HOW I TAN ANIMAL HIDES (the easy way) for Bushcraft / Survival / Camping trips. Caveman Carpet!

In this video, I show you how to tan animal hides, especially deer hides, using Alum & Borax. It's a fairly simple process that doesn't require any previous experience. Just follow these simple steps and reward yourself with a hide that is great for camping, or just place it in front of your fireplace for your dog to lay on!
Hides supplied by George venandi_uk?igsh...
And... skilfully butchered by food_fire_knive...
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#hide #tanning #bushcraft #primitive

[@Skooozle]

When I was a kid, my Dad would often offer to tan my hide. It's interesting to see, in detail, what he was willing to do for me.

[@Ivan.A.Trulyuski]

Lol…

[@MrMasterMarksman]

That's hilarious! I'm gonna laugh all night thinking of my dad now!

[@dragoszmoartescu5518]

So blessed! I never knew my father. ☹

[@solovino861]

@@dragoszmoartescu5518 did he go get milk?

[@Skooozle]

@@solovino861 he didn't want to risk having to tan any hides. He knew how much work was involved in that.

[@BLaCkEdOutSWIPZ]

Id love to see a complete bushcraft version of tanning a hide. Using only what nature gives you kind of thing. Without the chemicals and paste etc, how was it done in the olden days

[@BUSHCRAFTTOOLS]

They used anything from bark to eggs to tan hides

[@Bildo1986]

Sheep brains have a decent chemical in then to help tan hides. But apparently it's extremely petrid smelling.

[@FreezyAbitKT7A]

it's a little rough on the teeth

[@saraskold9631]

use the brain with in the animal mash up with water each animals has the right amount of brains to tan it s hide

[@crystalkerr7500]

@@saraskold9631 are you serious?

[@brandonbrown6544]

Freshly cut branches, notched be hand with a saw, chiseled out with an axe, and suddenly a power drill for holes 😂. Love it!

[@NinjaOnANinja]

Idk, he is hammering in screws. He might not actually understand the point of using the fresh cut natural stuff. 😬

[@Dan-qt7kq]

Hmmm, drill, bolts, string…..but no hammer.

[@NinjaOnANinja]

@John Duquette bolt, screw, tomatoe tomato. The point of the original comment was to draw attention to nature and being natural and how "that," whatever you wanna call it, despite what it is or isn't, isn't natural. Its basically like you focused on the grammar instead of the point With that said, thanks for the info-mato. Bah duh chhh

[@royvincent9250]

lets not forget when we hit the wood to do bushcrafting and hunting bring your pressure washer lol

[@hicro7726]

@@NinjaOnANinja I might agree with the other points you made, but bolts and screws are not a "tomato tomatoe" difference.

[@octaviusthecrafter]

I love how he is doing it the "bush craft" way and he uses a pressure washer to deflesh an animal. I know I don't have experience in this field but it just made me laugh.

[@acasualviewer103]

Same

[@youcanfixit3721]

I thought the same, but then was like that's a pretty ingenious way to flesh. Easier on the back

[@gumecindogarcia1070]

Bush craft scale too

[@Nate-bn5kk]

I was always taught to not use tap water because the chlorine can ruin the roots of the hair, so I'd recommend not using his method if you want yours to last.

[@cdevidal]

He never said he'd do it the bushcraft way, he said he'd do it the easy way :)

[@bdctrans70]

Great video. I grew up using the soaking method using the brains of the deer. It does eliminate the multiple applications that you use with the borax method, and I find it leaves the hide softer yet than the borax. But not everyone likes the thought of using deer or pig brains. It is a very messy and stinky method, you do need to have a strong tummy on you, and you do have to do more hand scraping prior to the application. You do risk the chance of tearing the hide, but it really teaches you to get a feel of the hide and flesh. A native woman taught me to use the post method, but use a flat beater paddle to help you, especially those who don't have much strength in their hands or are arthritic. But I would love for you to share with the readers the Brain treated method. I think they would really appreciate the authentic way hides were processed.

