![]() Good luck and happy tanning!Įncouraged and embraced, not frowned upon. Finished hides can be used for a huge number of applications, far too many to explore in this zine. When you've smoked a hide, it's finished. I almost always do, as there's really no such thing as a hide that's too soft. Once your hide is smoked, you will probably want to hand or foot soften it again. It's really up to your discretion how much time you want to devote to smoking hides, but generally, the more time you spend smoking, the more preserved the hide will be. I usually smoke hides for 45 minutes to and hour in several sessions. Some people suggest smoking hides for 7-8 hours. ![]() This definitely seems intimidating to the beginner- I know it was for me- but such diversity of skill should beįire and doesn't emit much smoke. Everyone I've met who practices this skill, whether self-taught or educated by a teacher, has a unique method for working hides. First, I must mention that there are a thousand different ways to skin and tan animal hides. I aim to empower the reader to skin dead animals with confidence, prepare tanning solution from materials found in wild nature, tan the hides of skinned animals, and work hides until they are soft, supple, and beautiful.īefore continuing on to the practical section, I'd like to visit a few points. I've been skinning non-human animals and tanning their hides for about two years now, and though I'm certainly not a masterful old timer, I'm more than competent in the art. A fraction of these texts mention primitive ways of tanning and working hides, but most are entirely ignorant that there's any way to practice these skills without the world of industry. ![]() There are also a number of books on the subject, but the majority of texts that claim to be authorities on skinning and tanning recommend the use of industrial chemicals and other nasty shit. Occasionally, one is lucky enough to find a cantankerous old timer who still has the knowledge, or an indigenous person of the old school who is fighting against white imperialism by preserving his or her culture, but these folks are rare. The knowledge of skinning and tanning hides has severely diminished in the modern world of synthetic fibers and industrially-produced everything, almost to the point of extinction. In order to adapt to cold weather, it was crucial that our species learn to preserve and work hides, and craft them into functional clothing, shelter building materials and shelters, bedrolls, backpacks, and a multitude of other gear. As furless apes, those humans who live in colder climes are at a severe disadvantage to survive. Skinning animals and tanning and using their hides is a skill as old as humanity.
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