Tallow Concoction For Rawhide

[Tanthathide9]

Anybody familiar with the steps to preparing the tallow conditioner for dressing rawhide and if its used while braiding or if it's just to "weatherproof" the finished product

[megabit]

I've just used it on reatas, but you could likely use it like soap?

Get some nice white beef fat like the kidney fat and render it down to tallow. I didn't add anything to it other than the rendered fat.

[curlyjo]

If I'm just greasing something, hang the rawhide in the sun to warm up and then grab a gob of kidney fat and rub it in good and then wipe off the excess. For braiding I just use a small bar of pure soap, put it in a plastic bowl, ad a little water, and use a small cheap paintbrush to get some foam up and slather it on as I'm braiding. Those little bars of soap from motels work good most of the time because they are generally unscented. At least where I stay.(cheap). Brad

[rcsaddles]

When I started to do rawhide work, my teacher, Mary Fields taught me to make my rawhide conditioner. Melt your tallow, and shave in some beeswax. The smaller the pieces of beeswax, the easier and quicker they melt. More beeswax means more water resistance. Don't use too much wax as it will be harder to apply when cool. I think I startedwith something like 6 cups of liquid fat to 1 cup liquid wax. Don't get stuck on a certain ratio, try some and adjust. This is much easier when all things are warm.

I went to a butcher shop and got beef fat from around the kidney, some places known as suet. If you don't have beeswax, let me know, I have about 10 pounds here. I can send some for teh cost of shipping and just a little more. I happen to have access to a bunch of it.

When you apply your conditioner, just like oiling leather, use a little at atime so you don't end up with way too much on.

Let us know what you do and how it works.

[Tanthathide9]

Wow, thanks everyone for all the advice, I just had a Hansen string cutter ordered for me so the fun begins

[Tanthathide9]

Will any beef fat work? Why is kidneyfat preferred?

[megabit]

I think the fat around the kidney is nice and white and that is what you want. I'd say mostly be sure to stay away from the yellowish stuff and it should work.

[Tanthathide9]

Why the yellowish stuff? Is it for color reasons or contents of what the fat has absorbed? I had the hide from a bull given to me and they said they went to the store and got tallow from local meat departments to mix with the bull meat because it was too lean so thats what we plan on rendering down tonight. Can i just render it down and add soap or beeswax later And mix it then? Or do i need to use anything at all and just the tallow...for future maintenance care and to use it while im braiding

[bucksnort]

For ongoing care of the finished product, I use a half & half mix of tallow & beeswax. I don't have any special reason for using it except that is what most of the old timers I was around used & it seems to work good. This mix does have to be warmed up a bit to apply it. One warning is that mice & rats (& dogs too) love tallow. I do use a soap mixture with a little beeswax in it for braiding, but too much will make your work sticky & hard to rewet, your best bet for braiding like Brad said is probably straight soap or saddle soap. Good luck & keep us posted. Buck

Edited February 22, 2014 by bucksnort

[Tanthathide9]

Thanks all who replied...i kept it simple and just rendered what i jad if i choose to add beeswax later can i melt my tallow (which is in a mason jar) in hot water and melt beeswax seperatley then add it and mix it later? How do i store it? I reckon in the fridge but im a newbie at this...so this is NOT a braiding soap only a maintenance product or post braiding applicant