[@beggsnachin]

Can you tell more about the flat beater paddle? I have several cow hides salted, and they are way heavier than I can lift when wet. I quartered one. I took the dry salted house and used a drill with a wire brush attachment and scraped the salt and any fat and membrane of pretty well while it was dry. Then I wetted it and put it on a frame ( still pretty doggone heavy) and worked it with a wire brush. Then I rubbed pig lard in because I had plenty of that. I dunno what that did it if I'm done or what. It repelled the rain pretty well, bc I laid it over a bench and forgot about it and then suddenly summer was over and the rains came. It's in a possibly ruined heap on my back porch right now. Dried out again.

[@sran9492]

@@beggsnachin and did it shrink after drying

[@lbfeline2782]

You touch on something that I tracked down further. This method shown is technically not tanning. It dehydrates the skin but it doesn’t preserve and permanently soften the skin the way tanning does. So it matters, a lot, how you plan on using the skin. Straight up tanning using brains or chemicals is much better way to go for all the trouble it takes to prep the hide.

[@daphneraven6745]

@@beggsnachin : I just came across your 10 month old comment and wondered if you were able to salvage the hide after. And if so, how you accomplished it. I had that happen a few years ago myself. The hide was manually scraped and dehaired with a draw knife, soaked in lye solution, well-wrung, soaked in the brain solution, and ready to stretch. And then a storm front moved in. The low pressure trough just couldn’t seem to move out for three weeks or more. Needless to say, the hide started to get stinky. Sacrificing it just wasn’t an option. So I was absolutely blessed to be able to scrounge up a bit of borax.(Hard to find locally). As I recall, I made the solution slightly stronger than normal, and soaked the hide in it overnight. I had a pH meter to use. It’s been a few years now for that hide, but as memory serves, I believe I had to change the dilution the next morning. There was a marked improvement in it, so I just made up a new batch if borax solution and soaked it all day, and then do the same thing again before going to bed that night. Problem solved. Except for the weather. There was no freezer space, so salting and freezing it until the rain passed wasn’t an option. So I brained it again with fresh lamb brain from a local farmer, and hung it in the greenhouse to dry as rawhide. I figured I could always rehydrate and stretch it properly on a frame to work it soft and dry whenever the weather decides to cooperate later. The greenhouse is pretty small; there was no room to dry it on a frame in there, so it essentially curled a little, but that’s it. It dried really nicely, no smell. I sure hope you were able to save yours. What a heartbreak it would be to lose an entire cowhide! I hope you don’t mind if I ask about your method. Up until today, I had no idea that a person didn’t have to remove the fat from the skin by hand with a draw knife. So you can only imagine how delighted I am to see that you’ve got a method for doing that by salting the hide and using a wire brush. If you would say if you more words about that, I’d appreciate that. It seems like something a person might have to do in the heat of the summer, in order for the Salt to be able to dry the fat enough to remove with a brush. But I’d sure like to know before trying it myself, so as not to ruin a good hide experimenting, when an experienced person like you knows the answer. Assuming that you’re mounting the hide on the frame to do this so that you don’t tear up the hide with the brush, do you take your hide back down then to do the ringing type step, or do you leave it up there and just go ahead and brain work it dry on the same frame?

[@ckl9390]

They probably aren't allowed to use the brain method in Britain or the Isles.

[@jakedajuggernaught]

It would be pretty cool if we could see a 'primitive tanning' something closer to what people would do before having borax/alum on hand. Just a thought, your videos are great!

[@sgt1terrence]

I'm Native American and i have to avoid this vid because my people can tell if i used chemicals by performing the "needle poke"..hide looks good but the chemicals prevent people sewing with it because it would still be too thick

[@a_mustache_of_great_repute]

The brain works just fine.

[@malaciousmark3903]

@@sgt1terrence but if it’s too thick that would be handling the hide not the actual chemicals or materials used to tan the hide right?

[@aoki6643]

if im not completely mistaken it is extremely gross

[@EPGunman]

@@malaciousmark3903 normally if I am not mistaken, the more traditional non chemical way involves scraping that thins the hide some then the “breaking” of the hide to make it supple also stretches it making a bit thinner also. I could be mistaken though so please some one if I am wrong correct me!! 😁

[@James-mv9qx]

I've watched loads of tanning videos over the past few years, this is by far the best one. Thank you

[@simonmohs9502]

Awesome tutorial! Thanks for making tanning hides feel accessible for the beginner🙏

[@Creative_soil]

I have watched this video over and over. I finally have everything. Today I am tanning 4 hides.

