Tanning Hides/skins

[Rough Jack]

Gidday

I hope this is good enough place to put this. I have been asked by two member about tanning or curing hides/skins and think that tips. hints is as good a place as any.

Right from when I was a boy which is far too long agao to tell, I have on occasions either tanned or cured the odd hide.

First let me distinguish the difference between the two.
Curing a skin or hide is really just like pickling it, it is presurving it in a similar state that it starts in. This is normally done with salts or with similar stuf like alum and kerosene. When it is done it is still skin or hide and can still rot the same if wet or whatever, though can be kept successfully for years.

Tanning skins or hides uses a chemical process that changes it so that it becomes leather. You can successfully home cure or tan quite easily and like most things, the end result is ususally equal to the effort put into it, but by far the best results will always be with tanning as leather, well treated will last almost for ever.

There are three basic ways to tann hides, one using sulphuric or other acid, one using chromium and the other using natural tannins, usually from bark. The acaia tree bark is noted to be the best for that.

Added to this there is the fact that you can tan with the hair/wool on or you can have it removed so you end up with very normal looking leather.

I had the hide of a cattle beast that I had killed for home use that I cured, on our lounge floor for about 10 years and that is not as good as tanning so that will give you some idea of what can be achieved by a rough country boy like me, so you should be able to do even better.

As far as I personally am concerned, my choice has always been the chromium tanny and I have bought the kit. The main reason I have stuck to the chrome tanning kits is simply because when I tried it, it worked so I didn't try either of the other methods.

I have always bought the Leidreiters Tanning kits but they have now been taken over and are called Leder Tanning Kits.
I don't know about over there but locally they can be bought from:-
http://www.outdoorsupplies.co.nz/tannin ... ts.htm#rit

So you should be able to do a bit of searching to find a closer source.

[red]

isn't anthrax a risk with tanning?

[Rough Jack]

Gidday

Why would that be?

[Wombat]

If there is anthrax around than there are a number of ways lt can be caught, Red! Not for nothing it was known as woolsorters disease in the past.

The "Synopsis of Zoonoses in Australia" (1980) says of Anthrax - "The vegetative form (ie Spores) is found in carcasses and animal by-products such as hides, wool, hair and bonemeal from a variety of domestic and wild animals". It lists Anthrax outbreaks in Aus as few and far between and I suspect the same or less would cover NZ as well.

Nev

[Boots]

Can I have more info on curing, Jack?

Do you dry the hide first or immerse it straight away in something.. salt solution? What is the process?

[Rough Jack]

Gidday

Hey Boots, if the instruction in the Leder kit are as good as those in the old Leidreiters ones then it is very well explained. The first thing you must do is salt the flesh side of the skin with plenty salt to pickle it. Leave it salted for at least a wee before starting the tanning process.

I suppose it depends on where you are getting your hides, but you can either salt them down fresh or if you are keeping small game hides and you are out in the bush, you can also dry them till you have enough or you get back to civilization. A dried hide then has to be re-hydrated by soaking before you start with the salting.

If you have access to hides from any animal it is really worth while to tan them because of the value of the end product.

I have down sheeps, cattle and bunny hides. The bunnies tan beautifully and come op like the softest leather you could possible imagine. When our younguns were babies they had soft bunny skins as comforters, and I had a had made of them for years. I remember it was great when bunny huntin in a 20 degree whore frost.

I believe there are several members on here who have rabbits, I presume to be a bit selfsuffient-ish and by tanning the hides you can become even more so.

[red]

Gidday

Why would that be?

well - I understand anthrax is around a lot as its soil born etc., but that there is an increased risk for people whose occupations involve them dealing with animal carcasses - see wikipeadia on the subject or just try googling 'anthrax and tanning' you will get plenty of hits making the connection.

[Rough Jack]

Gidday

As far as I know, the last pwerson to get anthrax in New Zealand was over 50 years ago.

Anyway, do you ever go into the supermarket. Have you heard what you can catch there off the trolly handles. There must come a time when you say to haell with all the fear crap. I'm going to live my life like my forefarthers did.

[red]

yup its true - it seems that anthrax is a bigger problem in USA than in NZ or Australia. - and deemed very low risk in NZ - so perhaps you are right not to worry. Anyone reading this thread from a higher risk country might at least, want to be informed.

I don't worry about what I catch off supermarket trolleys as I no longer shop in supermarkets, and practice good hygiene such as washing hands before eating anyway. I agree you can over worry, and in fact believe a bit of exposure to bugs builds an immune system - anthrax is different though.As I said - I like to make an informed choice.

[Jack]

Gidday

Fair enough mate. But still, what are the odds at being hit by a car against getting anthrax?

[red]

well yeh - all things in perspective - you are right there.

[Jack]

Gidday

Yeah, and the other way to look at it is you said that anthrax was soil borne so are there equal chances of gettin it from workin in the garden. Bit of a bloody worry then Eh!

[Shirley]

Are Rough Jack and Jack one and the same??

[Jack]

Gidday

Yes I am Jack and I am rough. I had a hellava job getting onto here and tried first just as Jack but had to get a bit rough on the way.

If you know what I mean.

[red]

actually - it seems I am wrong about it being soil borne - it seems come from animals - typically cattle sheep and goats.

It seems to be mostly found in south and central America, south and east Europe, Asia and Africa. There have been 4 cases in the UK in the last decade - a man in Scotland died from anthrax last year. He was probably working with imported skins.

so yes the chances of catching anthrax seem to be very small, however if I were working with animal skins and became ill - I would definitely mention it to the Dr...