Canadian Trappers Talk Forum

I have a couple beaver pelts I'm tanning with "Hide Tanning Formula"and was wondering if I tanned them hair off would the leather be thick enough to make knife sheaths ?

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Big Wet Drops, And Lots Of Them, Are A Sure Sign Of Rain

If you have adult fall beaver you should be ok. Small sizes or winter caught and the leather is much thinner. You may want to get yourself some western beaver out of the prairies, they have the heavies leather of the beaver in North America.
Jim

When they do tanning commercially, they split the hide to get a nice thin flexible hide. When you tan it yourself it is much heavier and will work well to make firm cases. If you want it to be hard, then cut and shape it while it is still partially wet. Allow a little extra for shrinkage.

Right on Gibb, hard to beat a westerner for a thick hide ! Except if you talk politics! Seriously I never heard that stated before , Why do you think that would be?

Why I do not know but the average western beaver has a heavy leather compare to an eastern beaver. Hence one of the reasons beaver are spilt between western and eastern beaver. Certain geographical regions produce different variations of the same animal. Kind of like comparing a marten from New Bruniswick compared to a marten from Couville Lake NWT. Same animal but you could tell the differents a mile away.

Western beaver on average will be coarser fur wise and have a heavy leather. the colour will also be different. The best are a silky blond colour but the average is a reddish colour.
Jim

Also in my experience I have found the eastern beaver much easier to put up.

Now back to the leather. Woodtick can you get your hands on a seal hide. They make excellent leather. They are not unlike a heavy moose hide when tanned.

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Member BCTA
BCTA Trapping Instructor

"It's what you learn after you know it all that really counts."

There's no problem getting leather. The reason I wanted to use leather from a beaver is that I dabble in forging handmade knives as a hobby and I recently finished a nice beaver skinner and I got the idea that a case made from beaver leather would add a nice touch to it. I suppose I could stitch two layers.

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Big Wet Drops, And Lots Of Them, Are A Sure Sign Of Rain

I have used beaver tail skin for wood bow handles and knife sheaths. I didn't tan them, but kept them in the freezer till they were totally freeze dried, then they were somewhat flexible and stayed that way. I skinned the beaver tails, fleshed them well then put them in the freezer till they were totally dry and white on the flesh side. they have lasted for years with just a light oiling with neatsfoot or boot oil. I suppose soaking in a solution of ground oak, spruce , hemlock, tamarack or other bark high in tannin would preserve them for a long time. The tannin molecules are so large you have to start with a weak mixture first then make the solution stronger over a period of a couple of weeks. If you use a strong solution to start with the large tannin molecules plug up the hide and wont penetrate. I have done deer hides (hair off) with natural bark tan and they turned out well.

Woodtick.... If the beaver hide was tanned correctly it swells to be much thicker. During the process it is then shaved thinner to allow the tanning chemicals to enter and also to ease leather breaking. A large beaver NS shoulder and back are fine for a sheath but stay clear of the belly leather. Now back to the tanning product . This is not a proper tan and will not swell the leather. One more thing beaver leather is very oily and it all has to be degreased or the leather will yellow and get sticky. Then the smell will appear and so will the moths.

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Thanks for viewing .
Steve