[@obsidianoffensive]

Definitely would love to see another video on hide tanning! Great stuff here. Thanks for the content

[@shawnjacob497]

Of all the videos I watched about tanning, this one is by far the best, very straight to the point.

[@archie7212]

Have not seen it done that way before, thanks so much for showing a simpler method mate 🙂

[@KneeJerkReactions13]

Thanks for sharing your skill. I have been interested in this for awhile and my aboriginal friends can't find the time to teach me. Appreciate you man.

[@Lou.B]

That was GREAT! I feel like even I could do it! Thank You!

[@certaintraveler8284]

Thank you so much for this video! Everything I’ve seen on KZbin so far has made it seem super complicated and like you need loads of kit but this simplified it right down for me! Will be tanning my first hide this weekend 😁.

[@youcanfixit3721]

how did it turn out?

[@ChromeArty]

How'd it go!!?

[@dartagnanrasmussen]

Out of all tanning videos and info on internet this is the best thank you

[@rimeoftime2444]

My dad taught me this a while back, cool process.

[@jasonhenry2212]

Also. I would love to see a full video on all the different styles of tanning. Maybe some olden styles, modern styles with some hunting tips. (What to hunt with, where to hit, how to clean. Maybe show from hunting to tanning in a few method's.) Because I know how the animal dies can effect the finished animal hide.

[@jasonhenry2212]

@@werewolfbishop5465 I know it can be a little disgusting. But still valuable knowledge.

[@goliver3846]

I have always wanted to have a go at tanning as I have access to as many hides as might want. Having seen this video I had a try and although I didn't follow this exactly, it turned out brilliantly. I am very pleased.

[@go-wycowboys5018]

Very well done! one of the best organized and well done videos I have seen in the how to on you tube. Very informative. Thank you

[@ewengillies9826]

Thanks Dustin this was a very informative video of an easy process especially for beginners. All these tips n tricks you upload never go astray mate. Bushyboy Oz.

[@baitammo4652]

That was great! I would love to see the other methods!

[@sojournsojourntraveler1203]

EXCELENT This video has removed the reasons I have not been tanning hides . Clear and relatively simple EXCELENT JOB ! Thank you

[@michaellinnebur8800]

I've been studying this for years and this is the best video I've seen good job!

[@ericschweinsberg133]

Make the other video bro, I would like to see it. Loved this one

[@BUSHCRAFTTOOLS]

Thanks Eric

[@TheJasonmassia]

Definitely.. Especially if it uses natural materials like what we could use in a survival situation.

[@ericferguson9989]

Neat work. I am impressed. I tanned a couple of goats in a solution of vinegar, water and salt and was pleased with the result,. If I get a deer this season I will try a few things differently, like using the pressure washer, as fleshing it with knives was a real chore. Also, a frame would make the job easier. I had a hard time sourcing the Alum and vinegar sounded a lot safer anyways. The neatest thing about tanning is there are a lot of options and I enjoyed the deep dive into an area I'd not really thought of before.

[@lockwoodthexton]

Alum is perfectly safe but probably a lot harder to find than vinegar.

[@moriscoley5328]

I was really impressed and I liked the way you went through the whole process step by step, so much so that I subscribed and even shared it with my brother, this stuff is so cool. Thank you 😊

[@lindanwfirefighter4973]

You can use use the brain to tan it. It is free.

[@chemistryofquestionablequa6252]

You can find alum at most bulk food stores, or on Amazon.

[@clausroquefort9545]

so basically you pickled those goats? try using some pepper and a bay leaf next time

[@b-d3vil16]

Great info I’ve been wanting to do this for years , next harvest I’m just going for it.

[@davek88]

Great video! Can't wait to try this method out on our white tail deer here in Canada! Thank you sir!

[@ArielleViking]

Awesome, that sure was an interesting use of a pressure washer. Hides look beautiful. Would love to see different methods of tanning. 💯❤👍

[@chasingthefish9042]

This is a FILTHY method lol you will end up covered in bits of fat and meat.

