Started breaking a deer hide and doesn’t look like I will have time to finish it. Can I put it back in the pickle? How about freezing it?

Freeze it in plastic bag.

Thank you

bag and fridge for me

Finally got back around to the deer hide today. Thawed it out and worked til it is no longer cool to the touch. Should be good to go, yes?

I did notice that the really thin pieces on the legs is kind of dry. Can I add a little brain to it and work it again or is there another option?

Looking pretty good. The lower leg parts are harder to soften. If they dried hard you could just cut them off.
As for rebraining, any spots you are not happy with add some brain/water mixture and work it again. In other words you probably have to re wet it.
That hide could use a good sanding. That will further soften it and clean it up too. Natural pumice stone works but the manmade pumice stones like women use on their feet are really good.

https://www.bustle.com/p/the-4-best-pumice-stones-for-feet-18758522. I've used the green and white ones and they are good.

Thank you.

The only pieces I’m not thrilled with are the last 3-4” of the legs. Was going to sand it but I believe I’m gonna give the stone a try.

Hard to tell from the pic how soft it is. If not happy with it, you can always brain again, or smoke, then brain. Smoking will preserve your work a bit better.

Feels like suede on one side and like leather on the other.

PA, do you dye any of your hides and if so where at in the process have you found to be the best practice?

The pumice stone wasn’t rough enough, at least the one I had, so I cleaned it up with some 120 sandpaper. The leg pieces that I was concerned with softened right up. A good smoking and it should be good to go.

I have played around w/ making and using tannin dyes, which is actually tanning. I have found this process is best after the hair is slip and before you tawn (brain tan, oil tan, ect.).
The reason being that the dyeing (or veg tan) is a chemical process where the tawning (brain tan) is much more of a mechanical process where the drying oil coats the fibres of the skin, the breaking process allows the oil to coat the individual fibre and speeds the oil drying process leaving the fibre coated in a polymer like casing, preserving it. If this process is done first it inhibits the dye from adhering to the fibres. Like trying to stain wood that has been coated in linseed oil (drying oil).
As far as other chemical dyes, I am not positive, though I think my logic would still apply.
Fun stuff, been experimenting w/ it for 5 or 6 years. I have been able to come up with several combinations of oil to simulate the brain tan that work great (brain is still cheaper) after first learning you could use egg yolk in place of brain. Progressing on to finding specific drying oils, and now combinations of oils that do not go rancid and stay stable, as to eliminate the smoke curing process. And finally making it cost effecient. I will try and find some samples to take photo.

So far I’m loving the brain tan. Had to do it a couple times but I like the feel.

All done but smells like an ashtray.

Any suggestions on how to get that out?

If you did the smoking correctly that nice smoke smell should stay in the leather forever.

Great.

That was a waste then.

What did you smoke it with? I'm so used to the smell it doesn't bother me. But I prefer sawdust over punky wood. You can always wash it, probably have to re soften a bit.

The smell will diminish with time also...

Punky Oak.

What kind of saw dust?