Post by: deadwoodbuck on August 05, 2019, 12:43:55 PM
Post by: pianoman9701 on August 05, 2019, 01:11:59 PM
Post by: deadwoodbuck on August 05, 2019, 01:20:37 PM
Post by: fowl smacker on August 05, 2019, 03:37:36 PM
Post by: deadwoodbuck on August 08, 2019, 05:17:48 PM
Post by: BlackRiverTaxidermy on August 09, 2019, 11:28:38 PM
Sounds like whomever you had tanning it didn't shave the hide well enough from what your describing if I had to make an educated guess. Without getting into some serious details of tanning it kind of goes like this.... Leather, from any animal, is kind of like coral. Its porous with pockets containing fats and oils, ESPECIALLY bears! The process of tanning starts with fleshing of the hide but that only gets the surface junk off. The process of 'shaving' is actually the act of removing skin layers in 1/16th to 1/8 inch deep swaths at a time which exposes and opens the porous pockets which then allows the grease and fats to be removed during the 'pickling' process. Pickling is a very acidic bath which both disintegrates and removes fats and bacteria, and softens the leather for either more shaving and then onto tanning. I've shaved moose capes up to 3 times and removed as much as 18 pounds of JUST leather. I get a kick out of these 'tanning kits' that places like Cabela's sell with the expectation they are going to provide a 'soft tan' with no lasting smell or oil levels...unless the hide is being shaved super thin and properly it just wont work.
The moral of this description is that if whomever you had tan the hide doesn't sound like he shaved the hide well enough as it has now trapped the souring greases within the hide, which unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to get it out. The only way to get that smell gone is to possibly have it go through the tanning/shaving process all over again. Depending on what type of tan he used as well, it may not work. Also, he may not have degreased the bear hide as well, but if you've been brushing the hell out of it with no results, then I'm leaning towards the latter...its all hard to say without inspecting the hide.
The white powder you have seen may be part of the tanning product, such as aluminum sulfate, which was, and still is for some, a common tanning agent, which is notorious for leaving a white powdering residue if not thoroughly brushed out. There are much better agents to use these days tho by way of better synthetic tans, but that's getting into too much info.
Hope this helped ya....Joel/BRT
Post by: deadwoodbuck on August 11, 2019, 08:38:11 AM
Post by: BlackRiverTaxidermy on August 12, 2019, 06:50:52 PM
Black River...finally something that makes sense. It is a buffalo hide...and I was not a regular customer so anything goes. His standards may be different for different customers...but if what you say holds true that explains why so stinky. Maybe over time the oils will fade??? The hide is hanging in the cave hopefully air drying the lingering odor. Anyway thanks mucho for some insight. Overtime will the hair slip or the hide become unbearable? Or will it always be the cave buffalo hide that hangs down there only?
Hate to tell ya, but unless that skin gets opened up by means of shaving you kinda stuck with a 'cave buffalo' some of he smell MAY come out over time, but chances are, especially if its bad now, that its not going to go away. Hides of animals is the best raingear that's every been created/evolved, however you want to look at it. Its meant to never leak so you may be stuck my friend. The hair shouldn't slip, if that was going to happen it should have already....however the real problem is that if he tanned it improperly or didn't shave it well enough it is possible acidic, which can disintegrate over a long time, OR he only surfaced tanned both sides of the hide and the inside is just cured. Either way there is a chance hair could come out over time, but not in clumps as it already should have done that if it was going to.
Again.....this is just my opinion based on what you are telling me and what knowledge and experience I have without seeing the actual hide. Just keep that thing away from direct sunlight, smoke, bugs (mites), and moisture....they are a hides/mounts worst enemies!
Joel- BRT