Help With This Leather Smell?

[joeyrsmith]

Hey gang,

Got some large half hides of deerskin I believe from friends that came back from Colorado.

Its pretty nice stuff, but it has this strange smell.

Smells almost like mildew. But not really. They insist that it did not get wet and really has not been stored wrong.

Any ideas on how to get rid of it?

I do not have tanning experience so I can not tell if thats the problem.

Joey

[Tree Reaper]

Is it green or tanned?

[Greg528it]

I purchased a piece of leather from Tandy a month ago. I didn't think much about it until a day or 2 later.. It fills the office room with a smell. Not terrible but stronger than normal. I made a couple different items from it, and once stained and sealed it was fine. I ended up bagging it in the vacuum seal bags I bought for vacuum forming it. I was back at that Tandy later, and asked about it. The owner indicated it was probably the tanning process. He had once recieved a shipment of leather that had a similar smell. He ended up returning it.

You may need to let it breathe a bit??????

[Catchndreams]

Could be mold. Any imported leather crossing the oceans or other countries can get mold.

[joeyrsmith]

Thx for input.

Yes, it is tanned. Seems to be deerskin.

Kinda like milled cow leather.

ITs been airing out for 3-4 days now. Still smells. Really noticeable.

Any ideas?

Can leather be put thru a wash cycle?

Never crossed my mind before until this.

Would like to save it. HAve 3 pieces at about 20 sq yds apiece.

Joey

[Tree Reaper]

I wouldn't wash it unless you have a way of tumbling it because it will be stiff as a board and just to mention warm water will shrink it.

I think you're stuck with it unless you can air it out or try and neutralize it somewhat with a spray on the flesh side.

They use anything from urine to brains to all kinds of chemicals to tan hides with.

Something like this might work if you spray it on.

http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Cat-Urine-Smell

Edited March 17, 2014 by Tree Reaper

[RoosterShooter]

Don't wet it, because you'll just turn it into rawhide. I've learned this from experience as I've been tanning and preserving my own hides since I was a pup!

A lot of deer hides get purchased after deer seasons in the various states, and from various butchers. These "Green" hides often sit long hours on trucks that travel all over the country. Sometimes the meat on some of them is rancid by the time it reaches the tannery, and they cull those hides from the bunch. However, the smell is still in a lot of the hides that were stacked on top of them.

If it were me, and the smell bothers you that bad .... I'd use an alcohol based dye when the product is finished, and that should kill the smell. You can buy fairly neutral dyes that will put enough alcohol in the hide to kill the smell.

Just my 2 cents, and your mileage may vary.

[stanly]

I'm going to bump this with couple questions

"green skin" - does this have a firm definition?

I've read this thread and other articles about tanning and they talk about damage to the skin if left untreated for even a short time.

Will the damage go beyond looseing the hair? Is there a time line on how much damage and uses that can be made of it?

Above ques if the skin has been flensed and salted?

What do people use for flenseing anyway?

Can u just stretch the hide on a frame in an open air shed or is something more needed?

Will my neighbors complain?

more than couple ques, but hope they aren't too dumb from someone who has never done this

Edited April 5, 2014 by stanly