Peel the hide off of the animal using your hands. That's right, put your knife down after making your initial cuts along the length of the hind legs and pull. Cutting a thin hide off an animal is prone to cause tears later on in the tanning process.
I use an dull curved knife to clean any remaining fat/muscle from the hide.
Over the period of 3 days I rub a soap/oil (a little water) into the hide. Brains work best. This can all be done stretched in a frame (or not) allowing it to dry into the hide. Then, using a pumice stone I found in the bush, I work the hide on a sunny day, keeping the fibres moving while it dries. I focus on the edges first, and then the main body.
Dissimilar to a deer (etc.) hide, a more agressive tool tends to rip right through the hide. experiment! see what works for you, I suggest being firm, but not aggressive.
Cleaning the Wool side is up to you!
once the hide is dry and soft, fill it with smoke until it takes on colour. this leaves you with a machine washable rug for those cold days and nights that will inevitably come in this beautiful place.
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for natural tanning how to and know how check out braintan.com and look for Matt's book and the online tanning forum.
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