GM NOSTR
Today I am breaking in some buckskin that I soap tanned as an experiment to see how well the tanning technique works compared to brain / egg yolk tanning which I usually do.
Discussion
How did it turn out? I have been using sunflower lecithin with good results.
It was an interesting experience. I did 2 hides that had been previously fleshed and dehaired, and then dried for storage.
The first one (a small yearling) turned out great, but the second one was a disaster. It was an older, larger animal. As hard as I worked stretching it as it dried, it just ended up stiff as a board.
So I spent a few hours thinning the hide, and soaked it in water for 48 hours or so, stretching it periodically until the hide was white and fully flexible all over.
I then soaked it in a new batch of soap solution for about 5 days. Almost twice as long as last time.
I then rinsed it and wrung it as usual. This time the hide turned out great.
I'm glad I had this experience because I learned a lot.
Yeah ive done about 25 or so. Each is different. Ive found presmoking to be very effective those mature buck hides. Just rebrain the hide after smoking and it softens up and dries fast too. Sometimes getting a dry hide to soak up the brains doesnt work so well, especially if ph is above 7.