Best Buckskin?

[eap7]

What is the best buckskin to use for a buckskin dress? Where do you get your buckskin from? In looking through the archives, some people recommended german tanned hides from Crazy Crow, while others thought they stretched out too much. Has anyone tried these? Suggestions? Thanks!!

[OLChemist]

I have tried the German tanned hides. I gather these deer that are farm raised and they are huge. I needed super big hides, and they were and are the best option. However, I was far from thrilled with the quality of the hides.

The hides I got had many small, but quite visible hard spots. I was told they were bug bites. (They must have some giant ticks over there.) It took a lot of exchanges and careful planning to make use of these hides. And you'd hit hard spots while sewing and it would take a pile driver to get the needle through the hide. In nearly thirty years I've never snapped a glovers needle off in buckskin. I killed eight of them sewing up one side of the dress.

These also shed like mad. I ran them though the drier on air fluff to blow off some of the fuzzies. (If you use drier sheets, don't do this.) After cutting the fringe, it still looked like it had snowed in my studio and I had some funky stalagmites hanging from the ceiling fan.

Do stretch them before use. They have some give and have been packaged folded, so they have set in wrinkles.

Honestly, despite being fairly unhappy with them, I'll probably buy them again -- tho' from someone else. But, next time I do a dress, I'll go with some nice brain tan. If I'm going to spend a few years beading a yoke, the expense is worth it.

[sokoki_wolf]

try Hagels tannery in Kalispell,MT...ive been using their leather for about 10 years now and have never had a problem with it...plus its a small business that really does pay attention to what you need and want...if you tell them what youre making they will try to find you the best hide for your project......their leather comes in smoked and white...antelope,deer,elk,sometimes moose....they sell by the hide,not by the square foot ,and its really not much more than commerical tan but way less expensive than brain tan...and it looks,feels and acts like brain tan,many people cant tell the difference...ive used that german tan from Crazy Crow before and would use hagels leather over the german stuff any day...
you can call or write for a sample and their price list:

Hagel's
130 13th st. E
Kalispell,MT 59901
406-755-9561

hope this helps...

[spottedeagle]

Coey Tanning
441 Bugscuffle Road
Wartrace, TN 37183
Phone: (931) 389-6423
Fax: (931) 389-6539
Email: [email protected]

Although I haven't personally used their hides, my dad has and he loved them. I called to order some white, but they didn't have any and told me to check back later this month.

[sokoki_wolf]

KiowaKat says BRAIN TAN ALL THE WAY!!!!!

her mom has a pair of boots made from Hagel leather that are 40 years old and theyre still in excellent shape after years of wear and use.

[steelemagnolia63]

hey thanks for the contact info that you both listed in your posts.... I am going to make new buckskin next year...and most folks that bought from crazy crow haven't been real happy.... now I can get good leather...

[eap7]

Thanks for those contact places. I'll give them a call. Not sure about the buckskin blizzard, OlChemist...lol

[BeadinGranny]

I like Moscow Hide and Fur, but I haven't tried a lot of other places. I'm going to check out the ones posted here.

Moscow Hide and Fur is found at:

hideandfur.com - Moscow Hide and Fur

[wyo_rose]

When I had to make 2 buckskin dresses for my twins, there was no way I was going to find enough matching braintanned hides, or even afford them.

I bought white commercial tanned hides (checked them to get a needle through easily) and turned them inside out. I ended up getting 10 hides, used the 4 ugliest just for fringe.

I really shy away from buying buckskin without seeing it in person. There are so many variations in the color, thickness, stretchy-ness, ability to get a needle through (even in brain tan), and PRICE! You gotta see where the holes are, make sure all the epidermis is off, and that there isn't any "hard spots".

Now that my honey is laid up, I'm looking for some hides so he can put his tanning skills to good use.

[powwowbum49]

I gather these deer that are farm raised and they are huge.

The hides I got had many small, but quite visible hard spots. I was told they were bug bites. (They must have some giant ticks over there.)

The German tanned hides from CCTP are red deer hides. Red deer are the European version of the Elk. They are slightly smaller than our elk but look very similar and yes they are farm raised.

as to the hard spots...that is scar tissue and is felt from blow flies. The flies lay their eggs in the nose of the animal and the the larva migrate into the animal and are a parasite. When they mature they find their way to the skin and burrow their way out to pupate leaving a hole that heals over. It is just like the alein movies...LOL!!! Most members of the deer family have problems with these flies the world over.

[wyo_rose]

GROSS!! I was talking about hard areas from poor tanning.

[randyinkc]

Where do I send the bill for the new keyboard that I just blew chunks on?

That's just gag-inducing....

[OLChemist]

Ok, where do I go for the deer that has worn the fly-proof surgical mask from day one....

[rezgranny]

I purchased white buckskin for my daughters dress about 6 yrs ago. The hides were so soft and sewing was easy. She was even able to sew beads on to it without much effort. Hartford Hides was the name of the company, good prices too. I bought the "wedding dress" hide, very soft, even today.

[Zi-Sunka]

I have tried the German tanned hides. I gather these deer that are farm raised and they are huge. I needed super big hides, and they were and are the best option. However, I was far from thrilled with the quality of the hides.

The hides I got had many small, but quite visible hard spots. I was told they were bug bites. (They must have some giant ticks over there.) It took a lot of exchanges and careful planning to make use of these hides. And you'd hit hard spots while sewing and it would take a pile driver to get the needle through the hide. In nearly thirty years I've never snapped a glovers needle off in buckskin. I killed eight of them sewing up one side of the dress.

These also shed like mad. I ran them though the drier on air fluff to blow off some of the fuzzies. (If you use drier sheets, don't do this.) After cutting the fringe, it still looked like it had snowed in my studio and I had some funky stalagmites hanging from the ceiling fan.

Do stretch them before use. They have some give and have been packaged folded, so they have set in wrinkles.

Honestly, despite being fairly unhappy with them, I'll probably buy them again -- tho' from someone else. But, next time I do a dress, I'll go with some nice brain tan. If I'm going to spend a few years beading a yoke, the expense is worth it.

When I bought german tanned from CC I wasn't so sure of it, because plateau dresses require nice light tanned buckskin. Turns out it is too thick and doesnt hang nicely when wearing it. Then when I tried it on and my hair was a little wet it left hard, yellow marks all lined up on it.. right where it wasnt going to be beaded. Very heavy and hard to sew with, and I wonder what needles they are talkinga bout when it says "perfect for beading".. lol the guy who says it was best next to buckskin must have used preety bad leather But still going to use it, I have no choice becuase of a low budget for leather becasue of beads and stuff.