[@jasonhenry2212]

One of the reasons I do not hunt is I don't want to sacrifice a life for nothing. This allows me to use the death more responsibly. I really like that. I want to be able to use as much as the animal as I can. I think this really shows how easy that can be. The rewards are much more. Thank you for making learning look easy and approachable. Making me more efficient. Much love. Be safe out there.

[@geraldtakala1721]

Hunters eat their prey they don't waste a life

[@jasonhenry2212]

@@geraldtakala1721 exactly. That's why I don't hunt. I wouldn't eat it. Unless I was hunting some cows.

[@jasonhenry2212]

@@pinkgrognak your probably right. I'm just in credible picky eater. I hate it about my self.

[@NeillWylie]

That turned out crazy nice. Great video.

[@isaacsudduth1574]

Awesome video. I've always wondered what the process of for tanning hides was. This would be good to know when I go hunting.

[@threeriversforge1997]

I've brain-tanned quite a few hides, but never hair-on. The pressure washer was a neat idea. Sure beats working over a beam for an hour to clean the meat and fat off!

[@BUSHCRAFTTOOLS]

It's super easy

[@ALs-Outdoors]

I would love to see the submerged one as well. I've never seen the paste method before. Interesting. I'm getting ready to tan a bobcat and was considering the egg yolks method just to see the difference.

[@sgt1terrence]

yah egg and mayo is what im using right now since i ran out of brains..eggs and mayo mixed with a bit of vegetable oil

[@jahyeet1137]

@@sgt1terrence how’d it go?

[@brendan6747]

Are you making wallhangers? How pliable can you get it

[@ALs-Outdoors]

@@brendan6747 depends on how thin you get the leather. I make a lot of wall hangers but they are still pliable

[@masonf.7460]

Nice use of the treager screw driver! I’ve been looking for a way to use mine forever!

[@williamtell2496]

When I wore a younger man's clothes, I used to tan the hides from animals I harvested. I've had deer hides, fox squirrel hides and Raccoon hides. I would decorate our living room with them. Some being used on our coffee tables and shelves. Over time I sold them off. I, to this day, still have a Racoon hide hanging on our wall that was the biggest I have ever harvested! That was in 2004. I on occasion rub a bit of coconut oil on it. My technique is a bit different but seems to work well. The old stretch, scrape, salt and scrape method. Then needing after oil is applied. Wiping and hanging and wiping again. More work is involved but results are good. Nearing retirement age I plan to take up this task again for the younger hunters so they will have a fine hide from their harvest. Thank you for sharing your technique. I will be using it.

[@symonrocks9847]

When I was younger my Dad would tan my hide, I didn't like it one bit.

[@BUSHCRAFTTOOLS]

😆 🤣 😂

[@symonrocks9847]

@@BUSHCRAFTTOOLS Seriously, l admire you and the skills you have, in the UK we have nothing like this, we have no idea of killing animals etc, as far as the British are concerned meat comes from the supermarket.

[@rimmersbryggeri]

@@symonrocks9847 I believe he is british.

[@symonrocks9847]

@@rimmersbryggeri Did you work that out all by yourself, or by me saying about being in the UK and British

[@TheUberdude187]

@@symonrocks9847 not all of us brits. While I don't hunt as often as I would like, I make a point of knowing where my meat comes from whether bought from my local farm shop or shot by my self. Although I would agree sadly some of our kids in the UK wouldn't know where a beef burger came from if you showed them the cow in a field first.

[@hek3624]

I would love to see the other method of tanning submerging the hide in liquid. Great video by the way.

[@phillipallan2863]

Yes, me too. Hopefully you'll show us all how to do that method SOON ??

[@bryanjarboe8920]

My favorite part is when you went from your hatchet to your dewalt. I literally laughed out loud. Not in frustration but in appreciation of the idea that you don’t need to whittle those holes by hand for more youtube views, we all know we’d each grab a real drill and bang them out in a practical manner. Thanks for the honestly.

