BUTCHERING, SKINNING & TANNING  &
HOW TO PREPARE SKIN

MOVE TO THE KILL:

1)    Veteran  woodsmen  tells us of certain  labour  saving
principles practised by Indians.

MOVE YOUR CAMP TO YOUR KILL AND NOT VICE VERSA.

2)    If  you  MUST transport the carcass first  reduce  the
weight   by   eating  heart,  liver,  kidneys  skull   meat,
intestines and leg bone marrow.

3)   ROLL; DON'T CARRY GAME DOWNHILL. On snow or ice use the
pelt of one animal as a sled to drag another.

Once  scraped of fat and stretched between trees a hide  can
be green-dried in a day. Spread under a sleeping bag = ideal
insulator.

WORKING ON YOUR OWN:

1)   Lifting a large animal takes considerable effort. If on
your  own  you  may have to skin and gut the animal  on  the
ground.

2)    To prevent the carcass from rolling, cut off the  feet
of hoofed animals and place them under it. **pix needed

3)    Lay  the  carcass  down  a  natural  slope,  scoop  an
impression in the ground in which to place a collecting  tin
or other vessel so that the animal bleeds into it.

4)    Follow the same pattern of incisions in the hide  then
skin  the  animal from one side to the backbone, spread  out
the  hide  and  then  roll the animal on  to  it  to  finish
skinning  the  other half- this helps keeps  the  meat  from
rubbing  on  the ground. **See more information on  Skinning
below in Skin chapter.

CAN'T MOVE THE DEAR DEER!:

Now  if  you can not transport your deer to your camp  right
away,  you MUST take some precautions such as to lay  it  on
its  stomach  on some pieces of wood, so as to raise  it  to
MAKE SURE that it is well ventilated to dry and cool off.

DON'T HANG IT UP, AND MAKE SURE you cover it very well  with
many  spruce  branches held in place with bigger  logs  even
with a rope if need be.

Otherwise the scavengers will make it disappear in one  day,
believe it or not 5 or 6 crows can clean a deer in one day.

HOW TO CARRY DEER:

THE WORST METHOD IS to tie its legs together and using a  12
foot pole between the legs you & your partner tries to carry
it.  The continuous swinging motion of the deer will  nearly
kill you.

1)   THE TASK IS TWICE AS EASY if you use 2 poles to tie the
legs and you then carry the weight on your shoulders and  to
avoid the swinging motion.

2)    You just march on the same footstep rhythm or you  can
use  this different method which is to make a net under  the
deer using a rope between the 2 poles in which you carry the
deer  instead  of tying it to the poles you tie  it  to  the
stretcher by the neck.

HOW TO CARRY IT ALONE?: (Call Tarzan)

1)    If  you are alone and can not get help from the  above
nor Spock to beam it up, then first, don't try to drag it on
the floor unless the deer is very small, it will get tangled
up everywhere.

2)    Don't try to obstinate yourself unless you are Hulk to
drag  a  175  to  200 pound deer, you only risk  the  hearth
attack.

3)    Move your camp to the kill is the logical choice if in
emergency even without it.

TRICK TO MOVE IT IF ALONE:
TO CUT THE WEIGHT IN HALF BY:

1)    Try  this  trick which will cut the  weight  in  half.
Search  for  2  small tree about 15 feet long with  a  trunk
slightly bent, if not, cut 2 straight trees that you cut the
ends in #bevel# so that they slide better.

Place  them  about 20 inches apart and tie a rope  at  every
foot  between them. Roll your deer on this stretcher stomach
upward and attach it firmly by the legs and the neck so that
it does not slide downward.

2)    If your rope is long enough cut a piece which you will
attach  to  the  handles so as to help you  to  support  the
weight on your shoulder as some kind of harness.

You will then note that a man of average strength can by use
of  this  method  carry a deer of 200  pound  without  heart
attack or total exhaustion.

MORE ON THIS NOTE IN FILE # IN HUNTING****

REMOVING OF THE SKIN:

BUTCHERING TIPS:

1)    Hundred of pounds of meat is lost because the amateurs
does  not know how to carve the animal properly, or  because
he has not opened and cleaned the animal as soon as killed.

Or  using  bayonet  type of knife to  open  an  animal  thus
perforating the intestine and spoiling the meat to no avail.

BUTCHERING TIP 1:  *pix 382

1)    Too many hunters spoil the taste of the games by using
the  same  knife to remove the #glands# located on the  deer
legs  and  to  skin the deer itself. Correct this  error  by
using a small knife really sharp to extract the gland.

DEER BUTCHERING:

Deer or Moose meat spoils very fast if left on the ground.

1)    So  if  you can not hang the deer on a tree, drag  the
body to a dead trunk & put it on it or upon a tree stump  or
a group of shrubs would do it.

If  too heavy push branches under the body & use a branch or
pole as leverage. It does not matter that the hind legs drag
on the ground.

2)   A good hunter does it in 5 minutes and by dirtying only
one  hand  but if it is your first butchering, it will  take
1/2 hour and you'll be a mess.

3)    Start  first  by placing the deer in  proper  position
which  is  down  toward a small slope which  will  help  the
cleaning up.

4)    Using  a  rope you will spread open the hind  legs  by
tying them to a small tree near by. Thus installed the  deer
offers you its abdomen and rib cage.

5)    It  is the abdomen that MUST be emptied of its content
if  you  want to avoid spoiling the meat. You start  by  the
removing of the genital organs of the male.

6)    To  empty a deer, you open the deer from the #sternum#
to  the tail base, from the sternum precisely where the bony
part of the rib cage ends.

7)    When the opening is big enough to insert the index and
the  major finger of your left hand, these fingers will push
downward while lifting strongly the skin upward.

8)    Meanwhile  the  sharp  knife  turned  upward  will  be
introduced  between your fingers and will work downward  all
the  way  to  the  #anus# MAKING SURE NOT TO  PERFORATE  THE
INTESTINES.

9)    You  will gradually open the hole about 10  inches  on
each side. You will then notice that the #viscera# enveloped
in  a  transparent pouch have a tendency to come out of  the
open stomach.

10)   You MUST MAKE SURE not to perforate this envelope  and
to  work  in  such  a  way as to let  the  stomach  and  the
intestines be removed in one block.

11)   Otherwise  the guts will come off the pouch  and  will
make your task much more difficult & messy.

12)   You MUST disengage all the pouch (diaphragm) so as  to
let it easily come out of the abdomen.

13)  In order to help you along, you introduce you open hand
between the skin and the pouch and direct it along the  back
bone. Then you cut off the #oesophagi#.

14)  It is a gut of about 1 1/2 inch in diameter located  at
the top end of the stomach & connected to the #pharynx#.

