Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

TANNING SKINS 323on with rawhide, and is used with one hand. Withthis tool the woman chips at the hardened skin,cutting off a thin shaving at every blow. The skillin the whole process consists in so directing andtempering the blows as to cut the skin, yet not cutto-o deep, and in finally obtaining a uniform thicknessand perfectly smooth and even inner surface.To render the skin soft and pliable the chipping isstopped every little while and the chipped surfacesmeared with brains of buffalo, which are thoroughlyrubbed in with a smooth stone. When very greatcare and delicacy are required the skin is stretchedvertically on a frame of poles. It is claimed thatthe chipping process can be much more perfectlyperformed on a skin stretched in this way than onone stretched on the uneven and unyielding ground,but the latter is used for all common robes, becauseit is the easiest. When the thinning and softeningprocess is completed, the robe is taken out of itsframe, trimmed, and sometimes smoked. It is nowready for use. This is a long and tedious processand no one but an Indian would go through it."Sometimes, after the fieshing of the hide was completed,a mixture of boiled brains, marrow grease,and pounded roast liver was thickly spread on theflesh side and allowed to dry in; then the hide wasrubbed with fat, dampened with warm water, rolledup and laid away for a day. After this the hidewas slowly dried in the sun or very carefully beforea fire, being frequently and thoroughly rubbedover a ^iata while drying.Snake Skins.—Slit the skin down the centerof the under plates from head to tail. Work carefullywith a rattlesnake's tail, as the skin from ventto rattle is thin and easily torn. If the skin cannotbe tanned at once, rub fine salt into the flesh side,after scraping off foreign matter, roll it up and keepin a cool place. Otherwise apply the tanning picklealready mentioned, and tack the skin out on a board,in the shade, to dry. Afterward it can be softenedwith a little oil. For a short time after shedding,the skin Is thin and tender.To tan a snake's skin into flexible leather for abelt or snnllar article, the scales must first be scraped