[@jocessiecodilla5569]

Wow nice job 👏 I love seeing your vlogs it's very knowledgeable keep it up God blessed you in your adventure

[@rustyshackleford4238]

Thank you for this awesome in-depth video! Im currently following these steps and am on round 2 of tanning solution. My first round was a little too watery so I made sure this one was more pasty. It sure is a lot harder than you make it look. I admire the skill. Thank you for sharing this!

[@BUSHCRAFTTOOLS]

Thanks rusty

[@kingrafa3938]

I didn't get a notification from this video Dustin. So glad i visited your channel and surprised that you uploaded a video 27 minutes ago and KZbin didn't notified me. Btw, nice video 👍🇵🇭

[@MVEZombie]

Never expected to watch a video like this, but it deserves a like and a sub for sure!

[@jr.knight3600]

Thanks for the info! ALOT of great tips hoss. Keep em coming buddy.

[@rjanleine6470]

My plane crashed on the mountain and I am freezing to death. Luckily I have a dead animal, some laundry detergent and my trusty garden hose at hand! But fr, good video! Great content

[@thedukesadventures4323]

Great vid love to see how other people do it ..... for me i like the alum salt bath ive done roe fallow sheep fox and a goat ive used the egg yolk method aswell on fox and a sheep results were good and soft .

[@XaLoiVlog]

he is a real gentleman. I respect and admire, I used to have a cowhide but when it came to tanning I failed

[@tonyv1505]

Always curios on how to do this and this video shows how easy it is easier than I thought thanks for the video

[@BUSHCRAFTTOOLS]

Thanks bud

[@rasputin7633]

Just the other day I was out in the bush hunting. I had been patiently waiting all morning in one spot. The cool crisp November air that day was particularly refreshing and helped me maintain my focus. Suddenly, as if from no where, Cernunnos, the stag god himself appeared before me. I couldn't believe it, I was briefly stunned at this sight before me that no mortal eyes should behold. This beautiful stag. I slowly raised my bow and drew back my string. I silently prayed in my mind. I took aim, and let loose. What seemed like an eternity, was no over in less than the blink of an eye. I approached this noble beast in humble admiration. I knelt down next to him and said "I'm going to power wash your hide in the middle of the woods, just as my ancestors did in ancient times." I found the nearest 120v oak outlet near me, and began the process. I will never forget that day for the rest of my life.

[@traceyevans2757]

You’re too much 😂 10/10

[@donaldpigeon]

I'm sure it is quite a site to look at you chew a moose hide to drive your saliva enzymes into the hide in the name of "respect" for the old days... as you text funny replies on a computer made by a samurai

[@beebob1279]

Just subscribed. Those hides are beautiful. My uncle was a butcher. He would process deer for hunters on the side. He would keep the hides (hunters just don't want them) and have them tanned or turned into leather. He had some really nice coats made from the leather.

[@davidcapps6111]

Your uncle was/is a smart man.

[@beebob1279]

@@davidcapps6111 Yes he was. Also part of payment he would keep some steaks or a roast. Whatever he and the hunter agreed on. Free clean protein.

[@davidcapps6111]

@@beebob1279 That worked out well for both sides. Back in the early eighties I ran a slaughterhouse. I had a man who bought the hides but many times customers offered me meat. I occasionally accepted but was always grateful for the offer.

[@TheTopMostDog]

Glad to find this recommended to me. Subscribed. Thanks for the vid!

[@riceire2445]

I love bringing my power washer when hike and camp in the woods 😊

[@kinoko6096]

Awesome video! My brother and I are going to work on our first hide soon. He found some deer carcasses that had been killed by coyotes in our woods and we thought we’d attempt preserving the hides since they were nicely intact.

[@sayyamzahid505]

Belo horizonte Uzi

[@Corzappy]

When you were sorting through your tanned hides I could literally feel them just by watching you run your hands over it like some sort of weird phantom-sensation.

[@Smallholdingonashoestring]

I can't believe I hadn't thought of using a jet wash before. That's going to be a game changer for me

[@zaliothman375]

This is brilliant + fast using cheap, practical modern tools

[@toomaskotkas4467]

I love the "backyard survivalists" with the power tools and the power washer.

[@dennislock3415]

The pressure washer was new to me ,great labor saver by the way,pretty much how I've done some in the past,except I used a soulution of the alum.Have you tried oak bark tannins ,I did some smaller hides still have a squirrel hide around I did about forty years ago and its still flexible,good video,important things for people to know if shtf.