15)  Once this done you grab with your left hand the end  of
the #oesophagi# connected to the stomach and you pull firmly
downward.  The  pouch  containing the  intestines  and  guts
should come out fairly easily.

16)   If the deer is heavy, you can turn it sideways to help
the  clearing of the #viscera#. Once they are completely out
of  the deer you then cut the #big intestine# as closely  as
possible from the #anus#.

Clean  all blood and dry it, using dry grass, moss. Now  all
you have to do is to detach the liver which has stayed stuck
behind the stomach.

DEER BUTCHERING TIP 2:

Once  at camp with your deer REMEMBER that is preferable  to
let  it age a bit before butchering it; about 8 to 10  days,
the  meat will be much more tender. Of course we assume that
you have emptied the deer in the first place.

AT CAMP BUTCHERING:

1)    Once  at camp you finish the butchering job by opening
the rib cage to remove the hearth and tongue.

2)    Removing  the deer of any further scrap and  then  you
hang it up to a bar located between 2 trees at about 12 feet
high, either by the head or hind legs through which you have
passed a pole at the #tendons d"Achilles#.

But  don't  forget to cover it up so as to avoid  scavengers
etc.  Use  a  tarpaulin to protect it from snow or  rain  as
well.

3)    You finish the opening with the knife then use the axe
to open the thorax by cutting the sternum all the way to the
neck.

4)   To remove the lungs and the heart; cut the jugular vein
which  is a tube about 1 inch in diameter, once cut;  insert
your  fingers and pull downward and all the breathing system
will come out of the thorax.

5)    Clean the inside of the deer of the remaining parts of
the lungs, other pouches and of all blood.

6)   As for the heart, it will be bled by simply compressing
it  strongly.  Finally  remove the  #metatarsiennes  glands#
located  at the bottom of the #tendons d'Achille# which  you
use to rub your boots as # 1 waterproofing.

BUTCHERING TIP 3:

Whatever is not used either hearth liver, lungs etc. of  all
game  MUST  NEVER be left in the wood but burned since  they
will give many diseases to other games, so MAKE SURE to  get
rid off them.

WARNING HEALTH HAZARDS DISEASED ANIMALS:

1)    There  are lymph glands in the cheeks of  all  animals
more noticeable on large ones. If large and discoloured they
are signs of illness.

Any  animal that is distorted or discoloured about the  head
such  as  rabbit  with the symptoms of myxomatosis  MUST  BE
BOILED.

2)    There is then little risk of infection from eating it.
But  care  should be taken in preparation when  there  is  a
risk.

3)    It  is ESSENTIAL that any cut or sore in your skin  be
covered when slaughtering or handling meat.

4)    For  if an animal carries disease a break in the  skin
provides easy entry to your beautiful body!

PREPARING THE KILL:

1)    No  part  of  a  carcass  should  be  wasted.  Careful
preparation  will give you the maximum food value  and  make
full  use of the parts you can not eat. Set about it in four
stages.

SKINNING:***See below Skin chapter

1)   So that the hide or fur can be for shelter or clothing.

Pigs are not skinned because they have a useful layer of fat
under the skin. Birds are plucked but not usually skinned.

GUTTING:

To remove the gut and recover the offal.

JOINTING:

To produce suitable cuts for cooking by various methods

BLEEDING:

1)    Which  is ESSENTIAL if the meat is to keep  &  without
which the taste is very strong.

2)   DO NOT WASTE BLOOD. It is rich in vitamins and minerals
including  salt,  that could otherwise be missing  from  the
survivor's  diet. Cattle food is an important  part  of  the
diet of many African herdsmen.

3)    Cannibals who drank their enemies' blood found  vision
and  general  health improved and giddy spells,  induced  by
vitamin deficiency, cured.

4)    The  blood provided the missing vitamins and minerals.
But  today  with aids they would drink death  &  beside  the
Bible forbids us to drink blood.

ANY ANIMAL WILL BLEED BETTER IF HUNG WITH THE HEAD DOWN.

1)    Tie ropes around the hock (Not the ankle, it will slip
off)  & hoist it up to a branch or build a frame, placing  a
receptacle beneath to catch the blood.

2)    For  a  frame you need a strong structure.  Drive  the
posts  into the ground and lash them firmly where they cross
to  make  A frame and then rest the horizontal bar  on  top.

3)   Bleed the animal by cutting the jugular vein or carotid
artery  in  its neck. When the animal is hanging these  will
bulge more clearly & should be easy to see.

The cut can be made either behind the ears, stabbing in line
with  the ears to pierce the vein on both sides of the  head
at  the same time or lower down in the V of the neck, before
the artery branches.

Unless you have a stiletto type knife the latter is best. An
alternative is to cut the throat from ear to ear.

4)    This  has the disadvantage to cut through the windpipe
and  food  from  the stomach may come up &  contaminate  the
blood  which you are trying to save, but if your knife  does
not  have  a  sharp  point  it  may  be  necessary.  It   is
particularly important to very thoroughly bleed pigs.

5)    If  blood remains in their tissues, which have a  high
moisture and fat content, it will speed deterioration of the
flesh.

GUTTING:

1)    With  the carcass still suspended remove the  gut  and
recover the offal. Pinch the abdomen as high as possible and
in the pouch of flesh you have raised make a slit big enough
to take two fingers.

2)    Do  not stab into the flesh or you may cut through  to
internal organs. Insert the fingers and use them as a  guide
for the knife to cut upwards towards the anus.

3)    Now  cut downwards in the same way, using the hand  to
hold  back  the gut, which will begin to spill outwards . Cut
down as far as the breastbone. The initial incision, made  in 
the  pinched-up  flesh, needs  only accommodate two fingers.

4)    Cut  in the same way as skinning see PIX #?* before  *
First  up, then down. The back of the hand prevents the  gut
from spilling.

5)    Let  the gut spill out, allow it to hang down so  that
you can inspect it. Remove the 2 kidneys and the liver.

6)    The chest cavity is covered with a membrane and easily
missed  in  small game. Cut through the membrane and  remove
the heart, lungs and windpipe.

7)   Ensure that the anus is clear you should be able to see
daylight through it. Push a hand through with large animals.
The carcass is now clean & you are a bloody mess.

JOINTING MEAT: 

1)    Large animals can be quartered by first splitting down
the  backbone and then cutting each side between  the  tenth
and eleventh rib.

The  hindquarters will contain steaks rump & filet  and  the
choicer cuts, the forequarter meat is more stringy and needs
slow cooking to make it tender

2)    The  cuts into which a carcass is divided will  differ
according to the kind of animal and the cook's preference.

1)  Fillet  or  undercut:The most tender  meat  only  1%  is
fillet. Ideal for preserving.

2)  Sirloin:    Next most tender. Fat free strips can be cut
for preserving.

