# Chewing leather



## dak (Dec 15, 2013)

Sorry if this is the wrong place for topic but here we go.

So if you kill a rabbit or other small game, what do you guys think about chewing the skin to preserve the leather?


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

Honestly, I have heard of the process, Im hoping people with more pelt experience than me (ZERO), chime in.


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## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

isn't urine a better way to create leather, but I'm with deebo zero experience, but have a little theory knowledge


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## dak (Dec 15, 2013)

Ya there is brains and waste that work but chewing seems easy, also I'm sure you catch up on calories.


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

Seems like it would take an awfully long time.


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

I think we have troll.


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

I think that I could find better and easier ways to do it then chewing the hide, not to mention what chewing on hides will eventually do to your teeth.


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

Just give your dog some rawhide to chew and you can see how well that works in making leather.


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## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

Meangreen said:


> I think we have troll.


or someone that believes everything they hear on the interwebs, or another doc Google customer


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## Fuzzee (Nov 20, 2012)

Use your brain or theirs. 

How to Tan Leather | eHow

.


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## jesstheshow (Nov 18, 2013)

Um... No... You don't chew it and I have never heard of anyone who has, ever lol. My family grew up tanning hide into leather... We would soak it, pull the hair off, you can rub poop on it (gross, I know, but it works) called bating, it makes it flatten out...We would then stretch the hide out and rub it with a mixture of water and crushed oak bark-that makes "tannin"... Then there's brain tanning, but I have never done it that way.


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## jesstheshow (Nov 18, 2013)

Theres also all these fancy chemicals you can use! lol


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## jimb1972 (Nov 12, 2012)

Oak leaves work pretty well too, we have lots of them around here.


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## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

Go chew some and give us a full report ok?.


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## BamaBoy101 (Dec 9, 2013)

dak said:


> Ya there is brains and waste that work but chewing seems easy, also I'm sure you catch up on calories.


I cure hides all the time and I have to say I have never heard of chewing to preserve. The Native Americans used to chew finished hides to make them soft. I personally use the animals brains and wood ash and it works very well....


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## Go2ndAmend (Apr 5, 2013)

Chewing hides is not does to preserve, but to soften. I have never personally chewed a hide, except for some very poor employees. Back to the topic though, I have done some hide work. I made a very nice rifle scabbard (Hair on) out of a blacktail buck I killed one year. I brain tanned it. I currently have a few elk hides in the freezer which need some attention.


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## BamaBoy101 (Dec 9, 2013)

Go2ndAmend said:


> Chewing hides is not does to preserve, but to soften. I have never personally chewed a hide, except for some very poor employees. Back to the topic though, I have done some hide work. I made a very nice rifle scabbard (Hair on) out of a blacktail buck I killed one year. I brain tanned it. I currently have a few elk hides in the freezer which need some attention.


You will identify with this I bet.....Hide scraper that started as a tomahawk head till it broke during knapping...


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## Go2ndAmend (Apr 5, 2013)

Bama - been there, done that. Scrapping is not one of the more fun aspects of preparing a hide, but very necessary.


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## BamaBoy101 (Dec 9, 2013)

I don’t scrape much, I use a pressure washer to remove 99% of the mater. Even gets rid of a lot of the oils and fats..Neet trick..


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## BamaBoy101 (Dec 9, 2013)

Old SF Guy said:


> IMO and based on SERE "C" training...every animal has enough brains to be used to tan the leather it provides. Chewing the skin is a good way to get microbes and bacteria into your body. Nothing raw (especially warm blooded, Red meat animals) should be going into your mouth in a survival situation unless you think Hershey Squirts is a fun ride at Hershey Park.


I have tanned most everything and yes all critters have enough brain to tan its hide....


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## dak (Dec 15, 2013)

I guess chewing isn't the best way to go.


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Meangreen said:


> Just give your dog some rawhide to chew and you can see how well that works in making leather.


I have a black leather jacket that was made from our dogs' old rawhide chews. It looks great. The only problem is I have about 47 Chihuahuas humping my leg and following me everywhere I go. :shock:


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

Inor said:


> I have a black leather jacket that was made from our dogs' old rawhide chews. It looks great. The only problem is I have about 47 Chihuahuas humping my leg and following me everywhere I go. :shock:


You're sexy and you know it!


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Meangreen said:


> You're sexy and you know it!


The Chihuahuas think so apparently...


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## DogSoldier (Dec 27, 2013)

I saw a great video on youtube were a guy tanned a snake hide with just alcohol and glycerin. It was a 50/50 mix and he let it stand in a jar for 3 days and I have to say it looked like it worked great. Here is the link.

John


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Teeth will not last long with the method


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