From falls & poppers to plaiting & cracking technique, this section is dedicated in memory of Sergei, IndyGear Staff Member and Whip Guru. Always remember to keep "Celebratin' Life!"
I hunt, and have often thought of tanning the deer hides for use in leather projects. but this winter, I'm going to actually do it.
Does anyone know about the properties/qualities of deer hides? IN other words, would it be a decent leather to use for whipmaking?
I know that kangaroo and cow hides differ in the best areas of the hide to use for different parts. Does anyone know the best parts of the deer hide to use for laces, etc?
Deer hide is fairly soft and not very dense. I'm not sure it would be strong enough for a whip. Go for it though, I'd like to hear what results you come up with.
The first whip I ever made was out of deerskin just after Raiders came out. I was in high school, and it was also my first attempt at tanning a hide. The tanning did not go well, and I ended up basically with slightly tanned piece of rawhide. I made the whip anyway, which came out alright for not having any instructiions or any clue at the time of what I was doing. It was stiff as a board, and I could hold it out straight like a fishing pole. It loosened up some after trying to crack it. I've long since misplaced it, but its fun to look back on the experience.
My advice would be to find out what type of tanning you need to do on it make it into a whip. Seigel's of California has a person on staff for advice on this kind of stuff.
Brain tanned or smoke tanned will leave the hide softer. Following the buckskin tanning you should have a good hide to make a whip with. While not as strong as 'roo, it will plait very firm. Just be sure to allow for the stretch which in most cases will be more than that of 'roo.
As far as making it of deer rawhide which is untanned hide that has been dehaired, and defleshed, you can make a nice whip. Make sure you use a good plaiting soap so that the rawhide remains supple. For more information, I'd try to contact Benton Cassaday in Talpa, TX. He makes some outstanding rawhide whips.