3)  Rump:   Ideal for frying, little cooking is needed.  Can
also be dried in strips.

4)  Topside: Muscle from the top of the leg. Cook slowly, it
tends to be tough. Cut into cube for boiling.

5) Top rump:   Muscle from front of thigh. As for topside.

6)  Silverside:  Muscle  on  the  outside  of  thighs.  Good
roasting.

7) Hind flank: Belly, ideal for stews & casseroles.

8) Leg:   Tough and sinewy cut into cubes and stew.

9)  Flank: Muscular extension of the belly. Ideal for  stews
Usually tough so needs long simmering to make tender.

10) Brisket:   Same as Flank.

11) Shin: Foreleg, best cubed for stews.

12) Neck: Stews.

13)  Clod:  Ideal for stews. Contains less tissue than  leg.
Cook slowly.

14)  Chuck  and blade: Quite tender but usually  cut  up  as
stewing steak.

15) 8 ribs: Ideal for roasting but cook slowly.

HANGING:

1)    Offal should be eaten as soon as possible but the rest
of the meat is better hung.

2)   In moderate temperature leave the carcass hanging for 2-
3  days.  In  hot  climate it is better to  preserve  it  by
cooking it straight away.

3)    When  the  animal is killed, acids released  into  the
muscles help to break down their fibre, making the meat more
tender.

THE  LONGER IT IS LEFT THE MORE TENDER IT WILL BE AND EASIER
TO  CUT WITH MORE FLAVOUR TOO AND HARMFUL PARASITIC BACTERIA
IN THE MEAT WILL DIE.

4)    You MUST keep flies off the flesh; if they lay eggs on
meat it will spoil quickly.

OFFAL  LIVER:

1)    Liver  is best eaten as soon as possible.  Remove  the
bile bladder in the centre.

2)    It  is  quite  strong and can usually  be  pulled  off
without difficulty- but be careful, the bile will taint  the
flesh with which it comes in contact.

3)    If any animal has any disease they will show up in the
liver.

4)    AVOID any liver that is mottled or covered with  white
spots.  If  only some is affected, cut it off  and  eat  the
reminder.

5)    LIVER  IS  COMPLETE  FOOD,  CONTAINING  THE  ESSENTIAL
VITAMINS AND MINERALS.

If  eaten  raw  no  food value is lost. It  requires  little
cooking.

STOMACH: (TRIPE):

1)    Stomach takes little digesting, so is a good food  for
the  sick or injured. Remove the stomach contents which make
ideal "invalid" food.

2)    Wash  the  tripe  and simmer slowly  with  herbs.  The
contents  may  sound unpalatable but could save  an  injured
person's life for the animal has done most of the hard  work
of breaking the food down.

3)    Lightly  boiled, stomach contents are  nourishing  and
easily  digestible. In some countries pigs are  fed  nothing
but apple prior to slaughter.

4)    They are cooked with the stomach still in. The  subtle
flavour  of  apple  impregnates the  meat.  The  stomach  is
removed after cooking and the contents used as sauce.

KIDNEYS:

They are a valuable source of nourishment & ideal flavouring
for stews. Boil them with herbs.

The white fat surrounding them (suet) is a rich food source.
Render it down to use in the preparation of pemmican.

MELTS:

They are the spleen, a large organ in the bigger animals. It
has  limited food value and is not worth bothering about  in
the small games such as rabbits. It is best roasted.

LITES:

Lites are the lungs of the animal, perfectly good to eat but
not  of  great  food value. Any respiratory complaints  will
show up in the lungs.

Do  not  eat any mottled with black and white spots. Healthy
lungs  are pink and blemish free and best boiled. They could
be set aside for fish or trap bait.

HEART:

A  tightly packed muscle with little or no fat. Roast it  or
use its distinctive flavour to liven up the stew.

INTESTINES:

1)    They consist of lengths of tubes and are best used  as
sausage skins. Turn them inside out and wash them. Then boil
them thoroughly.

2)    Mix fat and meat in equal proportions and then stir in
blood. Stuff the mixture into the skin and boil them well.

3)    Before  putting them into boiling water add  a  little
cold  to  take it just off the boil, this will  counter  any
risk of the skins bursting.

4)    This  makes a highly nutritious food which  if  smoked
will keep for a long time. Dried intestines can be used  for
light lashings.

SWEETBREADS:

Are  the  pancreas  or thymus gland, distinctive  in  larger
game.  Many people consider it a great delicacy  and  it  is
delicious boiled or roasted.

TAIL:

Skin  and boil to make an excellent soup for it is  full  of
meat and gelatine.

FEET:

Feet  are  chopped off during slaughter but  should  not  be
wasted. Boil them up to make a good stew.

Clean dirt from hooves or paws and remove all traces of fur.
Hooves are a source of nutritious aspic jelly.

HEAD:

1)    On  larger animal there is a good deal of meat on  the
head.  The  cheeks  make a very tasty dish.  The  tongue  is
highly nutritious.

2)    Boil it to make it tender and skin before eating.  The
brain  will brawn and will also provide useful solution  for
curing hides. All that is left or the whole head with  small
animals should be boiled.

BONES:

All  bones should be boiled for soup. They are rich in  bone
marrow  with valuable vitamins. They can also be  made  into
tools.

PREPARING SHEEP-LIKE ANIMALS:

Follow the instructions for larger animals and then:

1)    Split  in  two  down the line of  the  spine,  keeping
     exactly to the centre of the backbone.

2)   Remove rear leg. Try to cut through the ball and socket
     joint.

3)    Remove the front leg. There is no bone to cut through.
     Follow the line of the shoulder blade.

4)   Cut of neck
5)    Cut off skirt (loose flesh hanging below the ribs.)

6)    Cut  between each rib and between the vertebrae.  This
     gives you chops.

7)    The fillet, lying in the small back, is the best  meat
     for preserving.

PREPARING PIG: (NOT KOSHER? BORF!)

1)    Do  not attempt to skin a pig. Gut it first then place
it over the hot embers of a fire and scrape the hair off.

2)    Hot water will help loosen the hair. It should be only
just hotter than your hand can bear.

3)   Water that is too hot will make the hair more difficult
to  remove.  Pigs attract many parasites: ticks, crab  lives
and worms so cooking MUST MAKE SURE of killing them. Boiling
is therefore the best way of cooking pork.

PREPARING SMALL ANIMALS:

Follow  the basic procedures as for larger animals they  all
need to be gutted.

PREPARING REPTILES:

1)    Discard  internal organs which may  carry  salmonella.
Reptiles  can be cooked in their skins. Large snake  can  be
chopped into steaks and provide useful skins.