[@kestrelscout7155]

I am planning on doing it with oak bark, after I've boiled it in water do I just soak the skin in it before stringing it up? Because I'm guessing it will be a lot more liquidy than the paste he uses in the video

[@mgntstr]

anything high in Tannins will do the trick of keeping the leather from being eaten by fungus and bacteria, making it stiffen and flake off into a million bits of pieces.@@kestrelscout7155

[@dumpsterfire6351]

Dude YES!

[@fantasticshorts5143]

Thank God for men like you ❤, keep it real my brother.

[@jackhagemann6133]

I would love to see the other methods. Thanks for sharing

[@Letsstarthobbying]

Love this video, best and most informative one I've found on KZbin for tanning! Is there any particular brand or type of alum you use? Can you tan the hide in a well ventilated shop or does it need to be outside in the sunlight? Do you not have to salt the hides before taking them with this method?

[@jupiterstone1844]

I was wandering the same thing about the Alum, for some reason the kind I got made the paste sticky and grainy.

[@stanmorem]

Just finished this. My hides turned out quite stiff and it took me a bit of time to get the last batch of dried tanning formula off the hide. I did stretch the hides around a post and just applied neatsfoot oil so 🤞 they loosen up a bit. All around fun project!

[@leviholliday5214]

Same here. How did the end product go?

[@williamlester4]

Same. Stretching it is looking like a major chore. Very stiff

[@-tv6906]

I wanted to know how to handle skin of wild animals for a long time. I am very glad to see this video. Thank you very much.

[@bbqwholehogs24]

Thanks for showing this. I came to have a fawn pelt and tried this out without much expectation and it turned out wonderful so far!! Neatsfoot oil arrives tomorrow so will be breaking and softening it tomorrow.

[@shawnndixon5254]

how are you guys getting fawn pelts are you hunting out of season?

[@kcmiles9832]

Thank you for this video. I had my kids watch it for homeschool today. There is a lot of work involved. I'm glad my kids saw this. You do fine work, Sir.

[@BUSHCRAFTTOOLS]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@anteprlic9676]

After an intensive online research on tanning, I have decided to give this method a try. Not quite smooth as Bushcraft does it, but did come to the day of scraping off the paste. Red deer fawn cape. I extended last phase by three days, and, the paste is rock hard, like very hard plaster on the wall, hide is brittle, broke/ punctured through in several spots, all towards the edge, where hide is thinner. Research continues..

[@brendan6747]

So you changed the method, it didn't work, and you're blaming the method? 😂

[@user-ro9ny1hz6b]

Quite impressive and full of knowledge

[@SilverOilman]

I attempted this (prior to watching your video just now) about a year or two ago. I must have scraped too much of the flesh off the hide because the entire thing was not stiff but brittle. I tried to soften it by sanding, working it, stretching it, and using oil, but I only managed to tear through it a few times, not to mention that a good deal of the fur would come out no matter what I did. This year I'll do what I can to follow your method and see what I can do better. Thanks for the video.

[@jeffstevens156]

When I was young and wanted anything that wasn’t a hand me down, I bought it from the money I made on my trapline. I sold the hides green because I had a morning paper route to throw and an afternoon one. I got $45 for a big boar raccoon. That was a lot of money in the early seventies for a kid. I didn’t know a mix to “tan” the hides. The ones I kept I used a dull knife and a fleshing board. Great video!

[@susanthrapp6154]

Found everything on Amazon for cheap. But I take a 55 gallon drum from a farm supply store and soak oak chips or acorns for a mouth or so and use the liquid work fine

[@daphneraven6745]

