Permanently Softening Rawhide - How Do I Do That?

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Permanently Softening Rawhide DoubleC

By DoubleC February 14, 2012 in How Do I Do That?

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DoubleC Leatherworker.net Regular

DoubleC

Posted February 14, 2012

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Posted February 14, 2012

I'm making a belt out of an English rein that was laced but part of it was broken. I would like to replace the lace with colored rawhide but don't wanna wear a board on my back rofl.gif I bought a whole cows worth, got it for 40 bucks shipped free and when I go to that meeting Thursday I hope to have just about everything I have on made by me except my boots. I've been doing some round braiding with it (well until all this business help got started) and man it dries out fast and it's pretty darn stiff and rough. I know it's SUPPOSED to be, but I'd prefer this to just tandy lace or whatever. I soaked three small pieces and now have Vaseline on one (what I use on all my finished leather to soften and protect it), b ag balm on one (what I use on my finished leather when I run out of Vaseline) and the third, well vegetable oil, what else, LOL. No clue if any of this is going to work so if anyone has some ideas, please let me know. Thanks cheryl

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electrathon

Posted February 14, 2012

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Posted February 14, 2012

If you tan it then it will be softer.

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Posted February 14, 2012

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Posted February 14, 2012

If you tan it then it will be softer.

LOL, I don't know what that means? I have never 'tanned' a hide so that's why I through veggie oil into the mix, sigh

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Posted February 14, 2012

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Posted February 14, 2012

Dampen the leather, wait until it's almost dry, oil it, go out to the barn and run the flesh side over the steel blade of a shovel, back and forth, oil it and redo the process without the water dampening.

You'll need a shower when you're done or you haven't worked hard enough at breaking it.

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Posted February 14, 2012

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Posted February 14, 2012 (edited)

Dampen the leather, wait until it's almost dry, oil it, go out to the barn and run the flesh side over the steel blade of a shovel, back and forth, oil it and redo the process without the water dampening.

You'll need a shower when you're done or you haven't worked hard enough at breaking it.

This is it, worked it out last night somehow, LOL

Edited February 14, 2012 by DoubleC
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Posted February 14, 2012

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Posted February 14, 2012

If you tan it then it will be softer.

Of couse, if you tan it, it will no longer be rawhide. It will be leather.

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electrathon Leatherworker.net Regular

electrathon

Posted February 15, 2012

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Posted February 15, 2012

Of couse, if you tan it, it will no longer be rawhide. It will be leather.

But she does not really want rawhide, she wants it to be soft...leather. I was sort of off the wall trying to coment that the problem is that she needs tanned leather for the project.

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Posted February 15, 2012

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Posted February 15, 2012

No clue if any of this is going to work so if anyone has some ideas, please let me know. Thanks cheryl

Cheryl, . . . you know that I am about to bust a gut, . . . you asked a question that popped up an image in my mind from 55 years ago, . . . I never forgot, . . . always thought was funny, . . . and here we are, revisiting Geography class from Orange Elementary School.

We were taught there that the eskimos didn't tan the hides of the seals they killed, . . . or the polar bears, . . . or anything else.

Their women chewed the hides until they got soft.

I don't know if that is true, . . . and I'm sure not telling you to do it, . . . but I surely do thank you for bringing back an old memory that still makes an old geezer laugh.

May God bless,

Dwight

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electrathon Leatherworker.net Regular

electrathon

Posted February 15, 2012

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Posted February 15, 2012

Cheryl, . . . you know that I am about to bust a gut, . . . you asked a question that popped up an image in my mind from 55 years ago, . . . I never forgot, . . . always thought was funny, . . . and here we are, revisiting Geography class from Orange Elementary School.

We were taught there that the eskimos didn't tan the hides of the seals they killed, . . . or the polar bears, . . . or anything else.

Their women chewed the hides until they got soft.

I don't know if that is true, . . . and I'm sure not telling you to do it, . . . but I surely do thank you for bringing back an old memory that still makes an old geezer laugh.

May God bless,

Dwight

I grew up in Alaska and we were taught the same thing. But then again, about 80% of what we were taught about the Eskimoes was a total fabrication. I bet way back, a long time ago someone did it once and it became what everyone did.

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Posted February 15, 2012

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Posted February 15, 2012

I grew up in Alaska and we were taught the same thing. But then again, about 80% of what we were taught about the Eskimoes was a total fabrication. I bet way back, a long time ago someone did it once and it became what everyone did.

I actually knew a native of Alaska... she had the most beautiful hand made leather and fur parka. She said she chewed the hides herself. I believe she did.

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A teacher pointed at me with a ruler and said "At the end of this ruler is an idiot." I got detention when I asked "Which end?"

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