2)    To  prepare  a snake, cut off head well  down,  behind
poison  sacs, open vent to neck, keeping blade  outwards  to
avoid  piercing  innards which will fall  clear.  Skewer  to
suspend and ease of skin towards tail.

PREPARING BIRDS:

Birds  are prepared in much the same way as animals.  Though
they are usually plucked and cooked with the skin on instead
of being skinned. Follow the sequence below.

BLEEDING:

Kill  birds  by stretching their necks, then cut the  throat
and hang head-down to bleed.

Or kill by cutting just under the tongue severing main nerve
and main artery. The bird dies easily and bleeds well.

WARNING ON CARRION:

Handle  carrion eaters as little as possible they  are  more
prone to infection, lice and ticks.

PLUCKING:

It  is easiest straight after the killing while the bird  is
still  warm. Hot water can be used to loosen feathers except
in the case of water-birds and seabirds in which it tends to
tighten them.

Keep feathers for arrow flights and insulation. Start at the
chest.  For  speed you can skin a bird but that  wastes  the
food value of the skin.

DRAWING (REMOVING INNARDS):

Make an incision from the vent to the tail. Put your hand in
&  draw  out all the innards. Retain the heart and  kidneys.
Cut off the head and feet.

CLEANING FOWL OR RABBITS IN THE HOUSE:

1)    Here is a trick to help you get rid of all little hair
of  down  that  somehow ALWAYS remain  after  skinning  your
rabbit, squirrel or partridge.

2)    Take  some scotch tape and roll in outward around  you
hand  so  that  the sticky part is on the  outside  then  by
manipulating this hand duster carefully you will easily  get
rid of all the undesirable down and furs.

RABBIT SICKNESS = DANGER:

1)    Tularaemia this sickness is caused by a  germ  and  it
appeared  in 1968. Men can contact it from sick  rabbits  by
direct contact with his hands or by breathing the dust  from
infected wounds, or by tick stings or by eating the meat not
well cooked.

2)    So it is recommended to wet the rabbit before skinning
it,  so as to avoid the dust and to prevent stings from tick
by  the use of rubber gloves and to MAKE SURE it is properly
cooked. If the rabbit presents abscess or running lesions do
not eat it but destroy.

PRESERVING  PELT: 

1)    The  only good way to keep the skin once its has  been
cleaned off all its fat and blood and well washed it  is  to
let it dry in fresh air.

2)    When they are dry after 2 or 3 days they can be  taken
of  their  board  to  which they were  nailed  to  stop  the
shrinking then they are kept in a fresh room till  ready  to use.

SKINNING: REMOVING THE SKIN
STRIP TEASE TIME!: 

1)    Cool off the body as soon as possible and hang  it  by
     the head.

2)    Using a stick hold open the body so that the  air  can
freely  circulate, spread also the hind leg so that the  air
can freely circulate around.

3)   REMEMBER to hang the deer by the head then cut the skin
around the neck near the head.

Then  cut  the skin lengthwise under the neck  down  to  the
abdominal cavity. Next you carve the inside of the  legs  in
such a way that the 2 sides meet together.

Start at the top. Use your knife as little as possible.  One
can  remove  or peel of the skin in big chunk size  by  just
pressing his fist between the flesh & the skin.

4)    Keep  on going toward the bottom till you get  to  the
hind  legs. This method will give a clean job leaving hardly
any hair on the skin.

SKINNING PART 2:

1)   It is easier to skin any animal when the flesh is still
warm,  as  soon as it has been bled. First remove any  scent
glands that might taint the meat.

2)   Some deer have them on their rear legs, just behind the
knee. Felines and canines have a gland on either side of the
anus.

3)    It is wise to remove the testicles of male animals  as
     they can also taint meat.

BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE HIDE:

Cut firmly through the skin.

1)    Make  a  ring cut around the rear legs just above  the
knee. Take care not to cut the securing rope.

2)   Cut around the forelegs in the same place.

3)    Cut  down  inside  of the rear  legs  to  the  crotch,
     carefully cutting a circle around the genitals.

4)   Extend the cut down the centre of the body to the neck.
     Do not cut into the stomach and digestive organs:

5)    Lift  skin and insert two fingers beneath,  set  knife
between, sharp edge outward and draw it slowly down, cutting
away from the body.

6)    Cut  down the inside of the forelegs. Cutting in  this
     way, you avoid cutting prematurely into the gut cavity.

7)    The  fingers  lift the skin as you go and  the  knife,
     sharp edge outwards, slips in and cuts along. 

8)   DON'T HURRY! Don't cut yourself. Don't damage the skin.

9)    Taking care will pay dividends later when you want  to
use the skin. Now ease the skin of the rear legs, cut around
the tail (you have already cut around the genital area.)

10)   As soon as you can get  your hand right down the  back
of the carcass use your fingers to separate flesh from skin.

11)  Now peel the skin from the front legs. You will have  a
single piece of hide.

12)   As  you  work  your thumbs down the neck  they  become
bloody at the point where the throat was cut. A strong twist
of the head will separate it. Cut through remaining tissues.

HOW TO SKIN WILD ANIMAL:

1)    As soon as the game is killed you hang it to a desired
height  by  the hind leg and make an incision with  a  sharp
knife at knee height.

2)   Then draw a straight line to the #anus# but don't press
to hard so as not to open the animal right away.

3)   You will slide the blade between the skin and the flesh
while pulling fairly strongly with one hand with the help of
your knife to cut the flesh that stick too much to the body,
using your closed fist between the flesh and the skin  is  a
good way to proceed.

4)    You keep this line right down to the upper part of the
ear MAKING SURE that you don't do any jerking movement.

5)    Remove  the excess fat and end by a cut on  each  ear,
then  pull  the  skin down to the nose which  you  cut  then
remove the skin completely.

6)    As soon as the skin is removed, you will make a cut on
the  stomach  up to the neck as to empty it completely  from
its intestine and of all the lower part.

7)    Wash it with fresh water then cut the meat to preserve
it as the food chapter tells you to.

8)   As for the skin remove all excess fat and cover it with
salt  or #alum# powder or oak bark powder, then roll it  and
keep  it in a cool place, not damp till the time for tanning
24 hours later.

WORKING ON YOUR OWN:

1)   Lifting a large animal takes considerable effort. If on
your  own  you  may have to skin and gut the animal  on  the
ground.

2)    To prevent the carcass from rolling, cut off the  feet
     of hoofed animals and place them under it. 

3)    Lay  the  carcass  down  a  natural  slope,  scoop  an
impression in the ground in which to place a collecting  tin
or other vessel so that the animal bleeds into it.

4)    Follow the same pattern of incisions in the hide  then
skin  the  animal from one side to the backbone, spread  out
the  hide  and  then  roll the animal on  to  it  to  finish
skinning  the  other half- this helps keeps  the  meat  from
rubbing on the ground.

