Dieselman Report post Posted November 3, 2014 I was recently given a very old box full of tanned deer hides from the grandson of a hunter that has passed away. My question is, how is deerskin usually tanned? Or maybe how can I tell? For instance, is it usually chrome tanned? Or veg tanned? I might want to use some for a rifle scabbard or something similar, but don't want it reacting with the metal of the gun and causing rust. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted November 3, 2014 Usually chrome. Soft and supple= chrome stiff as a board = vegetable Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dieselman Report post Posted November 3, 2014 Usually chrome. Soft and supple= chrome stiff as a board = vegetable Darn. I was afraid you were going to tell me that. Guess it is useless for items that will contact metal then. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted November 4, 2014 it would make a great shirt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lranger Report post Posted November 4, 2014 (edited) But, then you have the original method,,,, braintanning. And, there is bark tanning, which may be considered a veg tan. Don't know. It has always been my opinion that if you keep a gun in any kind of case all the time, moisture will collect and the gun will rust. I've experienced it myself, a long time ago, with a leather zip up case. Sooooo, I don't keep them in a case of any kind, except when I'm out hunting of course. However, back in the day, the mountain men and the Indians made their rifle cases out of braintanned cases,,, or wool blankets, or both. There is a website, braintan.com, that you could look at, and maybe you could do a little research on the net about braintanning. You might call the nice lady at SpottedPonyTraders and see if she can help you. I've always bought from her. I know there are an awful lot of modern day black powder shooters that carry their rifles in buckskin cases. I think all the elk skin I've had was chrome tanned because the edges have that gray color to it, but the buckskin doesn't. Commercial tanned hides have a smooth side (hair side) and a rough side (flesh side). Brain tanned hides don't have a smooth side. The short of it is that brain tanning uses a cooked up concoction of the animals brain, which is spread over the hide, rolled up, and let soak for days. No modern chemicals envolved. Brain tanned hides are expensive though. Edited November 4, 2014 by lranger Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
