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[buffbo]

I TRIED TO "BRAIN TAN" MY FIRST BUFF SKIN .PROBLEM WITH THAT WAS ,COULDNT FIND ANY BRAINS TO USE .SO,I CONCOCTED MY OWN RECIPE .SEEMED TO WORK PRETTY WELL AT FIRST EXCEPT ,THE HIDE CHANGED COLOR TO VERY DARK .DOESNT SMELL ROTTEN,BUT GOT REALLY STIFF .MY QUESTION IS ,CAN I SOMEHOW REHYDRATE THE HIDE(IS IT STILL SALVAGABLE).ANYONE WHO HAS EVER DID A BUFFSKIN KINDA KNOWS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP YOU DEVELOP (KINDA LOVE/HATE)AND YOU JUST DONT WANT TO SAY GOODBYE.

[The Tanner]

If you explain your 'concoction' I may be able to better understand what the problem may be.

When a hide is brain tanned it will be pure white when finished.  Also, every animal has enough brain matter to tan their own hide.  It is one of those amazing things in nature.

[buffbo]

AT FIRST,MY RECIPE WAS USING 5LBS OF LIQUIFIED LIVER(MY WIFE SAYA I OWE HER A NEW ONE)1PINT JAR OF MAYO,AND ABOUT 3QUARTS OF LEFT OVER CHICKEN FAT LEFT OVER FROM BOILING IT.AFTER THAT I SWITCHED RECIPES TO 1/4 BAR IVORY SOAP,10RAW EGG YOLKS 5 TBL SPOONS OF VEG OIL AND 3 QUARTS OF WATER.I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M COOKING DINNER INSTEAD OF TANNING A BUFF ROBE BUT IN ONE ARTICLE I READ FROM A WELL KNOWN BRAIN TANNER STATED THAT THE INDIANS OF OLD USED WHAT EVER WAS AVAILABLE AS FAR AS LIVER INSTEAD OF BRAINS ETC...

[The Tanner]

As my dad used to say, "It's time for a gasoline tan...  Soak it in gasoline and throw a match at it."

I know that Indians used to substitute when tanning but I am pretty sure they didn't use mayonnaise or chicken fat since they didn't have many chickens back then.

The main problem is that every thing you used has a pretty fast decomposition rate.  The idea of tanning is to slow down decomposition.  You can never fully stop it, but you can slow it down.  Some chrome tans will last hundreds of years, but even they will eventually decompose.

You could try soaking the hide and washing it out to try to start again, but I am afraid it is a lost cause.

Sorry.

[newtan]

I watched a viedo about tanning and he used Lard to Brain Tan

[The Tanner]

I used to know an old Indian fella that would render lard and then mix it with brains to make a paste.  The lard was mainly a filler to help spread the chemicals in the brain more evenly.  It may help in making the hide softer but that's about it.