SKINNING SMALL ANIMALS:

1)   Rabbits and smaller animals can be skinned by making  a
small incision over the stomach (be careful not to cut  into
the  organs) Insert the thumbs and pull outwards-  the  skin
comes away easily.

2)    Free  the legs and twist the head off. If you have  no
knife  available  to make the first incision  snap  off  the
lower  part of a leg and use the shard edge of the break  to
cut the skin.

HOW  TO  SKIN  AN  ANIMAL: 

1)   This operation MUST be done with precision if one wants
to  keep the fur and requires much experience so practice on
rabbits but you MUST MAKE SURE that there is no blood on the fur.

2)    So  in order to do avoid this don't hit the rabbit  on
the head since the blood would accumulate at this spot.

3)    Your best way is to hang the rabbit with its head down
& hit it on the nose which will cause an haemorrhage  death.

4)    Skin it right away while you hang it by the back  legs
on hooks at 30cm distance.

The  best tool is a skinning knife but if you don't have one
then  use a straight one but MAKE SURE it is real sharp  and
keep  the  sharpening stone near by since its blade  becomes
dull  quickly in the skinning process.

5)    After you have made the incisions (cuts) the way shown
you  then  start  to  pull off the  skin  till  you  feel  a
resistance  which  is caused by the #membranes#  or  tissues
which then MUST be cut off as you go along.

6)    Keep on pulling & cutting along but hold firm  on  the
rabbit.  Animals are skinned most of the time all  the  same
way  and the skin of the head and of the legs is usually not
removed  but a cut is made around them and the rest  of  the
skin is removed.

7)    In  order to do the first cut (incision) you start  at
the  sternum  and go down along one of the  front  leg.  The
second cut will go along the other leg.

8)    The third cut will go from the hind leg to rejoin  the
other  leg and the last cut will go into the middle. With  a
rabbit  the  skin  comes off with one pull  using  only  the
occasional additional cut.

9)    However on most other animal the skin only  comes  off
bit by bit as if it was a sheath which was too narrow.

10)   You  MUST then pull it off gently and when it  resists
call the army by using your knife well sharpened. Go easy so
as   not to pierce the skin.

11)   The last operation is to cut the skin around the  neck
     and around the legs.

12)   Once you have removed the skin you can remove most  of
the  excessive flesh but using the back of your  knife,  the
rest  of  the  flesh will come off when you do the  skinning
operation.

13)   The next operation is the skinning which is to  remove
all  the rest of the fat or flesh that has clung to the skin
or leather.

14)   In order to remove these pieces of meat easily dip the
skin in a solution of #borax# or salt.

15)   You  prepare this solution by dissolving 500 grams  of
ordinary  salt  into 8 litres of water. If you  use  #Borax#
then use 30 gram of #Borax# for 4 litre of hot water and let
it cool off before dipping the skin into it.

16)   The use of a shaker similar to the old washing machine
would speed things up and would also diminish the falling of
hair.

17)   It  is recommended before you dip the skins to stretch
     them on a wooden rack while they are still fresh.

18)   In order that the flesh is removed easily let the skin
     soak in the solution above during one night.

19)   (In some cases you may have to let the skin soak a few
     days, but experience will tell.)

20)   In the morning wash the skin off with clear soft water
and  let it dry off. When it is still a bit damp you rub  it
with  salt  while avoiding that the salt comes into  contact
with  the fur. As soon as the salt has been absorbed make  a
second one.

21)   Fold  the skin lengthwise the fur on the  outside  and
roll  it  and let it lay down slightly inclined so that  the
excess of water comes out.

22)   The  removal of the flesh will be done the day  after.
For this you place the skin with its fur under and place  it
over  a  round piece of wood and scrub or scratch the  flesh
off from the skin.

23)   Normally  one  uses a special knife  for  this  but  a
butcher  knife would do fine as well to remove all remaining
pieces of flesh or #cartilage#.

24)  For a rabbit the round wood is a piece about 1.20 meter
long  and  20cm  in diameter which has been  split  in  half
lengthwise so as to present a flat & round surface

25)   MAKE SURE that the bark is off the wood as well.  Hard
wood  is  much better than spruce since spruce type  usually
stays sticky.

26)  Make also sure that its surface is well smooth and does
not have knots or bumps.

27)  The skin is #racler# with care and uniformly on all its
surface.  In order that the skin tanning is well  done  then
the   #membrane#  that  covers  the  inside  face  MUST   be
eliminated completely.

28)  From time to time you scrape the skin with the back  of
the knife in order to soften it.

29)  As soon as the operation is finished, you wash it in  a
soapy water and rinse it carefully but quickly then you  dry
it by hanging it on a stretcher.

RABBIT SKINNING NEW METHOD: 

A)    This  method was invented to make skinning as  quickly
     and as simply as possible.

B)    NO KNIFE is required to remove the skin. One uses only
     his hands to turn the skin upside down.

1)   With the thumb and index, pull on the skin at the point
of junction of the hind legs pushing or inserting your index
between  the thigh & the skin, then using your finger  as  a
hook pull downward & rip the skin down to the groin.

2)    Once you have cleaned #degager# the 2 thighs, grab the
skin with both hands and pull downwards.

3)    Once  most of the animal body is cleaned  *  #degager#
remove  the  tail and skin which have remained  between  the
thighs.

4)    Now  pull  the  skin downward again while  using  your
finger  by  inserting it between the skin and the  flesh  in
order to facilitate the clearing of the shoulders.

5)   Once they are completely cleared* #degager# pull on the
skin of the legs which will cut itself off easily.

6)   Before going any further, you MUST remove the shoulders
from  the  body carcass so as to avoid getting  them  soiled
with viscera, blood and shit.

7)   Now remove the intestines #viscera. # It is recommended
to  make  the  first cut a bit on the side  of  the  stomach
rather  than  dead on centre, so as to avoid any perforation
to the #viscera.#

8)    Completely remove the stomach muscles by cutting along
     the "filet" up to the first ribs.

9)    You also MUST break the pelvic bone with at the  thigh
     junction in order to facilitate the cleaning operation.

10)   #Degager the "filets"# by cutting along the back  bone
starting at the first ribs up to the neck. Proceed the  same
way by sliding your knife between the ribs & #"filets".#

11)   Now  that  your #filets# have been  removed  from  the
thorax  cage, it is not necessary to remove them completely,
they will do so on their own with the next step.

12)   With the knife point break the vertebras at the  level
of the first ribs then fold the back bone backward.

13)   The body will break in two, the thorax cage containing
the #viscera#, the head & the skin will come together in one
piece.

14)   You  will recuperate all the rabbit meat but  for  the
     small muscles holding the sides.

