Braintanning Buffalo Hides: An overview

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An Overview of Bison Hide Tanning: page 3

Selecting Hides
To start with we must procure a raw skin; the North American Bison Association has a list of its membership on the internet. (braintan.com has direct links to the regional Bison Associations where you will find the ranches listed by state and products). I suggest you check this out unless you have a ranch lined up.

Skinning
In a forthcoming tape due this spring (another shameless plug) I explain the old way to skin a buffalo. Simplistically put, the cuts need to be made up the backside of the hind legs and up the front side of the front legs. I've examined many original robes and all the western one's have the same opening cuts. Before you get all excited about this idea let me tell you how near impossible it is to get a slaughter house to change their ways and unless you feel good about your relationship with the butchers, for a hide or two it's not worth the trouble.

Notice how the arms are sewn to the shoulders.

Before we get off of this topic the two seams you see on both sides of the neck are due to proper skinning. The front leg is actually sewed to the neck starting at the kneecap. This makes a larger square by 8 inches, which becomes important on a small hide.

Cows vs. Bulls
As already stated try to get a robe from a cow if possible for your first try. When searching for hides I have found it best to ask what is available rather than asking for a specific type of hide. More than once I have found that they will tell you whatever you want to hear and unless you can differentiate between bulls and cows and age of animal, you will get into trouble. More than likely you'll get a bull, they're the most commonly butchered, so rather than ask for a young animal ask for the carcass weight, anything under 500 pounds will be acceptable. Carcass weight averages about 55%, they tell me, of live weight. Preferably you are looking for an animal that weighed 1000 pounds or less.
Original wearing robes (rather than bedding) run in sizes from 6 feet long (head to tail) by 5 feet wide (side to side) to 6 feet long by 6 feet wide. this hide comes from an 18-month-old animal most commonly a heifer or a bull. Today this young an animal is difficult to procure. Bulls of this age can be had because they have been artificially fed up in a feed lot and become large quite quickly. These animals will be of the right age but will average 7 X 6. This only goes to show that sometimes we can't be too picky. The Indians had it easy compared to us when it came to getting raw hides from the right sex and age. Sometimes it seems to me that getting hides is the hardest part of tanning bison.
Conversely too small a hide is hard to tan. Something in the skin of calves isn't developed yet and I have found them difficult to do.