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If a hide is to be made into rawhide or buckskin the hair or fur has to be removed. If the skin was fleshed with the dry scrape
method, the hair can be taken off by cutting and scraping it away with the fleshing tool. This is usually tough work, though.
An easier way is to soak the hair off. It usually takes a few days to get the hair to "slip" but it makes removing
it much faster.
Get a bucket or tub big enough to put the skin in. Weight the skin down with a board and some heavy rocks. Add water to
completely cover the hide. Do not let the hide float. Exposure to air causes unwanted rot. Sink the skin completely. Let it
sit 24 hours. The next day, dump out the water and fill the container with fresh water. Let it sit another 24 hours. Repeat
this every day until the hair "slips", comes out easily when pulled. What happens is natural bacteria on the skin
multiply in the water and attack the layer of hide that holds the hair in. When this layer breaks down, the hair falls out.
It is important that the water be changed because too much bacteria will destroy the skin quickly if it is left to sit too
long. It also stinks a lot. Changing the water limits the bacterial action and keeps the smell down.
This dehairing way will take a few days, longer in cold weather. If you have access to a river or deep stream you can
sink the skin right on the bottom and leave the river to do all the work. Just make sure animals don't steal your skin!
A traditional alternative is to use hardwood ash to speed up the process. We use a wood stove for heat in the winter anyhow,
so there is a good supply of ash on hand. It is sifted to remove the charcoal, nails and other debris then stored in large
totes for use in dehairing deerskins. The ash, or rather the lye in the ash works similarly to the bacteria, breaking down
the dermal layer that holds the hair in.
Spread the skin out hair side up. Cover it with a layer of ash an inch or more deep. Work the ash down into the hair until
it is on the skin. Sprinkle water over the hide and work it in until the ash has become a thick slurry all over the hair side.
(1) Roll the hide up, hair side in, wrap it in plastic or burlap and place it in a cool spot for a few days or (2) put the
hide in a tub, sink it and cover it in water as described before. Change the water until the hair slips. 1 works well so long
as there is enough water in the ash paste. 2 makes sure there is enough water but turns everything gray. Rinse out the ash
with a garden hose, then scrape the hair off using the wet scrape tool over a fleshing beam. There will be sooty streaks and
the hide will likely have an odd rubbery feeling to it. Both will come out as the hide is worked later on and it should not
smell quite so rancid.
Slaked lime can be used as well instead of ash to speed up the soaking part. Mix it into enough water to cover the skin,
then sink the skin completely.
Side note: Gardens and lawns love the dehairing bath! Ash/lime soaks can be sprinkled on lawns to help balance acidity
in the soil. Plain water soaks can be put around vegetables to help deter garden pests who usually avoid the stink. Some pests,
however, like raccoons might be more attracted to the smell. Dogs also find it interesting.
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