Bushcraft Tools: Tyvk for this tutorial. Using a pressure washer certainly seems to be a lot more efficient than my scraping everything by hand. I’m a bit surprised that you could actually get the fatty layer off side this way, but delighted to find it out. It is easily a day or two’s work to have to drape a big bull moosehide over a wide length of PVC while I scrape every inch of it with a draw knife. I got surprisingly good with a baseball stitch with my first hide lol. There must’ve been three nicks in the hide in the thinner spots before I was done; a person would never have cause to learn that skill with the pressure washer. :) Then there’s the alum versus brain tanning. It looks a lot faster, with fewer steps here. In the brain tanning version, the hide is worked until it’s dry, resulting in a fairly thin, supple hide that can be used to make garments. If the hide is just made into leather, without the hair on it, once it’s smoked, it can even be washed. (Idk if that also true of a hide that is brain tanned with hair on it, because I’ve never tanned that way. ) So of course, I’m wondering if the hides can be sewn into garments and footwear, once they’re tanned using your method, and if you can use the leftover bits to make rawhide, please. I was interested in your Neetsfoot oil idea as well; if you had chosen to apply that while your hide was still in the frame, simply snugging up your suspension as you went along, do you know if you would have been able to take a shin bone or other tool, to stretch and soften the hide so that it was more uniform, before taking it from the frame? Your video is a year old, and so you probably already have your tally about whether or not you’re gonna do more tanning videos, but just in case, here’s me weighing in. Of course, I’d like very much to see more tanning videos. It would be very interesting to see what variations you do with your techniques, and the sorts of things that you use make of Your tanned hides, please. :D

[@carlylepalmer1634]

Excellent well done, will try it..your pretty good in explaining the processes...thanks

[@thelifeofreed5367]

Awesome video! I love how you used practical tools and supplies which we all have around. However, I have a silly question. Deer have fairly thick skin compared to smaller game such a rabbits, squirrels, and even raccoons. How you ever tried this process on small animals? Thanks and have a great day!

[@BUSHCRAFTTOOLS]

Good question..I've used this same method to tan smaller game

[@brendan6747]

So you can safely use a power washer on rabbit or bobcat?

[@DrewEdwardBacklas]

I’m currently trying this on the two whitetail deer hides I got this year… found that my cheap harbor freight pressure washer had a hard time removing the flesh,fat, and membrane from the hide and if I spent too much time in one spot trying to remove it all it actually would start to blast a hole in the hide. Also I had to mix the alum/borax quite thoroughly to get rid of clumps. Just finished the second paste application. Fingers crossed it looks like it is working.

[@goliver3846]

For what it is worth, I submerged mine in a mixture of salt and Alum for a couple of days before pressure washing. This seemed to loosen the material that needed removing as well as setting the hair. Also I use the paint stripper attachment on the pressure washer, which can easily create a hole if left on an area too long.

[@DrewEdwardBacklas]

This process worked well enough I think and I’m satisfied with the result for my first attempt. I’m not quitting my job any time soon to pursue a career as a taxidermist, but the hides are preserved and not left in the field with the gut pile. I have the nicer example on my wall and the other I cut part from to make a sheath for a homemade knife that was handled with part of a femur from the same deer. I’m thinking the rest will make a nice scabbard for my Winchester.

[@goliver3846]

@@DrewEdwardBacklas I am on my second now but as the whole family looked at the first one and said, 'okay, what are you going to do with that now', there might not be a third.

[@redemption7449]

@@goliver3846 my parents did the same

[@neverendingluau]

​@@goliver3846😂❤

[@williamdunn268]

Excellent video and instruction. Thank you so much.

[@pardon_this_1]

Love it and thank you... Gonna give it a try with my boy over Christmas break... We'll let you know how it goes!

[@johnrains8409]

Show the liquid method. Always good to know 2 paths to the same mountain top.

[@outdoorswithroostercurrie6984]

Yes I’d love to see more Hide Tanning videos.

[@ronaldbutler4480]

good job on that! thanks for videoing it and sharing it!

[@ozzyozzborne1207]

Awesome video. Would like to see it done the old settlers way. No modern apparatus. Great job. Very talented. Keep it coming.

[@southbucksbushcraft6572]

Great vid dustin ive always wondered how to tan a Hide. But I do wonder how it would of been done primitively when they couldn't access the ingredients. A question tho, what are your thoughts on the insulation properties compared to a decent sleep pad/mat? I like the idea of using a hide but always thought they cant be that warm.. Take care

[@macc_minnie_]

They used the brains of the deer and liver mixture

[@redemption7449]

I assure a deer hide is a good insulator if it is large enough. The only other thing I’d do is sew a smaller blanket of like felt or something to the skin side.

