-
Got about two 5-gallon buckets of red oak bark. A smith friend of mine reworked another drawknife I found for me. New handles and sharp! This bark is bitter enough for sure!
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/g...ps20f97498.jpg
This hide bucked for 7 days in ashes, which effectively stained the epidermis (dead skin) layer, which you can see below the hair. Care was used NOT to break the grain on this hide as it will be used for knife sheaths and such, by my smith friend. I used the dull, square edge of my drawknife to basically wipe the hair off (some was a little tougher than a "wipe"). Next I'll flip the hide over with a towel on the beam to protect the grain, scrape the flesh side, and a long rinse to remove the alkali. Then it's ready for the bark tea!
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/g...psc2de6462.jpg
-
Got about 6 gallons of pignut hickory bark boiled down, too. Probably 3 more gallons to be made. I shaved the bark off my bow staves, so it's double good! the tea is blood red, and I'm SOOO excited to get a hide going in it!
I just have way too much fun with tanning. It ain't normal.