Selecting the Hides for My Two Hide Fold Over Elk Dress

Just Look at the Quality and Size of these Hides!

This is Loren of Circle S Leather showing off the beautiful Elk hides he brain tanned and smoked on both sides for me for my project.

Loren and Liza Stallsmith Circle S Leather - http://Braintanner.com

I could not be more pleased with the results!

Any one who tries to recreate pre-contact garments knows how precious it is to find someone who is making brain tan the old way.


I know several good brain tan tanners, but to my knowledge, Loren and Liza are the only quality Large Elk Brain Tanners in the country.


As you can see, they are thick, as large Elk hides are, but he has put the work into them to make them supple enough to make a flowing garment.

They are also large, measuring over 68" in each direction, something you need to completely cover the body and fold over at the top after joining at the shoulders, making a yoke.

Now for the hard part of the entire project.....deciding whether to go with pre contact shells or first contact beads or just plain beautiful fringe!

It will be hard to decide!

Here are examples of the dress I will be creating:

This is a Pre Contact Garment

This is a Post Contact Garment of the same design

Dave Risdon Deer Buck Skin Tanner Extra Ordinaire

http://davesbuckskin.com

Hides drying on the line

When I first started going to reenactments and Rendesvous, I met fellow Newbie Dave Risdon, who had the unusual hobby of brain tanning deer hides in the traditional Native American way.

Now flash forward seven years and we are both still doing what we love best, researching and applying the teachings of the Native American way of doing things.

Dave demonstrates wet scraping

He has many talents including playing the violin, but his heart is in his work of tanning deer hides.

He just made me a second set of hides that I will be using to make the off the shoulder dress, and I have three hides of his from before I will be making into my brain tan strap dress.

showing the carefully sewn seam

He demonstrates hide preparation and curing at many events we attend and is often consulted by many folks who want to try it themselves.

setting up the hide tube for smoking

One of the myths he proves unfounded is that hides were hot, heavy and sweaty. By tanning hides in this manner, they become light, cool and washable. 

His hides are super soft and completely hand washable, the shirt and pants he wears is several years old and has been washed many times.

Keeping a careful eye on the process

I have always been well pleased with Dave's results and am glad that he found a place to teach his art in the reenactment world.

The finished result! Beautiful Hides!

http://davesbuckskin.com