[@redemption7449]

I assure a deer hide is a good insulator if it is large enough. The only other thing I’d do is sew a smaller blanket of like felt or something to the skin side.

[@hipbeeexplorer]

very cool, I learned something new!

[@cammi9948]

Im amazed by how clean that was even to start with

[@livingontheedge8680]

Gotta love how he starts with the primative tools and then promptly goes for the cordless power drill and hardware! =)

[@livingontheedge8680]

Where is the primative/caveman/survival method to this?

[@mbc-ls3zp]

Thanks. Looks easier than brain tanning. I'll try it next year after hunting season. BTW how much does it cost to kill the queens deer??

[@BUSHCRAFTTOOLS]

The hides I tan are leftover from my bushcraft courses. Nothing goes to waste!!!

[@WisdomPrevails369]

Learning how to tan Biden Skin

[@sanwalkhan7887]

😂

[@crohkorthreetoes3821]

Excellent work, you made it look easy

[@grammarpolice4003]

“bushcraft electric drill” lmao

[@algernoncalydon3430]

Holes along the edge should be 2 - 2 1/2 inches apart, strings should never cross as that makes it hard to tighten them later, which has to be done several times. The hides can be tumbled in an old dryer or wet and then soften by hand by working it back and forth.

[@mazlosoutdooradventures8594]

Is this how you do a coyote , seems the skin is thinner and will rip easy

[@gelanghaarteweile3048]

OK, just to get it clear: you can not wear the hide after tanning? I don't know how the chemicals would react with the skin so i ask :) I myself did brain tanning my "pelts" and leather and after smoking and cleaning we had no problems to wear the leather or pelts. Would be nice if you can show an easy way to make cloth-grade leather or pelts :)

[@nouseforaname182]

Egg yolk is a slightly inferior and cheep alternate to brain tanning. And safe for sensitive skin

[@batfurs3001]

For wearables you wanna use commercial chemical tans, they make the hides super soft and washable, and also removes any of the variation that comes with using natural methods

[@robertford5050]

You need to use a special tanning solution called a garment tan, easier on the skin. I believe the egg thing is considered a garment tan, however it will make the pelt stink at first.

[@bnalive5077]

@@robertford5050 lol. No. You don’t need any of that. Every animal has enough brain to tan it’s own hide. There is nothing superior to brain tan.

[@kennnuthatch5724]

@@bnalive5077 I thought the saying was; every critter has just enough brains to preserve its own hide...😁

[@canespugnaces2126]

A lot more simple than I expected.

[@FrenchyJr]

We have ode (outdoor Ed) and instead of picking this everyone else picked building a quinze (makeshift snow fort) I wanted to do this and learn before the hunting season so thanks

[@BUSHCRAFTTOOLS]

PLEASE CLICK THIS TO HELP ME HIT 100K SUBSCRIBERS kzbin.info THANK YOU

[@motog4-75]

How do you get hold of the hides? What do they cost before treating & processing?

[@jaredtandle2596]

What was that mix with Borax you use?

[@BUSHCRAFTTOOLS]

@@jaredtandle2596 alum and borax

[@BUSHCRAFTTOOLS]

@@motog4-75 speak to your local hunter and get them for free.

[@motog4-75]

@@BUSHCRAFTTOOLS local hunter? Thanks. I live in a city🤓

[@bjorn8453]

Bushcraft tips: Use a pressure washer.....

[@sgt1terrence]

as a native we use the brains of the animal for the oils..or pork brains from the butcher shop..but he used chemicals, so we cant exactly sew through it..but ima use this method for a shawl or blanket when im out there camping and hunting..seems nice and warm..ima try this on a big ol' moose hide i just got the other day.

[@zanegrey4364]

Fantastic, thank you for your knowledge.

[@bertabound8093]

I'm confused. Why didn't you break the hide while it was attached to the frame? Or is that just simply preference on how soft you want the hide?

[@ericaulbach]

So when my Mom said she was going to tan my hide this is what she pictured in her mind?!

[@russell4844]

The editing is very pleasing to the eye

[@jeremiahedwards7357]

This is what I was looking for. Thank you.