Flea Market find

**hunter63** · 06-11-2011, 07:15 PM

So, how about 15 professionally tanned full deer hides for $50, bucks....But I had to talk him down to $45.
Life is good.

**crashdive123** · 06-11-2011, 07:58 PM

Wowzer! Heck of a score!

**gryffynklm** · 06-11-2011, 08:10 PM

Wait....... all the hides for $45. holy cow!!! doe I mean. great find

**hunter63** · 06-11-2011, 08:21 PM

Generally, hides brought to the tannery are about $35 bucks PER hide, if you bring in the hide to be tanned.
They had been in the original tannery package, opened today, since 1988!

I could set them out at the next rendezvouses, trade blanket @$20 bucks each and they would still be 1/2 price......

Cost me another $15 bucks for a sling shoulder bag, (new) to carry them all in......LOL.
I wanted to try the shoulder bag in place of my hunting fanny pack.. anyway.

I did feel bad talking him down the $5 bucks....But I had to...you know what I mean...?

Also got a 50 cal ammo box for $2 bucks, brass mold for the .36 cal round ball/conical bullet..$12 bucks.
DW picked up an old flat iron, and some chicken "stuff"......
Then we loaded up on home made mustard's, jam's...... even some home made kraut, and fresh veggies.
Tes I was a good day!

**hunter63** · 06-11-2011, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by gryffynklm

Wait....... all the hides for $45. holy cow!!! doe I mean. great find

I have to go count them to be sure how many, but there is more than 2 and 2 hides are worth that.....LOL

**gryffynklm** · 06-11-2011, 10:19 PM

Sooooo........ 7 mile flee market??????

**Winter** · 06-12-2011, 12:23 AM

Damn Man, if you sell them sell them here.

Share the love ya old son................

**shooter_250** · 06-12-2011, 12:46 AM

I agree with Winter...give us,,your oldest and bestest buddies, an opportunity to buy some,,,I'll take 4...maybe 5...but then, whos' countin

Good Luck Hunter

God Bless

Lee

**hunter63** · 06-12-2011, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by gryffynklm

Sooooo........ 7 mile flee market??????

LOL, No, it was Mukwonago Maxwell Street Days.....

http://www.villageofmukwonago.com/ma...treet_days.htm

Opened up the bundle......he took me! There was only 9 instead of 15......

I don't know what shipping would be, and the wasn't intended as a "for sale" thread.
How about an auction?.........Mods?
But PM me if interested.

The last thing we picked (should have been first, LOL) up was a push around, folding "shopping cart" w/a bag to hold stuff and keep dry if bad weather.

I'm thinking that I am gonna out fit this, into a take everywhere, cart with bags to hold umbrellas, blankets, maybe a folding seat/seats? ..water/beer bottle/cup holders, GPS....maybe heavy duty ATV tires for off road....Kind of the Flea Market/Rummage Sale/Town/Church Fair, Off Road.... "Tactical Retractible Urban Festival Assault Vehicle".....or....."TRUFAV"

**woodsman86** · 06-12-2011, 12:20 PM

Great finds, we need some flea markets like that around here. My latest score was two complete sets of horseshoes (one American made and one old Chinese made) for $12.

**your_comforting_company** · 06-13-2011, 05:30 AM

Those hides are dirt cheap. Chemical tans no doubt, but still worth at least twice what you were charged.. even if he did short you. Great Scrores at the market!

**hunter63** · 06-13-2011, 10:37 AM

YCC, yes, these are chemical tanned hides, same process used to make "buckskin" coats and gloves.
A quick check showed that tanned sheep skin was $2.50 per square foot.

I have had maybe 30 hides done at this place over the years, and made most all my "skins" (sewed them up).

It is now closed, as far as brining hide in to get tanned.
They had a fire....and didn't reopen, I guess.
http://www.wbplace.com/index.htm

I guess I gonna have to try the brain tanning, as I not sure where i could even take then any longer.
But yeah, I couldn't pass up the deal.

**your_comforting_company** · 06-13-2011, 03:33 PM

If you've been making your "skins" out of anything other than braintan, you've been cheating yourself

Those are much more "heavy". You'd like the lightness of braintan, I think. It's also a heckuvalotta work...