4) ADVANTAGES OF SUCH METHOD:

1)   The small side bones which are often a real nuisance in
     a meal will not be there at all.

2)   You avoid to touch or manipulate the #viscera#.

3)   You don't cut the head thus avoid bloody mess.

4)   Real time saving for the whole operation.

RABBIT SKINNING & WINTER TIPS:

The  Indians do it this way; they attach one hind leg  to  a
tree  then they make a cut from the #anus# inside the thighs
down to the heels.

Then  they  cut the skin around the leg and they would  pull
off the skin like a glove using the knife to cut the root of
the ears, around the eyes, mouth and nose.

In  winter  if the snowshoes hurt your feet, skin  a  couple
rabbit and put their skin directly under your feet then  put
your socks over them.

This skin to skin contact gives you an impression of walking
over jelly but it removes the pain of blisters.

CLEANING THE SKIN: 

Make cleaning and drying the skin easier by stretching it on
a  frame.  Do not make the holes for the cords too close  to
the edge.

Remove  the fat & flesh by scraping the skin, using an  edge
of bone, flint or other rock or even wood.

Take  care not to cut the skin. Remove every trace of flesh.
Ants  and other insects may help you if you lay the skin  on
the ground. Keep watch that they do not start to consume the
skin itself.

TO CURE FURS:

Stretch  the skin as tight as possible and leave it  in  the
sun  to dry out. All the moisture MUST be drawn from  it  so
that it will not rot.

Rubbing salt or wood ash into the skin will aid the process.
Do  not let the skin get wet or even damp, until the process
is complete.

Do  not leave it where it will be exposed to rain or risk  a
covering with morning dew. Keep it absolutely dry.

If  little or no sun is available, force dry it over a fire,
but  keep  the skin out of the flames and use only the  heat
and the smoke which will aid preservation. Keep it away from
the steam from any cooking pots.

TANNING: 

1)   Skin the animal as soon as dead or as possible.

2)    Rake the flesh side of the skin, remove all impurities
such  as  blood,  grease, nerves etc. Be careful  for  blood
spots. Put the skin in clear water for a few hours to help it.

3)   Place in a tanning solution a: 4 lb of salt + 2 lb of #
alum#  and 3 gallons of water well-mixed cold not  warm  nor
hot. B: 1 gal of water + 1 oz of commercial sulphuric acid +
1 lb of salt.

4)    Soften up the skin from time to time & MAKE SURE  that
it  stays completely under water, if need be use a  rock  to
help.

5)    After 24 hours remove the skin, let it drip off  on  a
     rope with the skin flesh side outward.

6)   Repeat over again the number 4,5,6

Take  the  skin off for good, rinse it and wash it in  water
containing 1/2 cup of soda a laver# rub, #chiffonner#  twist
it dry as best as you can.

7)   Let it dry in the air but NOT in the sun for 24 hours.

Stick it to a board, stretch it and nail it down using small
nails to help you in this chore and the hair side under.

When the skin is dry, rub it, #chiffoner#, and make it white
using talc powder. The best skin season runs from October to
March.

HOW TO PREPARE THE SKIN (TANNING): *

After  having  rolled them with salt inside in contact  with
the  fatty part you wait 24 hours before soaking them  in  a
tanning bath.

After  this  period you put them for 24 hours in cold  water
then  you  stretch them on a board, the fur inside  and  the
naked parts open toward free air.

Then you will scrape with a knife all the fat and grease  so
as to make the skin as clean as possible.

Then prepare a tanning solution made like so: 1 pound #alum#
and  1  pound of coarse salt in 1 gallon of warm water.  You
soak the skins for 48 hours.

Several times during this time you will stir the whole thing
up.  At the end of 48 hours you will tend stretch them again
on the boards, stretch them as much as possible and let them
dry partially in a shadowy place NEVER in direct sunlight.

When  the skins are 1/2 dry, you MUST stretch them once more
so  as  to  maintain the maximum pliancy and to prevent  the
leather to harden.

You  then  put  them  back in a new  batch  of  solution  as
described above.

You  then draw them out to make them dry completely as shown
before on boards, (fur on the board) then before all the oil
runs  out  of the skin, powder them with wood's ashes  mixed
with saw dust well dry.

When  the  skins  are  impregnated of these  substances  you
spread a thick sheet of paper between each skin and you roll
them  together  before putting them under a weight  of  some
sort.

After  a  while you beat them with a small stick, once  this
done  you comb the skin in #sens du poil# till they get back
to normal shape.

CAPT. BRION ABC OF TANNING: *

There are as many procedures of tanning as there are tanners
and each one thinks he has the best one. So  here  is one of
them. The advantage is that it does  not require the uses of
DANGEROUS chemical giving toxic vapours.

However  the  uses of rubber gloves are strongly recommended
since the products attack your skin.

Use a big container either of wood, glass or plastic but not
of  metal  since the chemical ingredients would  attack  the
metal.

Next  you  dissolve 2.5 kg of salt into 40 litres  of  water
which  you  remove from the water as soon as  it  starts  to
boil.

MAKE  SURE that your water is not alkaloid (hard water)  the
use of rain water is best.

Next  you dissolve 1 kg of #alum# in boiling water and  pour
this solution into the first solution while mixing it with a
stick,  not with your hand. The solution thus obtained  will
be used either cold or hot.

Dip  the  skin  into this solution delicately with  a  stick
twice  a day. In order that the skin is totally tanned  MAKE
SURE that the solution gets well into the folds of the skin.

The  bigger the skin the longer the tanning time.  A  rabbit
skin  would  require  2 days and a sheep  5  to  6  days.  A
dinosaur? = 1 year or 2?

Tanning permits a skin which if it was not treated would rot
quickly.  It  transforms a skin into a nice fur  or  leather
which is SOFT, SUPPLE, WITHOUT BAD ODOUR

In the old days the tanning was done while using tannic acid
from  diverse  plants  or  trees nowadays  most  tanner  use
#alum#.

To  get  a  skin worth a professional you MUST use  patience
until the skin is supple.

After having made the skin soaked into the solution for many
days  cut  a  small piece and check if the  colour  is  well
uniformed all over the skin. If it is uniformed then it is OK.

But  if  there is a difference between this piece  from  the
side  and the middle of the skin then let it soak again  one
or two more days.

Don't  do  the usual beginner error which is to  remove  the
skin before it is uniformly and entirely tanned.

After the tanning is done, remove the skin from the solution
and rinse it down very well using a hose or in a bucket till
the  water is clear and that all the fat and impurity are off.

Now place the skin on a support with its fur on the outside.
Avoid  to place the fur in the sun. Place it in a cool place
with a breeze so that it dries well.

After many days when the skin and the hair are still lightly
damp,  roll  it  down  while placing the  sides  facing  one
another and let it dry for one night.

