Thread: Tahr Skin Tanning Problem Leder Tanning Kit

the process of sanding hide after tanning isnt called "bricking" for nothing.....old red house brick,preferably picked up out of riverbed so has nice rounded edges works well...pumice stone works even better..."breaking" over top of a rounded post/stairwell banister/banister post helps soften up hide by breaking fibres up .
Ive used a few different systems including a home brew,that turned skins blue but were hard as stink...the thar I tried went hard too... very thick pelt.

You mentioned stretching the hide when it is drying. I have a tahr skin soaking in the leders kit at the moment and have conflicting advice about whether I can just remove it from the solution and hang it to dry or have to pin it out to a frame. Can anyone confirm if it does need to be stretched out?

And the answer is that you don’t need to pin it out.

Took a short cut and just hung it over a wooden horse. Probably took a bit longer to dry is all but as I put heaps of leather lube on it the skin doesn’t dry out as such it kind of just cures, turning from blue to white.

Originally Posted by SPEARONZ

You mentioned stretching the hide when it is drying. I have a tahr skin soaking in the leders kit at the moment and have conflicting advice about whether I can just remove it from the solution and hang it to dry or have to pin it out to a frame. Can anyone confirm if it does need to be stretched out?

the skin pictured at start of post looks to me like very uneven distribution of tanning chemical by not turning or agitating skin or to cramped in tank perhaps - now I would pin it out - use very thin nails - trim later - it gives a much better finished product and its easier to work on - you can dictate the final shape - just loose over a frame it could crease badly - without pegging it if it creases at all very difficult to remove later - try a nylon bristle brush on a drill or angle grinder - but go gently - pumice block good - or timber -two of you pull back and fowards over a piece of rounded 4x4 or 4x2 - commercial tanners have all kind of machine at their disposal to work up nice smooth finish - a point here consider your self lucky you were not born years ago as an Innuit lady - you would be required to use ya teeth to soften hubbys new caribou leathers - and thats after a tanning involving urine and charcoal

it looks very good, you are doing everything right