Frenchman,
First, here is a link describing original methods of tanning hides as a short description of each method. Though one could make a fair living at Tanning in the 17th through 19th century in England, it was such a vile and smelly process that Tanneries had to be located down river from most towns and some towns even had laws restricting where Tanners could go as the tanning materials got soaked into their skin and they always smelled terrible..
http://www.alpharubicon.com/primitive/tanningdragoona.htmPerhaps I can save you from some of the expensive and frustrating mistakes many of us made in the 70’s and early 80’s.
In the spring of 1972, I walked into the Tandy Leather Store in Oceanside, CA and bought a “buckskin” colored cowhide split to make my first Possibles Pouch. Though it was not bad as a “first project” in leather working and I learned some from it, the pouch was too soft and not HC. The only thing it turned out as useful for was as a “storage bag” hanging from the suspension rope that held up the Ozan in a full sized Lodge (Tipi) a few years later.
Because I’m still so embarrassed about it, I will only vaguely; mention the “buckskin” coat and pants I ordered from an Okinawa Tailor in early 1973. After giving them detailed instructions, patterns and period buttons and being ASSURED I would get buckskin; what I got was a split cowhide outfit with a zipper in the side of the “Jacket” and terrible trousers. By adding the TC Hawken Rifle I owned, I was the picture of what John Baird and others then called “A Japanese Mountain Man.” At least I was able to sell that outfit to a Biker who used it as “riding leathers” and got some of my money back.
On my first trip to the Primitive Range at Friendship, In in the spring of 1974, the only thing that I had that was PC was a knife sheath I had made in the style of a Mountain Man sheath for a skinning knife of that period. There I learned about “Brain Tanned” Buckskin and the fact I could not afford it. Some folks will remember Richard “Dick” Kop of RK Lodges and how he used to bring PILES of chrome tanned buckskins (like the ones Tandy still sells) to sell there. Many if not most of us used those hides to make “Buckskin Outfits.” .The problem was and remains that while chrome tanned buckskins are soft enough for clothing, they don’t breathe like real Brain Tanned Buckskin, which is more like a heavy cloth. You DON’T want to buy chrome tanned buckskin or buckskin splits to make clothing out of, TRUST me!!
Even Brain Tanned Buckskin that breathes is miserable to wear when it is hot and cold and clammy when wet. During the period, Mountain Men would stop short on their way to Rendezvous and put on their fanciest (Brain Tanned) buckskins BUT would change BACK into linen and wool (for as long as the clothes lasted) when going “back to work” trapping.
I don’t know how many tens of thousands of Deer Skins were collected here “in the colonies” to be sold here and back to England. One of the most common uses of those skins were for Buckskin Breeches AFTER the skins were tanned. Buckskin Breeches were sort of the “Workman’s Blue Jeans” of the period, though they became “fashionably trendy” for the English Upper Classes to wear for “sporting use.” Information and links on Buckskin Breeches may be found in this link and scroll down to my reply # 13.
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=29210.0About the ONLY buckskin that Tandy sells or used to sell that “looks” correct was/is the “Buckskin Splits” they at least used to stock. Though I think they were/are still chrome tanned and you DON’T want to make clothing out of them, they don’t have a smooth side and both sides are rough or “suede” and resemble real Brain Tanned Buckskin, IF you buy what they call the “Smoke” color or the undyed/natural color as Bull mentioned above. They could be made into small pouches (like Flint Wallets) or bags, but are not good for shooting pouches.
MAYBE Tandy is now selling Veg Tanned Buckskin Splits, but they don’t seem to describe what tanning process is used. You can buy Veg Tanned Splits from other sources and they would be better leather and more HC for small bags, pouches and wallets (like Flint Wallets) and cost much less than Brain Tanned Buckskin. .
Gus