If  the skin has dried too quickly before it was rolled just
damp the interior side with a sponge and roll it as said.

Work the skin while stretching the skin on a smooth wood bar
and  twisting  it  with your hands. Do this #petrissage#  as
long as it is necessary until the skin is real supple.

The Indian women used to bite softly the skins for days, but
then  again they had time during the winter and their  skins
were a marvel of softness.

In  order  to  help you along using your finger  tips  while
massaging  the skin softly use #huile de pied de  boeuf#  or
corn or cotton seed oil along your work which will penetrate
the leather & make it supple.

To clean a dull fur fill a plastic bag with oat meal
flour or saw dust, place the fur into the bag and
shake the bag well till this dry cleaning is done.

It  works wonders but don't tell the dry cleaner he will  go
berserk.  Next brush the fur till it swells smooth down  the
sides of the leather skin using rough sand paper rolled into
a small piece of wood.

The  method  is  the same whether it is a  fur  or  ordinary
leather  but if you desire to remove the hairs then  do  it,
before the tanning operation is done.

HAIR REMOVING EASIEST METHOD:

In  order to this the easiest method is to let the skin soak
during  5  days  or  more, if the weather  is  cool  into  a
solution of 500 gram of #chaux# hydrated mixed with 3  litre
of rain water into a wood container (not metal).

Stir  it  from time to time with a stick and MAKE SURE  that
this  solution does not come into contact with your skin  or
clothes since this solution is #caustique# and risk to  burn
you. So use rubber glove.

Once  the hairs start to peel off, rinse the skin well  with
soft water and lay it down on a piece of wood having the ex-
hairy surface facing up. #racler# the skin using the back of
your knife to remove the rest of the hair.

RAW LEATHER HAS MANY USES: 

Raw  leather  is a leather that has not been tanned  usually
without  its  fur and which has been treated by  drying  and
extension. This leather is used to make sandals soles,  shoe
laces, tam-tam head etc.

It  has this specific property to retract when drying  which
makes it very good to hold tightly any object to which it is
attached.

To  obtain  this raw leather first ask the animal to  remove
its  jacket  or do it for him and #echarner le# as  we  have
seen above from all its flesh but do not wash it.

Eliminate  the hair according to the method above  or  using
ashes from hard wood mixed with water which makes a kind  of
acid which will help you remove the hair.

In  order  to  do this method spread a damp paste  of  these
ashes  on the hairy side of the skin and roll the skin  with
its hair inside. Using a weight maintain the rolled skin  in
a solution of ashes and water.

Don't forget to wear rubber gloves while doing this. Let the
skin  soak into the solution till the hairs come off  easily
#racler# the skin with the back of your knife to remove  the
hair.

SHEEP CAUTION:

If you are using a SHEEP skin then the removal of the fat is
very important because the skin will spoil otherwise.

So  for  that  skin you will do a first washing without  any
detergent  product and rinse it many times using rain  water
then  make a fast wash using a soft soapy product  then  you
twist the water off and put in on a frame to dry.

SKIN DRYING FRAME: 

It  is  made  of 4 thick branches made into a rectangle  and
strongly held together by criss-crossed leather tongs.

Its  dimension  MUST be much bigger than the skin  that  you
want  to  dry in order to stretch this skin to its  maximum.
For a dinosaur use Texas! or JERUSALEM!

Using a nail or a punch you make regular series of holes all
around the skin.

Don't make the holes too close to one another otherwise  the
skin will rip apart. For ex. On a sheep skin one would punch
holes every 5-6 inch.

Next you attach the skin to the frame using these holes  and
a  leather  tong  or a fine rope or salmon fish  line  going
alternatively from the skin to the frame till all  the  skin
is extended. 

Stretch the skin regularly on its sides, bottom and  top  so
that the skin is well flat.

As soon as the skin is dried you can then #teinter# then you
make  it  supple  on all its surface using  a  small  wooden
hammer to pound it down.

Lay  the  skin over a thick coat of newspaper or on  a  hard
surface  but  smooth and you hammer it down with  short  and
oblique (slanted blows).

RAWHIDE PREPARATION: 

Rawhide is prepared more easily. You can dry the green  skin
in the shade at odd moments scraping the flesh side as clean
as possible with any dull instrument such as a piece of rock
or bone flattened on one side.

The  skin may be conveniently held by stretching across  the
knee that portion that is being worked.

Or  like  many  of us you may prefer to leave it  tacked  or
pegged to some smooth surface where hungry birds will in all
probability aid your efforts.

If  you want the rawhide to be soft, you will probably  have
to wet the flesh side.

Allow  it to dry and then re-scrape the skin, doing this  as
many   times  as  may  be  necessary  until  the   hide   is
satisfactory pliable.

Care MUST be taken not to dampen the other side if retention
of  hair or fur is desired. If this is too long, it  may  be
clipped.

If you want the hair off entirely, that can be easily enough
accomplished when the pelt is first secured by  wetting  the
coat  until it starts to slip, whereupon you can  scrape  if
off in great clumps.

INDIAN LEATHER TREATMENT: 

The  Amerindians  OJIBWAY'S  and  others  were  tanning  the
leather according to a process which is still used all  over
the world today.

They  knew that the bark of some trees such as the oak,  the
Canadian  Spruce,  #Sumach# and  #epinette#  ***  produce  a
substance  particularly  good to protect  &  make  the  skin
supple.

We  now  know  this to be #tannin#.In order to extract  this
#tannin# the Indians would boil several pieces of bark  into
water and would then soak the skins into this solution 2  to
3  days  for a small piece and for many weeks with a  bigger
piece such as Bison, Buffalo. Dinosaur = 1 year.

When  the  tanning was done they would rinse the skins  into
the  next  river, then they would beat, twist and  bite  the
skins till they became supple.

Next  they  would smear them with animal fat in  their  case
bear fat which would increase its suppleness. Even today the
tanning done with Oak bark is very well appreciated.

The  only draw back that this may have, is that the  natural
vegetal  tanning gives a dark colour to the  skin,  but  who
cares  when it is home made by the best artist around  which
is you of course.

SKIN SMOKING:  (Smoke-king?)

This  method was more specifically used in the case of  deer
skins.

The skin was removed from its hair with the use of the ashes
water  noted  above then they would rub the  skin  with  the
brain of the animal then they would stretch it on a frame to
dry up by smoking.

This method would then prevent the skins from moulding later
on  even  when  damp. To boot it gives a golden  colour  and
smells real nice especially if the wood used is from a fruit
tree.

This  smoking method can be used for most skins  of  average
weight including cow and horses but especially good for deer
skins.  The  smoked leather is well sought  for  by  leather
artists.

