To Tan Moose Hide.

This is my method of tanning moose. The process is just as you would tan a deer hide, but everything from wait times, to wringing, to measurement is trippled if not quadrupled. The only other difference is I avoid tanning a whole hide at once (I've never tried it using this particular method), and instead of using a doughnut and two poles to wring the hide, I cut strong slitts on the border and wring the hide by securing a few of these at once.

Cut the hide into a half (or quarter if your a small person) unless you absolutely need or want a whole hide; in which case, the drying process would need to be done by framing the hide. A split at the waste (or center) is easer to work, maneuver, store and you're going to cut the finished hide it for projects anyway. 

All the hide must be scraped; the parts not to be tanned should be cut away and discarded at this point. 

Scrape the fur side first, then the flesh side (the opposite order of deer skin).

Fully scraped hide can be hung and dried for a time when they are ready to be used. 

The best hides, Deer or moose, must be lye dunked and scraped; you dont need to do this step for moose, but it will soften with fewer smoke twist cycles, and the moose hide will finish stretchy, billowy, and breathable. Dunk in lye water solution for three days and break in a shower stall - by scraping back and front - over a beam. Soak again in the lye water bucket for a day and break again. Repeat the dunk in lye - wait - scrap to stretch cycle over and over untill the the thick hide is gummy and very stretchy.

You will need to add far more lye, in total, than you would with a deer; but, you must pace your lye saturation. Start with the same amount of lye you would add to a thick deer hide. When the moose hide looks like the lye has lost strength, add more lye.

When the lye and scraping has broken the hide thoroughly, rince by repeating the shower scrape dunk in  fresh water (instead of lye water), wash in the show, until the hide has become a milky white sloppy weak sponge like skin, instead of the dense, non stretchy, tough hide it once was. Feel free to use the twist method described bellow to squeeze out all the salt or potassium base water so the hide will take in fresh water and so reach the unpuckered state you need - this will also help loosen and break fibers, which is what you need to do. Do not do this in a place that the wrinsing lye water can be drunk by animals or insects.

When the hide is white, rinsed of lye solution and sticky mucous, and broken-stretchy - dunk the damp hide into a solution of soap, vegetable oils and water. 

Slosh periodically and allow to soak for two days. 

Slits must be cut an inch long, an inch apart, three quarters of an inch from the edge, all around, parallel to the border; the idea is to make these slits quite robust as they will be under quite a bit of strain; they will be used to twist the hide and stretch wring liquid. Weave a rod or some other strong stationary beam or cable through four to six holes on one side and another rod on the opposite side woven in the same way. I mount a robust nail to a saw horse, weave two, three or four  holes onto the nail. With a short bar, i weave the same or so number of holes, oposite to the nail holes, twist, and push down , twist the opposite way and push down. The edge of the wood in the immage, just forward of the nail, takes a huge amount of stress from the cut mount holes by using the edge to lock onto the twisted portion; this reduces the chance of the holes laced on the nail, from tareing.

You work your way around the whole piece so all the holes have been used. Twist left then right. Focus more on the pulling and stretching and then the twisting, in stead of just twisting as this will tear many of your holes. The holes are very weak and will tear until you get a feel for how much twisting and force they can handle; if this happens, cut away the open tear and simply make a new slit just beneath.

The above described twist method will enable you to focus on and tear apart the dense and hard to work hump section.

After you have wrung the softening solution from the hide, throw it back in the solution to soak for a day and then, repeat the wringing.

The after the final wring, the hide should now be damp and coated in oil soap solution. Sew the holes using an awl to punch holes through both layers of the hide adjacent from each other. Use hide thong with a folded wire to lead the stitch. A hole in a peice of lumber will help you push the awl, cleanly, through the thick moose skin.

When damp dry, begin the dry stretch process by working the hide in all directions, stretching by hand and over a pointy beam (this is important). Run the hide on the poky object one direction, then pull it open the opposite. The more thorough and heavily the hide is worked during these work sessions the sooner your hides will soften.

Work the hide, then let it sit to dry, then in a few hours, work it again. It is critical, that you work moose and hair on hides passively (environment depending). You will use too much energy working a damp hide that simply needs time to let dry.

If at any time during the drying process, you want to rest, plastic bag it and stick it in a cool place like a fridge; avoid the freezer as ice cuts the fibers.

Do not worry - it WILL, regardless the work, dry stiff in areas on the first go, and stop and dont wory when dos. Only make sure that the piece dries as stretched open as possible.

When the hide is fully dry, return to softening the somewhat soft areas, to make those billowy and fluffy. Areas like a hump and border will be like rawhide and this is fine for the first go.

When the hide is dried, just get smoke into/onto the hide. Use a towel or other rags to quickly seal or cover means for smoke to escape. 

The hide(s) may be so stiff the first time smoking, you may want to do something like slide the pieces under a supported cotton blanket, smoke pot located in the center, to make a sort of smoke tent, which will put the initial color on. Don't worry about an even color as later soaking will even out the coloring. Keep a keen eye on this set up, as you don't want anything catching fire. Given the amount of work invested to point, this would be catastrophic. Use a pot with a lid a jar to protect from scorching. 



When dry or after a smoke, slam both sides of the leather with sun for a few hours as a counter measure for molds; at any point the hide is dry, this countermeasure is mandatory.

After the first smoke, repeat the whole process from the dunk in softening solution step, to smoke until the hide and fibers are fully covered in smoke color, oils, and the hide is flexible. You wont need to pay attention to stretching the hide as open as possible during the drying process after the first smoking of the surface. 

Also, after the hide has been smoked once and is soaking in the softening solution for two days, it is important that you wring it mid way to break up fibers; then let it finish the soak duration.

Expect this to take at least four whole cycles. 

After the hide has reached the final drying cycle, and is now ready for the last smoking, cut away the holes on the border and use a heavy awl (which you may need to mallet) to make holes and create a really tight seal for the final smoking sack; this is not necessary, but you really want a thorough smoking on the final smoke; one which penetrates deep into the hide and can only be achieved with a tight seal.