That many skins is a lot of possibilities. Hope you find some needles and thread at the next flea market!!

**hunter63** · 06-13-2011, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by your_comforting_company

If you've been making your "skins" out of anything other than braintan, you've been cheating yourself

Those are much more "heavy". You'd like the lightness of braintan, I think. It's also a heckuvalotta work...

That many skins is a lot of possibilities. Hope you find some needles and thread at the next flea market!!

LOL, Got the needle and thread covered.
And yeah, a set of brain tanned skins would be sweet.......But I don't think I'm gonna doing that many hides any time soon.
Generally 5 hide for a shirt/jacket/coat.....and at least 4 for a pair of pants....Yeah, heckofalotta work!

As we use our hides a part of the 'dress up" and commercial tanned hides are more affordable and acceptable in the role....I'm sure that 90 percent of all hides worn at our events are "modern style tanned".

Historically, and this would be a thread subject in itself....Buckskins were not the first choice of mountain man garb....But some thing that was pressed into service when your wool/linens, home spun wore out...either made by the local peoples or just stolen when/however needed.
Normal everyday work wear form the period, 1815-1930 was more that likely the norm.

If you have worn 'skins (yeah I know YOU have), you will find them,....hot when hot...Cold when cold,...get damp easily....Heavy to wear...hard to clean (there are some skinners that have their 'skins commercially cleaned), knees get real dirty cooking and working on the ground,....Knees pooch out, as well as the butte.

I guess we wear then because they are "cool"...LOL

**your_comforting_company** · 06-14-2011, 05:42 AM

There was a lady spinning wool at the Spring Festival at Landmark, and I asked her how long it would take her to spin enough thread to make her dress. She replied "probably a year". To me, that says that making clothing out of animal skins is far more efficient than spinning thread. I told her about how much time I had in processing the 4 skins I was wearing (two for a shirt and two for pants), and she agreed.

I find my skins no hotter in hot weather than cotton, and much warmer in cold weather than cotton. I hand wash mine in the tub and hang 'em on the line (not hard to clean at all; as washable as anything you'd buy at the store). I think "damp" is a wild understatement.. those things soak up water like a sponge LOL. I find them very lightweight (until wet), as my pants weigh no more than a pair of Levi's, but I wasn't trying to turn this into a debate over the merits of braintan over commercial tanned hides. I am super excited that you got such a great deal on a surplus of skins and can't wait to see some of the neat things you make from them.

So are you planning to sell most of the hides or make more "dress up" clothes from them? If I ever get enough spare time to work on some I'm planning on making some shorts and even a loincloth. Is there a chance you could take a picture of one or two of them for us?

**hunter63** · 06-14-2011, 01:45 PM

Sorted them out, there are 5 good sized hides, and 4 smaller sized.

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Probably put these out as I'm pretty much set for 'skins, at the moment.

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**your_comforting_company** · 06-15-2011, 05:05 AM

Beautiful! Very white.
I like your clothes too. Reckon what made the color of the ones on the right? It's very close to the pecan tan.

**hunter63** · 06-15-2011, 11:30 AM

Sadly fashion, even in 'Buckskinning" is a factor.
Lately seem the white or "natural" colors are being used more again.
They are all commerical tanned, but different colors are offered, which I assume is a dye.....like "smoked elk" or some such.

As you can see these are both the work clothes and wear to camp meetin's clothes.

**your_comforting_company** · 06-16-2011, 08:34 AM

Ehhhh... Fashion smashion.

It doesn't have to look pretty.. just do what it was meant to do. 'Course, I'm not doing reenactments either, tho.

Chemical tans usually do turn out white and are then dyed. Not sure how they decide what to call the colors, tho, as my smoked hides can be different colors even when using the same wood. Oak today will be a different color than the oak tomorrow because of environmental differences. I have to admit I'm a fan of the more earth-toned colors as white seems it would stick out more in the bush than tans and browns. In your case, you can still dye them any color you want!
Seems like me and gryffynklm were talking about natural dyes and pigments, and mordants a while back. there should be a tiny bit of info on the boards about that if you're interested.

If Crash were gonna tan some hides right now, he could just hang 'em on the line outside to smoke. (tasteless humor for the day, sorry!)