3 Ways to Tan Your Cow Hide
In this article I will show you three ways to tan your cowhide, removing the hair and using the brains of the cow. You can use just one hide or try using a single hide if you are short on time. These methods work very well. You can also try them with sheep hides. Once you have the hide, you can either use it for tanned cow tack or sell it to a butcher.
Dry salting
There are several ways to dry salt cowhides. Dry salting can be done with either water or rock salt and is best done over an extended period. For best results, the hide should be soaked for at least 24 hours before removing it from the salt solution. Rinse the hide thoroughly with fresh water after it has been soaked. Once dry, the hide is ready to be used. For more information, check out this article.
This method requires the use of large amounts of salt and should be done carefully to completely soak the hide. The salt should be evenly distributed on the skin and stop any bacterial growth. The ratio of salt to rawhide should be forty to fifty percent. For 40-50 kg skin, this would mean a salt layer about one centimeter thick on the flesh side. The salted skin is ready for shipment, but if it contains scabies, the seller should remove them before delivering it. Performing the scabies removal process before salting the hides will produce the best results.
Lard and flour method
There are several ways to tan a cowhide. In the Foxfire 3 book, you’ll learn about alum tanning, bark tanning, and the Lard and flour method. This method is most relevant after the hide is shorn of its hair. Using this method requires time and strength. Fortunately, it is a simple, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly way to tan cowhide.
This ancient method uses half alum and half soda for the tanning solution. If you don’t salt the hide, you can also use one bar of laundry soap mixed with six ounces of lead or arsenic. When rubbing this mixture into the hide, be sure to use non-iodized salt. Both types of salt will have the same effect. Once the hide is sufficiently tanned, it’s ready for storage or sale.
Using brains as a tanning agent
Using brains as a tanning solution is an ancient craft, but it’s also a modern option. The animal’s brains contain enough tanning agents to coat the hide completely. However, you can’t just use any brain. Brains from different species can be used. If you don’t have access to fresh brains, you can buy them from a butcher.
To use brains as a tanning agent, simply heat them in a bucket of water until they have a consistency similar to that of a “brain milkshake”. Alternatively, you can use egg whites, oil, soap, or other ingredients to make your own natural tanning solution. When using this method, you must soak the hide overnight and then scrape off excess water.
