Preparing sinew

[Jano]

Hello Adam,

maybe it is only my impression , but I was able to defiber also the "toe parts" of such cattle and elk tendons without difficulties. They released their fibers better already in pounding phase. What is the reason of lighter color I can only assume like you, but most probably you are right about the fissures. These tendons were kept on the well ventilated loft for several years too and undergoes every weather changes - temperatures from around -20 deg C to +40 deg C and corresponding changes in RH, which I suppose is main difference from keeping them in the indoor box, which caused whitening.

I think that Hartung ( but he skins the leg completely - on the second page ) have the use for hides, bones and hoofs too and it is easier to remove thin extensor tendons ( which are very valuable too ) from the front side of the leg this way. Maybe he will chime in here to explicate.
I did it similarly, because I like to use such hides to cook my own glue ( hence I do not waste them ) and moreover it is a pastime, not work for me, hence I am not in a hurry . I suppose that foot hide is very strong and good for many other purposes ( it becomes really thin after processing and drying ).

[Jano]

Adam, here is detailed picture of the difference between only dry ( harvested at half of December 2012 ) and "fully seasoned/whitened" ( many years old ) tendons. The Central parts - between bifurcations - of european kind of elk "Cervus elaphus" deep flexor tendons from back sides of hind legs are displayed.
I have to add, that I noticed also some "genetical/growth" differences in workability of tendons of the same kind of the same species of animals, when some had more "crossed" fibers than others.

[alex27]

I have experienced this difference in colour with ostrich sinews.
The source where I get them send me a bunch of sinews once that where completely white insead of the normal brown colour, almost like paper. The sinew was very easy to take apart.
I asked why these were so white. The tendons had been frozen fresh and dried after this. He told me that the brown tendons were dried immediately.

[Adam Karpowicz]

I always process the tendons in larger batches in exactly the same way (collect, clean, dry) every year and some dry dark and some dry very light. It seemed older animals had darker tendons, but that needs to be confirmed.

It is interesting about the freezing before drying. Water will freeze within the tendon as ice crystals. Perhaps the process helps to separate the fibers? I will try it on the next batch.

Adam

[alex27]

When frozen before dried they are very easy to process, almost don't have to pound them with a hammer. But ostrich tendons are easy to process anyways. i haven't experienced difference in quality.

Maybe the same effect can be found for other animals. Would be interesting.

[jiao]

i has some white cow deg sinew, yes, very easy to process, it can tear sinew from Y shape become two part(form Y to ||),haha , i use ten years more than 10 sinews do it success, know the sinew stirngs structure

[jiao]

if soak the normal brown colour sinew in water and frozen, it will be white?

[jiao]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/93548270@N03/

it is one sinew break to two

http://www.flickr.com/photos/93548270@N ... hotostream