleteHi. I enjoy your youtube videos and now your blogs. I followed your steps in making the sheep rug and I made 3 great ones. However, I had many question to ask about the process ones of which you answered by replying to Jennifer. One that I did not get an answer to is; do I need to smoke the rug to protect it from bacteria or is it fine the way it is without smoking?
ReplyDeleteI put so much effort into making it and I would like it to last for very long.
Thank you for the great videos and knowledge.
Hey. Congrats on making the rugs!
DeleteIf you're going to keep the rugs inside a dry space there is no need to smoke them. I've had mine for many years in our bedroom and they're as good as new. But if the rugs are exposed to moisture then it would probably be best to smoke them a little on the flesh side.
Let me know if you have other questions.
Your videos are really helpful!! Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome :-)
Delete