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Brain Tanning (Timberbee)

From the Quicksilver Metaweb.

Obtaining The Hide

Dryscraping

Soaking the Hide

Fleshing

The Fleshing Beam

The Scraper

  • Scrapper from a leafspring
  • Scrapper from a tibia

The Process

The Rack

  • Materials
  • Tools

  • Types of Racks

  • The permanent Rack

  • Mortise And Tenons

  • Chair Style
  • The Portable Rack

Racking the Hide

  • Preparing the Hide for the Rack
  • How much cordage, and what kind
  • Letting it Dry

Scrapping

  • Hair or no Hair

Brains

  • Applying the Brains

  • Additives

  • Re-Racking the Hide

  • twisting the Hide

  • Staking the Hide

  • Tools

  • Don't let it Dry
  • Is it Done Yet

Smoking

  • smoking materials

  • Types of Fire

  • Smoke House

  • Tom Brown Jr. Tom's courses are often many peoples initiation into the hands on world of brain tanning. At the time I took many of his classes, the focus was on Dry scraping. Judging from what many, somewhat, recent students are doing, I would say that this focus is possibly shifting to Wet Scrape.

  • Braintan.com This site offers some excellent resources, discussions and links to two of the major elements in Modern American Braintanning, Wet scraping and Dry scraping. There should also be numerous links to various authentic, aboriginal American techniques, both historic and present day.

  • Judy Kavanagh's Moccasin and Mukluk Page A truly beautiful collection of Handmade Mukluks, as well as some of the process she used to tan the Hides.