Guide to Tanning Your Hide
Tanning your hide
1. First soak your hide to soften and clean it. A bucket
of Napisan does a lovely job getting it clean and white but don't
soak for too long. I did about 4 hours... if you leave it too
long the hair can start to come loose.
2. Remove the skin from soaking and peg out tightly on a flat surface like a piece of ply or an old table with the hair side facing down.
3. All skins have a shiny tight layer of tissue that must be broken up and entirely removed. Douse the skin with turps, sprinkle with a lot of baking soda, take a good sized piece of pumice and scrap down the skin to remove this layer and any tissue and fat left on it. Once you have worked the entire hide, brush off and leave to dry.
4. Repeat this process once a week over several weeks until the hide is soft and clean.
5. Enjoy as a rug, wall hanging or fancy dress outfit.
