Kamusy is a fur for traditional Chukchi footwear, which is made of reindeer hide and is comfortable and warm. It is not easy to make kamuses, and today the tradition of making such boots and making reindeer skins is supported by Chukchi craftsmen who know the technology of processing fur, as well as the technology of sewing the boots themselves. For sewing shoes, use the fur from the bottom of the deer's legs.
Instructions
Step 1
First, you need to soak the fur. Prepare a solution of a handful of salt per liter of water, then add two pinches of detergent or soap shavings to the water. Immediately after removing and drying, place the kamuses in the solution and soak in it for 5-6 hours until the skins become soft.
Step 2
After that, remove the skins from the solution and use a sharp knife to remove the flesh, working the skin until it acquires elasticity. The third stage of dressing the skin is pickling - this stage determines how soft the skin of the kamus will be.
Step 3
Prepare a solution of 50 g of salt and 1 liter of water. Add 2 g concentrated sulfuric acid or 10 g acetic acid. Place the skins in an acid-saline solution and soak them for 24 hours. After a day, remove the kamuses from the solution, squeeze thoroughly and lay them out to dry for twelve hours on a flat surface. If everything is done correctly, the skin of the finished kamuses resembles thick cardboard in texture.
Step 4
Now proceed to tanning the skin - make a new solution by mixing 50 g of table salt, 2 g of washing powder, 10 g of hyposulfite and 3 g of chromium extract in 1 liter of water. Add 12 g of gun oil or vegetable oil to the solution, mixing it with washing powder and stirring it in hot water.
Step 5
Pour the kamuses with the resulting warm solution and place them on a hot oven for 12 hours. After the night, squeeze the kamuses from the solution and leave to rest for 12 hours. Then straighten them and hang them to dry for a day, securing the edges of the skins to the frames.
Step 6
After final drying, remove the kamuses from the frames and sprinkle them with sawdust dipped in gasoline on both sides. Prepare half a glass of sawdust for each kamus. Wait until the next day and shake the skins thoroughly, vacuum if possible to completely remove sawdust and dust.
Step 7
Shake the skin and rinse thoroughly. Sand the flesh with a coarse sandpaper. The kamuses are ready for sewing boots.