To  smoke a skin as the Indians first dig a hole about 60 cm
in diameter and 30 cm deep. Burn enough wood so as to obtain
a thick layer of ashes and coals.

Next  using 4 thin but strong Green branches (don't use  dry
wood)  construct  a kind of support linked  at  the  top  by
leather  tong and onto which you will then spread  the  skin
which has been previously skinned.

MAKE SURE that the skin will not get burned by being too low
and too close to the embers.

Spread some Green wood, onto the fire and watch it over till
the leather obtains the desired colour.

In  order  to obtain an equal colouring move the  skin  from
time  to time. You simply do this by moving the frame around
the fire.

SANDALS HOME MADE: 

Very  easy  to  do. First draw on a piece of cardboard  your
foot print adding about 1 cm. all around it.

Next  cut into a piece of leather the sole according to your
pattern and affix lacing to the sole thus cut.

Then  they  will be either nails with rivets or  staples  or
simply  laced  using  small holes  perforated  in  the  sole
outside part.* translation needed here*

Note:  That the feet are not similar, so MAKE SURE  you  cut
the  pattern for each foot individually and not of the  same
pattern.

MAKING YOUR OWN MOCCASIN: APACHE STYLE  

They  have many forms and were used traditionally by Indians
of  North  America. Their style would vary from  regions  to
tribes but they all had several common points.

The  upper part was made from tanned leather usually  smoked
to  increase its resistance and the sole was made from  soft
supple leather.

The  Apache  style  is  made from 3 pieces.  Using  a  heavy
leather  which  is  tanned  and oiled(Oil  makes  it  better
waterproof.)

And  then  you cut the pattern on some kind of paper  MAKING
SURE that each foot has its own pattern being different  one
another.

#Batissez  les  morceaux du patron# and try  it  out  before
reporting it on the leather.

The pattern is made from the left  foot  you  can reverse it to
make it for a right foot but then it is  still better to have a
pattern for each foot.

Since  the leather is a thick one, it will then be necessary
before  sewing it to pierce holes using a nail  or  a  punch
(#alene)  or one of those #griffe a trous# sold  in  leather
and art craft stores.

The  stitches will be done at the #point de sellier# and the
thread  will be strongly pulled after each stitches so  that
it penetrates well into the leather.

The stitching as well as being decorative will also be solid
and resistant.

MAKE  SURE that the holes pierced into the sole be  slightly
more   spaced  off  that  those  of  the  #empeigne  et   du
contrefort#.

This difference permits you to compensate or make up for the
superiority of the perimeter of the sole and gives a  #effet
de fronde#.

Now  all you have to do is to make shoe laces as shown above
using  the  same leather as of the moccasins  and  then  you
slide them into the slits made into the #contrefort# of  the
shoe.

DRAWING:

1)    Put  your foot on a cardboard, a Kraft paper and  draw
your footsy with a pen held vertically then draw the pattern
of  the  sole by adding 3 cm to the heel and to the tip  and
2.5  cm to the sides and proceed, behold to do the same  for
the next footsie.

2)    Next you make the pattern of the #empeigne# by  adding
0.5 cm to the largest widest part of the foot (line*AB).**

And add 10 cm. to the distance held between your big toe #et
le haut du coup de pied# as seen on line CD*.

3)    Next  the  height of the #contrefort# of the  moccasin
will  be  of 10 cm. and its length will go around the  ankle
and  override  it  by 1 cm. on each side of the  #empeigne#.
Verify the measures #sur le contour du patron# of each foot.

4)    Using  a nail or #alene# pierce holes at 0.5 cm.  from
the  edge  of  the  soles and of the # contreforts#  #et  de
l'avant de l'empeigne#.

Space  them  out  at equal distance between  them  with  the
exception of the sole where they will be closely made.

5)    #La  couture au point du sellier# which will  maintain
the sole to the #empeigne# will be started at the centre  of
the  #empeigne#  then it will keep on the  edges  while  the
stitching which will join the #contrefort# to the sole  will
be started in the middle of the #contrefort#.

6)    To  do  a  stitching #au point du sellier#,  thread  a
needle at both ends of the thread.

At  the  first  hole #egaliser les 2 longeurs  du  fil#  and
introduce  the  needles into the following  holes  going  in
opposite direction and then keep on going that way till it's
finished.

BABOUCHE: DICK STYLE!

You can also make Babouche that have the advantage that they
don't have any difference between the right or left foot.

Cut  4  soles into some thick leather following the size  of
your  foot.  Pierce  holes all around and  sew  2  thickness
together.

Into  some  leather  #decouper le  dessus  du  pied  et  les
contreforts# following the PIX #?****.

#Couser chaque dessus du pied sur l'envers starting  par  la
pointe#  into the same holes that those made for the  soles.
All you have now to do is to add the heel band.

LEATHER SHOE LACES:

They  are  made  from  raw leather cut  into  thin  circular
(spiral) stripes done directly from the skin. Place the skin
on a flat board and use a nail which will form the centre of
the #spiral#.

Using  a  sharp  knife held vertically  trace  the  #spiral#
starting from the outside going toward the centre. Once  the
#spiral# is all done then you unroll your new shoe lace work
of art.

Since nothing is stronger than a rope with 3 thread one  can
use this leather laces to make himself one.

If  one has the time and needs a rope, all the has to do  is
to lay the skin flat on the ground and wet the skin a bit to
help you when cutting it.

LEATHER MAKING:

After  cleaning, place the skin in water and weight it  down
with  stones.  Leave it until the fur can be pulled  out  in
handfuls-usually 2-3 days.

Make  a  mixture of animal fat and brains, simmered  over  a
fire till they form an even consistency. Scrape the skin  on
both sides, removing hair, and grain. Keep it wet.

Work  sitting  down  with the skin  over  your  knees.  Keep
manipulating  it. Work the fat and brains mixture  into  the
inner   side   of  the  still-  wet  skin,  stretching   and
manipulating as you do so.

Dry  the skin in the smoke over a fire, keeping it well away
from  the  flames.  The smoke sets up a  reaction  with  the
solution you have rubbed in to make the skin supple.
LACES AND LASHING: * 159

Hide is one of the best materials for lashing and for thongs
to lace things together.

Cut short laces straight from the skin, along its length. To
obtain  a  greater  length cut in a  spiral-keep  the  width
consistent or the thronging will have weak points

SINEW AS THREAD:

The hamstring and the main sinews of the legs-especially  of
the larger animals-can be dried and used as thread to stitch
hides together for shelter and clothing.

Recognise  them by their strong white cord-like  appearance.
You  can  also function of the bladder is to hold water,  so
naturally  the bladder of a large animal can be  used  as  a
water  carrier-so can the stomach. Tie off the  openings  to
seal them.

