Quote Originally Posted by Utopian View Post
I did a Google search for village tanning, and other variants, and I suspect that taking my deer hides to a tanning salon is not what you had in mind.

Could you please let me know of some resource I can use to learn about your suggestion?
Here is a link with a lot of information to get you going.

www.tn.gov/twra/pdfs/tanninghides.pdf

The more you work a hide the softer it will get, for a strop I would leave it on the stiff side, it will break in with use like any other strop. Village leather is what was used for the buck skin pants and shirts, the natural texture is still prevalent on the hide.