Tanning method in "Ray Mears World of Survival"

[torjusg]

Since the "World of Survival" series isn't to be found on dvd I wonder if anyone can describe to me the technique the Montagnis or Naskapi (can't remember which it was) use to make buckskin? I know how to make buckskin generally (not good at it though), but that seemed like a method very relevant to my environment.

I just can't remember how they did it in the series. Can anyone describe it to me? It seemed like a cross between dry and wetscraping.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[Abbe Osram]

Since the "World of Survival" series isn't to be found on dvd I wonder if anyone can describe to me the technique the Montagnis or Naskapi (can't remember which it was) use to make buckskin? I know how to make buckskin generally (not good at it though), but that seemed like a method very relevant to my environment.

I just can't remember how they did it in the series. Can anyone describe it to me? It seemed like a cross between dry and wetscraping.

Torjus Gaaren

After skinning; in the movie, they remove they flesh directly therefore it looks wet to you. In a sense it is wet yes. At that state you can dry the reindeer pelt and it will not rot. So the old lady is scraping of the membrane of the already dried pelt.

To make buckskin out of it is another process. If you store the hide you will have to put them into water with ash or lay them for some days in a river so the hair loosens up. Then you have to fix a mixture from brain if you dont have it you can take 12 eggs instead. After you removed the fur you wring the excess water out hanging it over a branch a twist a stick around and around that give you more strenght then only wringing it by hand. Now you should have a skin without fur but moist. Apply the brain and break the fiber of the skin by pulling, stretching, beating, pulling the skin over a cabel, tabel whatever to move it all the time until its dry, really dry. That can take you a whole day. If you think its dry dont stop keep going until it keeps it smoothness.

But there is a book which is the best I have read about the subject and easy to follow with pictures etc.

Book


Money on that book is well spent as I believe it will turn a classic and than you will have to crank out a hell of a lot money to get it. Its simply the best.

yours
Abbe

 

[torjusg]

Thank you Abbe

But I am pretty sure they made buckskin in that episode. I have got that book, it is indeed excellent, but I feel that it doesn't offer any guidelines for the northern primitive. Bucking, soaking and smoking the hide Matt Richard's way is hard to do in wintertime. We both know that the winters are long up north, so we need to be able to tan during wintertime as well (or we will be very busy in summertime).

Torjus Gaaren

 

[Abbe Osram]

Thank you Abbe

But I am pretty sure they made buckskin in that episode. I have got that book, it is indeed excellent, but I feel that it doesn't offer any guidelines for the northern primitive. Bucking, soaking and smoking the hide Matt Richard's way is hard to do in wintertime. We both know that the winters are long up north, so we need to be able to tan during wintertime as well (or we will be very busy in summertime).

Torjus Gaaren

I dont understand mate, you can do it in the winter time too.
Dont you remember the swedish ray movie, the sami woman is working on the skins, de-hairing them in the kåta. I am sure that the Siberien movie was clipped. The fleshing was filmed after the reindeer was slaughtered.
The other scene where the old woman is scraping the hide, is another pelt, or if its the same its filmed after it has dried. The hanging and smoking skins are again other skins. In that movie you dont see at all the process of breaking the fibers.

Why should you not be able to do you work in winter? You can slaughter, skin, scrape of the fet, you can put the hide in a large pot of warm water with pot-ash.
Even in the kåta you get the temperature to plus 15 to 20 degrees. I believe you can do the same winter or summer.

cheers
Abbe

 

[torjusg]

You may be right, it just don't seem very practical.

They showed what seemed like a practical method of making buckskin there. It wasn't the Siberia episode, but the Quebec/Labrador episode. Haven't seen either the Siberia or the saami episode. I wish this series would be released on dvd as well.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[innocent bystander]

Hi guys, you've made re watch the episode (on video), and i took some notes :

All this was done indoors as you say:

1) The skin was scraped to remove the fat from it.
2) It was then scraped to remove the hair.
3) It was then pegged out overnight outside to "freeze dry" it, following which it was scraped to remove any flesh remaining.
4) Brain was then scooped into a pan and warmed up with a cup of oats until it made a sort of pinkish goo , which was rubbed into the skin until it was like the texture of "wet lasagne". This was then left overnight, to dry.
5) The skin was then stretched and handled to soften it.
6) Stones were heated to red heat in the fire, and were then added to a pail of dry, rotten spruce which had been crumbled. The skin was hung over the bucket in a sort of canvas tube until the skin had taken on the colour of nicotine.


Job Done. Hope that helps...

 

[taospard2]

winter is the best time to tan hides.

 

[torjusg]

Thank you very much!
That was exactly what I was looking for.

The part with hot stones is genious. Finally a solution to the flareups?

What did they scrape the hair (and supposedly the grain) off with? On a frame or over a beam? The whole episode is kind of a blur to me as my baby girl distracted me all the time.

Torjus Gaaren

 

[innocent bystander]

I believe they scraped the fat off and de-haired on a beam.
A copper scraper was definately used for the fat removal, but it wasn't too clear about the hair or the final scrape. The pic was over very quickly, and it didn't show in too much detail

And nearly all done in the comfort of the "home"...

Now there may be some missing info that wasn't shown on film, but it did look like the de hairing was done with no preperation...

 

[running bare]

innocent out of interest if you have a dvd recorder and a vhs player you could link the 2 with a scart lead and transfer to dvd. or if you have a tv card on your pc you could link the vhs via aa coax cable and burn to dvd..


tom

 

[innocent bystander]

innocent out of interest if you have a dvd recorder and a vhs player you could link the 2 with a scart lead and transfer to dvd. or if you have a tv card on your pc you could link the vhs via aa coax cable and burn to dvd..
tom

Now why would i want to do that

Unless......

 

[running bare]

Now why would i want to do that

Unless......

nothing illegal of course but it does allow you to back up YOUR vhs tapes onto disc thus preventing deteriation of valued tapes