Tanned Hides

[Piggy]

I have the back half of a Chital skin i want to make into a quiver, my problem is after tanning the skin is stiff i need to know how to soften it up.
any sugestions Thanks

[Mozza]

also after breaking the skin, try sanding it with coarse sandpaper, or a disk sander, that will soften it up some more :)

[jindydiver]

If you have a pergola, it is being held up by posts. Stand facing a post and hold the skin up with the inside facing the post and your hands either side of the post and rub the skin back and forth over the post while pushing forward to put pressure on it. The rubbing of the skin over the edge of the post will do the job..

I hope that makes sense :)

[Piggy]

Have used a leather lube, tried sanding with a sander and tried breaking it ower the end of the workshop bench but its still very stiff.
I guess i will just keep trying to break it Thanks

[grizzly]

keep sanding and rubbing
itll get softer eventually,and a little thinner,so dont go too far

[Piggy]

I don't know why the chital skin is giving me so much trouble i did a hog deer skin and a sambar skin last year without this problem

[grizzly]

snap? should be soft when it gets thinner,how will it snap if its soft
i use a tool that looks like a very fine cheese grater to get the real tough bits and then sand it :P

[grizzly]

sanding and rubbing coach,with the lube
sorry didnt make it clear enough :P
ya gota lube her up

[Mozza]

piggy, try soaking it in a bin of water with one kilo of salt for about two days.
when you take it out wring it out and stretch it out and paint it with the leather lube again, this way the lube will get into the hide.
I did this once before with an old roo skin and it didnt come up too bad.
good luck, maybee post a pic of the underside of the skin so i could see it

[Piggy]

Thanks all will give Mozza's suggestion a go and keep all informed thanks

[Piggy]

Thanks coach for the email it's apperciated :D :D

[topendbowman]

The Indians use to chew it... :lol: :P ya might want some chilli if you go that way...