Ever had a hide tanned?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Ever had a hide tanned?

Posted: 9/24/2007 7:56:42 PM EDT

Drawn for cow elk next month. Just in case, God forbid, I should actually kill an elk, I was wondering about getting the hide tanned. Have you ever had a hide tanned (hair off)? What did you do with the leather - gloves, jacket, vest, chaps?

Tell me about it -- taxidermist does it? What did it cost you?

Posted: 9/25/2007 10:47:04 AM EDT

[#1]

I made several trips out behind the wood shed as a young lad...

Posted: 10/2/2007 10:22:39 AM EDT

[#2]

Yep....all the time.

Except I tan them hair on. Peel off the jammies, turn the tail, remove any sinew / muscle. Use 1 lb. of non-iodized salt per sq. ft of hide to draw out the moisture.

Roll it up, wrap in garbage bags, and ship via UPS ground to Clay Cambras @ Cambras Fur Tannery in Hayward, CA.

If you decide to have stuff made, you'll be amazed at how much you need. One hide may not be enough.

For a cow elk through a taxidermist, you can expect to pay about $15-$17 per sq. ft. hair on.

If you tan the whole thing including head / neck, you can call it about 30 sq. ft. and plan on spending about $450.

Posted: 10/3/2007 11:27:21 AM EDT

[#3]

I've sent bobcat, fox squirrel and a deer to Moyle's tanning. I've had great luck with them. I tried a place in florida for a bobcat, and it took 4 years for the chemical smell to become tolerable. Moyle's hides I can hang that day, and they are garment quality.

Posted: 10/3/2007 12:38:59 PM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
I've sent bobcat, fox squirrel and a deer to Moyle's tanning. I've had great luck with them. I tried a place in florida for a bobcat, and it took 4 years for the chemical smell to become tolerable. Moyle's hides I can hang that day, and they are garment quality.

Is there a way to do small critters yourself?

Posted: 10/7/2007 5:49:42 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I've sent bobcat, fox squirrel and a deer to Moyle's tanning. I've had great luck with them. I tried a place in florida for a bobcat, and it took 4 years for the chemical smell to become tolerable. Moyle's hides I can hang that day, and they are garment quality.

Is there a way to do small critters yourself?

There's lots of ways to do small (and large) animals yourself. But it takes practice, and a LOT of effort. If its a once-in-a-lifetime trophy (the lotto-type stuff) I'd send it off. Otherwise, learn/practice with squirrels.

I don't have my other PC with me, so I don't have my list of handy sites to post, but 5 minuets with google should turn up numerous methods of tanning.

Posted: 10/7/2007 6:06:21 PM EDT

[#6]

I send all my large game hides to Uber Tanning Copmpany in Minnesota, they only do hair off and they'll make stuff if you want.
I like to have the leather for projects and can't see throwing it away.
I've done a couple through the local taxidermist with hair on but it was too much money and I haven't found anything to do with them but hang em on the wall.

http://www.uberglove.com/

Deer are $31, Elk are $98 and they cut the hide in half.

Posted: 10/9/2007 1:41:21 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I've sent bobcat, fox squirrel and a deer to Moyle's tanning. I've had great luck with them. I tried a place in florida for a bobcat, and it took 4 years for the chemical smell to become tolerable. Moyle's hides I can hang that day, and they are garment quality.

Is there a way to do small critters yourself?

There's lots of ways to do small (and large) animals yourself. But it takes practice, and a LOT of effort. If its a once-in-a-lifetime trophy (the lotto-type stuff) I'd send it off. Otherwise, learn/practice with squirrels.

I don't have my other PC with me, so I don't have my list of handy sites to post, but 5 minuets with google should turn up numerous methods of tanning.

I did a small deer last year. I know I can do it if I need to but I don't want to. Lot of work, lot of mess, and will take some time to get good at it. Send it out if you can.

Posted: 10/9/2007 6:06:21 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
I made several trips out behind the wood shed as a young lad...

[/quote

several years ago I purchased an elk hide tanned with the hair off. I found a pattern and made a pullover shirt. It had buckskin sleeves and a large oversize collar. It looks good to this day and stops the wind real nice but it better be REAL cold if you are doing any activity. It's heavy and will make you sweat.

Posted: 10/9/2007 8:34:38 PM EDT

[#9]

Thanks for the info. I'm thinking it might be cool to make holsters, mag pouches, slings from the leather. $450 doesn't seem out of line for tanning an elk hide.

Season starts next week -- we shall see!

Posted: 10/10/2007 10:37:32 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Is there a way to do small critters yourself?

Sure, it can be done yourself, but it is a LOT of hard, time consuming work. I'll gladly pay to have it done, in fact I paid with a big grin!! It is cheap compared to the work it takes.

Also, Milquetoast, tanning for workable leather is very different from fur tanning. You will want vegetable tanned to use for sheathes, holsters, etc., as it can be wet molded. You also will want pretty thick leather, like 6-8 oz. for these projects. I don't know if any elk has a hide that thick, as I've only used cowhide for those projects.

Posted: 10/11/2007 3:57:31 AM EDT

[#11]

Hmmm...I just might make a deer skin shirt this season. I'm off to google tanning methods. I think a deer leather shirt would be a great hunting shirt.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Ever had a hide tanned?

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