Ivory tan rawhide

[Bulldog lady]

Thinking one of you guys has surely done this- tan using Ivory dish soap.  I made a shirt lo-35-40 yrs ago and it is still white for the  most part.  It gets a little stiff but all I have to do is wrinkle it up and pull a little this way and that and it softens up pretty well.  OK I fell heir to a box of the large white rawhide dog chews not about to let Angus have them, they are a disaster looking for a dog to kill.. if I can find the recipe for this I'd like to try it to just see if I can get it soft enough to do something with- knife sheath to bead over or ?  Another project ya know  I got the original from an article in Dixie Gunworks but looked and they don't have an archive that I could find.  Sure open to any suggestions or recipes and if I'm way off- nothin new!  Thanks

[beowulf]

I`ve tanned using naptha soap and neatsfoot oil , but I think the method with ivory and cooking oil is pretty close ! You can use the same castille soap or Fels Naptha soap you use to make homemade laundry detergent, for tanning your hides.

• You must grate the soap like you do when making detergent, to make a natural hide tanning solution.
• Mix the grated soap with just enough water to allow it to completely dissolve.
• Pour in just shy of an equal part Mink or Neat's Foot Oil.
• Slather the solution onto the hide like your did the brain tanning solution.
• Roll the hide up with the solution still on.
• Allow the hide to sit in the soap tanning solution for 48 hours before washing it off and proceeding with the tanning steps. then work it like you would brain tan !

[doggoner]

Bulldog Lady

Here are some methods you can read about and maybe one of them is what you want?

https://www.backcountrychronicles.com/how-to-tan-a-hide/

doggoner

[Bulldog lady]

   Will give it a try  have made the homemade laundry detergent and it works good ,need to add some bleach every now and then if'n you want your socks  white!    Not sure how gonna work these pieces  they are thick and only about 8" x 8"  guess won't know till get them slimy   thanks guys

[beowulf]

may sound loony , but , maybe a cheese grater !

[Bulldog lady]

used the grater when made the laundry soap out of naptha  great   the rawhide pieces are going to be the problem  they are so thick  thinking maybe have to use some vise grips to hold them to at least try and start to break fibers  I have cased them like if going to tool or shape with just water and then when soft enough to unroll nailed them to board to keep from rolling back up but even then when dry they started to curl again,  they  may be treated with something  am going to try it anyway  again thanks to all you guys good to be back on again.

[Bulldog lady]

   After dusting off reference library found 3 books and one CD on tanning! duh   Anyway  day 4 and out of first solution of ivory and warm H2O.  Worked it as best could for 2 hrs and it  not any bigger  10" x 12" maybe.  Feels like a piece of thick bacon rind!  Gave up and got pliers out to hold on  finally got it a little softer and it will at least lay partially flat.  Hands sore as is bony knee but makes a good stretching post.  Used the pie crust lard as didn't want to smell like bacon grease and neatsfoot may darken  Anyway more solution of ivory and warm H2O for 4 more days then repeat.  Think not a good idea but at least say I tried  Reasonably sure work on fresh hide and not the commercial stuff these rawhide chews made of. For life of me can't think of any critter with hide that thick!  Will keep ya posted Again thanks for help 

[Bulldog lady]

ok  out of second soak/rinse, worked it on one end and got it to start sliding like supposed to do but then it became so thin you could just barely pull it and it come apart  have put it back in freezer a few times but just to hard on hands.  It was worth the try just to see if same recipe used lo 35 yrs ago.  if you guys want to try it it will work.  Hide will be white and soft and smell much better than  brain while working it.