Braintan Elk Hides, Articles, and Raw Skins

      In principal, braintanning an elk hide is just like braintanning a deer hide, only bigger. In practice, however, many people feel that it is more work to tan one elk hide than to tan multiple deer hides to obtain the same amount of finished buckskin. In addition, braintanned elk hides are typically slightly thicker than braintanned deer hides, seemingly ideal for moccasins, yet may not hold up to wear and tear any better than a deer hide.

      Nevertheless, the extra square footage of a braintan elk hide is a luxury when laying out a pattern to make buckskin clothing, especially where large pieces and few seams are desired. For example, when working with smaller deer hides, a buckskin jacket or dress can become a patchwork of many hides stitched together. But with braintanned elk hides, it is often possible to cut out full sized pieces and make seams only where required by the pattern.

      Do to the extra size and weight of elk hides, it can be impractical to hand-soften the brained hide, unless you have muscle-man arms. The easier method to soften an elk hide is to lace it up in a rack and stake it. Better yet, lay the rack horizontally on four stumps to make a trampoline. Don't jump up and down on the hide, but wallk gently around and let gravity do the work to stretch the fibers of the hide. Be extra careful near the holes where the laces run through. Too much weight can tear the holes open. Work carefully, and you will soon have a beautiful, big piece of braintanned elk buckskin all our own! Check out the links below for articles, videos, and finished elk hides.

Sources for Braintanned Elk Hides
-Circle S Leather
-Kentucky Leather and Hides
-Braintan Buffalo Robes and More
-Traditional Tanners

Articles about Braintanning Elk Hides
-Brain Tanning Elk, Moose and other BIG Hides by Billy Metcalf

Videos about Braintanning Elk Hides

Want to make your own buckskin clothing?
Learn to tan hides, sew buckskin, and design your own clothing!
Check out the Hunter-Gatherer Immersion Program at Green University® LLC.

Return to BraintanBuckskin.com Home Page

      Looking for life-changing resources? Check out these books by Thomas J. Elpel:

Green Prosperity

Roadmap to Reality

Living Homes

Participating in Nature

Foraging the Mountain West

Botany in a Day

Shanleya's Quest

Return to Thomas J. Elpel's
Web World Portal | Web World Tunnel

Thomas J. Elpel's Web World Pages
About Tom | Green University®, LLC
HOPS Press, LLC | Dirt Cheap Builder Books
Primitive Living Skills | Outdoor Wilderness Living School, LLC
Wildflowers & Weeds | Jefferson River Canoe Trail
Roadmap To Reality | What's New?
© 1997 - 2024 Thomas J. Elpel