Various Brain Tanning Methods

Something you will notice pretty quickly browsing through this website or chatting with other folks, is that there are several different ways to go about brain tanning a hide. Dry-scrape, wet-scrape, bucking, pre-smoking....what do these terms mean and which one's the easiest?! Enquiring people want to know....

The short answer is that they all work. They're all 'easy' if you know how to do them well. If you have an opportunity to learn hands-on with someone near you, don't worry too much about which method they're going to teach you, just go for it! If you are going to get a book or video and teach yourself, or if you see yourself tanning numerous hides, it is worthwhile to look at some of the pluses and minuses of the different methods. Dry-scrape really isn't the most practical method for Seattle (though it certainly can be done there), but if you are planning to tan Buffalo hides, its pretty much the only way to go. The best method for you depends on where you live, what you plan on doing, and what you enjoy. If you have a strong interest in tanning, it often worth learning a couple of methods as they have different applications.

We'll start off describing the popular methods, their advantages and disadvantages and the best resources for learning them. Then we'll give you recommendations for specific situations like tanning in the backwoods, the suburban back yard, on the penthouse terrace or for historical reproduction.