Removal of hair from deer hide

To remove the hair from the hide and make a buckskin, do the following:
In a large plastic garbage can mix: 1 gallon of hardwood ashes
2 pounds of household (slaked) lime
5 gallons of warm water

Stir the above mixture until it is dissolved. Completely immerse the deer skin in the mixture. Stir the mixture 2 or 3 times a day until the hair comes off easily. This will take 2 to 3 days. If the hide is left in the mixture too long, it will begin to deteriorate. After you remove the hide,
proceed to next step.


Rinse the hide with water. Place the hide on a raised surface with the hair side up. Use the back of a knife blade to scrape off the hair. Rinse the dehaired skin several times with clean water. Soak the hide for 24 hours in the garbage can in a mixture of 10 gallons water and 2 quarts vinegar. Stir this mixture with the hide in it every few hours. At the end of this 24 hour period, empty the garbage can and fill it with clean water. Soak the hide in the clean water overnight.

[reneleblanc]

Very good info, natives like myself have been using this method with ash foreverrr. Glad to see it being passed on!

[nennettedebs]

thank you so much. i was gifted elk hide fresh from game processing store. hair and all. my client hunted an elk and said i could have his hide. I'm so exited to make an elk drum. feel so blessed. thank you for your help.

[daissylynn]

Thanks! I saw this on TV wanted more information found your video!! Great info thanks for sharing!!

[TheLittleBlackShadeTree]

Awesome fleshing tool. I've used several different kinds of knives/tools but it always takes me so much longer than it should. I might have to try your tool out. Thanks for the tutorial!

[GoddessPresence]

I love your fleshing tool, Great tutorial Mike. Thank You

[squirrelmarm]

What kind of lime do you use for the solution? Will just any "hydrated" lime that you get from the gardening store work?

[ellen]

I love your video. I got a deer hide and its been in my freezer for some months now. I have two questions i hope you can answer:
1. I did not salt the hide before i froze it. Will this prosess still work?
2. Hvor much is 2 quarters (vinegar)? I know its 25% of something, so is it 25% of your bottle? (1 liter)?
Thank you so much 🌷

[treshadodson]

Maybe a silly question but can I just use ash from my wood stove?

[PNWshaman]

Great video just got a hide but I will need to freeze it till it's cooler. I plan on making some drums as well. How much salt did you use? Is one kind of salt better than another?

[Mohd_nvd]

it was really helpful. thankyou for the video.

[beatriseauzane]

Where do you put excess hair and flesh from tanning process? do you use it somewhere or toss it out?

[Ambercartwright]

Hey! Great video. I had 3 hides soaking in water for a couple of weeks. It was real cold but for warm on me. Today I went to dump the water and it was very soured. Is it too late to use this hide now? Will it always smell like soured water? I don’t want to dump them but don’t want to work them if they are too far gone now. Let me know! Thanks!

[rebeccapeech]

Great video! How did the drum turn out? Is salting an important part of the process? Or is that just for freezing?

[billsmith-rqki]

I would like to see what a power washer with a turbo process would do with the hair after the lye solution.

[MrFadiddle]

Can I use this technique on an Elk hide?

[basultoacademy]

What is that fleshing tool you are using? Where can I find one?

[cocacola-eu]

What is the next step like curing the hide?

[nomadichunter]

To remove the meat and fat can't you just boil it or does it ruin the skin? No?

[EmMiNeNcE]

Watching this in hopes I can do this on an old hide for my sisters ceremony in a week. 😬

[clairedgaia]

Where can i get a tool like this, what is it called?