Anyone do leatherwork with tanned hides?

[TheBenHoyle]

I do a littler bit of leatherwork and I have saved the hides from my first two bucks. Hoping to make something out of them. Maybe a jacket... Anyone else do any leatherwork with their hides? I'm having trouble finding resources for patterns and the like that aren't old fashioned Wild Bill Hickok style with the fringe or medieval style.

 

[Mtrose]

I haven’t but at some point I’d like to try tanning hides and using them to make things. Just haven’t figured out how to process them while living in an apartment without offending the neighbors, ha. We have a small shed but the process to tan a deer or larger sized hide sounds a bit messy and likely needs more space than we have.

You could try checking Facebook for sewing/pattern groups. There’s a ton, and I’m sure there must be some focused on using leather.

 

[diamond hitch]

I used to get my hides tanned in Spokane (since moved to Harrison, Idaho). The elk hides made batwing chaps I am still wearing. I made kneehide moccasins that I wore to college. I made my own pattern and sewed my own deer skin shirt ( a little hot in the summer). Tandy and leather factory have patterns. I even made a pair of saddle bags that I still use. Had to double up on thickness to make them usefull.

Be creative!!

 

[TheBenHoyle]

I've had all my hides tanned by Yost in Wisconsin. I wanted to do them myself, but it is a lot more work than I am willing to do at this point in my life.

I need to take a closer look at Tandy. And I will have to look at Lether Factory. I hadn't heard of them before. Thanks guys.

 

[Mtrose]

What do they charge to tan them? Just curious approximately what that runs. Probably makes a lot more sense to have someone else do it. I thought it would be interesting to learn how to do them at some point, but not until we move to a different place for sure.

Wow, a person could really go down the rabbit hole of leather projects on Tandy. Lots of cool materials and tools on there.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Used to be a Tandy store here thirty years ago. I thought the entire franchise went under. Good to know they're still on line.

I made this scabbard for my rifle from a sheet of latigo leather. Buckskin lined with something (e.g. fleece or flannel) would make a nice full length zippered gun case. Glue the lining to buckskin with contact cement.

 

[hank4elk]

I was just going to slice off a strip of elk hide to repair my stove billows. The old one got hot & brittle,cracked.
I have a few hair on hides I had done years ago. Last elk hide was $100.
Had 2 elk hides in the freezer & finally tossed them for meat space. The last local quote I got was very high.Like $75 per ft/length wise.LOL

 

[golfer]

For those that have hides tanned- do they come back just leather or can these tanneries tan the hide leaving the hair? I’m potentially going to need to have a hide tanned this fall.

 

[OntarioHunter]

For those that have hides tanned- do they come back just leather or can these tanneries tan the hide leaving the hair? I’m potentially going to need to have a hide tanned this fall.

Whatever you like. Just take care of the hide properly if you want to keep hair on. Keep in mind that skin thickness varies considerably at different parts of the body. The hide on a bull elk's back and neck can be very thick and may require splitting before it's supple enough to be "buckskin" ... often has to be split several times.

 

[Dan O]

Try Quality Tan in Great Falls, Mt.

 

[golfer]

Try Quality Tan in Great Falls, Mt.

I’ll reach out to them prior to hunt asking for any pointers on this hide.

 

[Dan O]

I’ll reach out to them prior to hunt asking for any pointers on this hide.

Quality Tan is located at the address 912 13th St N in Great Falls, Montana 59401. They can be contacted via phone at (406) 453-9397 for pricing, hours and directions. For more information contact Stephen Tylinski, Owner. Quality Tan provides WHOLESALE ONLY, SPECIALIZING IN THE TANNING OF ALL LARGE & SMALL GAME CAPES & HIDES to it's customers.
Phone: (406) 453-9397

Steve is a friend and a stand up guy. Plus one heck of a hunter!

 

[OntarioHunter]

Glacier Tannery in Kalispell are great folks to deal with if you're on that side of the mountains.