Rawhide. How It Is Made & How To Use It.

Discussion in 'Packs, Bags, and Other Craftsmanship' started by Keith H., Apr 15, 2018.

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  1. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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  2. randyt

    randyt Master Survivalist
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    rawhide is a great resource.
     
  3. Dalewick

    Dalewick Legendary Survivalist
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    Made rawhide for projects years ago. Made it the first time with dehydrated lime. Seemed to me like that shrunk and thickened the hides. Used hardwood ash the next time and liked the finished product much better. Only did deer and beef hides. Good skill to have along with being able to tan your own hides.

    Dale
     
  4. Pragmatist

    Pragmatist Master Survivalist
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    Good morning Dale,

    Just read above after replying to a thread by Keith.

    What would you recommend for procedure to store a couple of cow rawhide stripes as part of a vehicle evac kit ?

    My concerns are "drying out", mildew and mold.

    Merci in advance.
     
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  5. GrizzlyetteAdams

    GrizzlyetteAdams Crap Creek Survivor
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    Until Dale gets back on here, I'll chime in...

    The rawhide I have is flint-hard when dry, and it takes a lot of moisture to soften it up. But it is easy enough to dry it out again. I don't recall ever having a mildew and mold problem. I suppose it would be if the rawhide is perpetually wet or damp?

    Dale? Keith?


    .
     
  6. randyt

    randyt Master Survivalist
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    I get my rawhide straight from the animal. I have cow hide and whitetail hides in the barn, ready for use.

    The way I make large amounts of lace is to cut the hide in circles. Then hammer a nail in a stump. leave it up a half inch or so, then stick my knife in the stump about a 1/4 inch from the nail. The circle is nicked on the edge and then pulled through the knife between the nail and blade and the circle is turned as it is cut. Similar to what Keith shows in the video,

    The lace can be made somewhat rounded by getting wet and pulling through a small hole

    Although I neve needed to do this, small amounts of rawhide can be acquired from dog chew toys.


    A couple weeks ago I went to a primitive skills event and a fellow talked about making hide glue from scrap rawhide. The glue was a clearish amber color.

    what is the difference between rawhide and greenhide?
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2019
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  7. Dalewick

    Dalewick Legendary Survivalist
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    Keep it bone dry. As long as I've kept it bone dry I have never had any mold or mildew. As previously stated, it will easily suck up water when needed, so just keep it dry. If you can vacuum seal the straps and they will always be ready.

    Dale
     
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  8. Dalewick

    Dalewick Legendary Survivalist
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    In the fur trade, rawhide is any hide that has had the hair and flesh membrane removed. Greenhide are hides in the raw that need to be fleshed and stretched if your planning on selling them. Greenhides can go straight to the fleshing and tanning process. The usual categories are:

    1. Green or in the round
    2. Green fleshed
    3. Fleshed, stretched and dried = also called trapper dried
    4. Rawhide
    5. Tanned hide (either brain tanned or vegetable tanned)

    I think you can find more at the National Trappers Associations web site.
     
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  9. Pragmatist

    Pragmatist Master Survivalist
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    Good afternoon Dale,

    Thank you.

    My problem was not bone dry. Kept in barn.

    Will now load straps in a vacuum pouch.
     
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  10. Sonofliberty

    Sonofliberty Master Survivalist
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    Can one of you experts either confirm or dispel an anecdote/myth I once heard? Can real animal rawhide be eaten?
     
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  11. randyt

    randyt Master Survivalist
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    Last edited: Aug 31, 2019
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  12. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    I have never had a problem with mould. So long as one keeps it out of the wet & in a dry aired place, it should last for many years. The piece I used was about 20 years old.
    Keith.
     
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  13. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    Green for me has always been a term used for new, fresh or inexperienced. As in greenhorn. So a greenhide to me is a fresh hide.
    Keith.
     
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  14. Keith H.

    Keith H. Moderator Staff Member
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    I have never eaten rawhide, never been that desperate, but yes you can eat it. I imagine it is best cut into very small pieces & boiled. The result is a jelly like mix, which is also known as hide glue.

    The result is similar to glue-broth/portable soup/pocket soup which is an 18th century trail food recipe, but obviously not as refined as the recipe made with meat:

    https://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/2017/01/easiest-way-to-make-portable-soup.html
    https://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/2013/09/pocket-soup.html
    https://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/2018/10/portable-soup-in-tinned-iron-containers.html
    https://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/2016/04/more-on-food-packaging.html
    https://woodsrunnersdiary.blogspot.com/2019/01/trail-foods-william-byrd.html
    Keith.
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2019
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    1. Dalewick
      I hadn't saw your answer when I responded. Sorry for the overlap.
       
      Dalewick, Aug 31, 2019
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  15. Dalewick

    Dalewick Legendary Survivalist
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    Yes, but you won't like it. LOL! Same for hide glue. With rawhide, they mostly just kept chewing on it until it's chewed up. There is some proteins and carbs if I remember correctly, but I won't swear to it. Historical records I've read stated that native Americans that were starving would eat rawhide items, to stave off starvation. That's pretty hard up but it would be something in the stomach.

    Dale
     
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  16. Sonofliberty

    Sonofliberty Master Survivalist
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    That is what I heard too. It would help stave off starvation but you would get no pleasure from it. IIRC, my maternal grandfather told me they used to boil it to soften it during parts of the depression when nothing else was available.
     
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