here is the official first post in celebration of Pioneer ______ (Time)!
there's really no reason why i chose tanning leather as my first pioneer post, but i think you're really going to like it. all i can say is, people think of the craziest things to do. i mean, who in their right mind would think to do this to a dead animal's skin? it's not anything any normal person would ever be inclined to do.
Let me tell you.
Here is the entire tanning process:
Step 1- remove the skin from the dead animal and clean the skin so that there's no meat, fat, or viens left on it. If you dont want any fur on it, rub either urine or wood ash into the fur (who in their right mind would choose urine over some campfire ash for this?) (also, what person would think "hmm, i want to get rid of this fur. shave it? nooo, i'm gunna pee on it.) after the substance is rubbed into the fur, let it sit for a while before pulling/scraping the loosened hairs off.
Step 2- to prevent the skin from rotting, rub it with either animal fat, egg yolk, urine, or brain. (long side note on brain-tanning: every animal has just enough brains to tan it's own hide. i find that cruelly ironic, yet excellent planning on God's part. also, in case you didn't save the animal's brain, apparently they sell brains in a can. i dont know where, but they do. this just goes to show that you can find pretty much anything in a can these days. also, i bet this gives you a whole new meaning for the phrase "use your brain", doesnt it?)
after this, there's more than one way you can finish tanning the hide. there's tannin tanning, and then there's brain tanning. the brain tanning will give you a lighter, buckskin color. i think the tannin tanning produces a stiffer leather, but i'm not sure.
Tannin Tanning: in case you thought tanning couldnt get any grosser, you're wrong. the next step in tanning leather is to rub the hide with the dung of a carnivore (kind of sounds like a witch's recipe) (dog poo works best, apparently. yet another use for a good huntin' dog.) leave the dung on the hide until the hide is limp and willing to lie flat. then wash the dung off.
next, you need find/make a clay-lined pit with a log/pole in it. You hang the hide over the log/pole and soak it in a mixture of water and crushed oak bark (finally, a non-gross ingredient. it just might take you a while to crush all that bark). you let the hide soak for a few days, then you spread it out to dry.
Brain Tanning: stake the hide into the ground so that it wont shrink (just dont stretch it). cook the brains in a little bit of water. mash them with gloved hands and heat until it's almost too hot for you to touch. rub this "soup" mixture into the skin with your hands and with some smooth heated stones. flip the skin over, and repeat (unless you're making a fur). leave the hide in a sunny spot for 6-8 hours, then submerge the skin under water overnight.
while the hide is soaking, prepare your graining tools (1 is a wooden wedge shaped thing, the other is a stick about 2 inches in diameter with a smooth, rounded, blunt tip.)
once the hide is completely saturated and pliable, restake it into the ground. use the wedge shaped grainer to get as much water out of the hide as you possibly can. then use the rounded stick to work/stretch/loosen the fibers in every inch of the hide. if you stop doing this before the hide is completely dry, it'll become stiff. when the hide feels dry, unstake the hide and trim the edges.
now tie a rope between 2 trees and rub the hide across the rope. the friction will further dry and soften it. when you're done, use a smooth stone to rub any imperfections.
if you dont want the leather to become stiff when it gets wet, hang it over a small "smudge" fire until the smoke has penetrated every part of it.
and that is how you turn a dead animal's skin into beautiful leather. i recommend praying that you'll never need to use this new-found knowledge of yours.
