Home-made Reindeer Parka 

I’m sure many people in the internet would love to teach you too if you reach out

@@evanjayson7346 very true.. amazing thing this internet can be.. can learn anything you want if the will is there

I learned from the internet

Thanks :) It's really quite easy to make - have a go! :)

Same-- I've bought a few used shearlings for very cheap-- like $60 or$100... They are awesome-- but this thing is on another level.

@@calholli Thanks man :)

Thanks :) Awesome - share the process and the result!

Heheh - well thank you! I have played around with the idea of making custom-made coats for people, if they're willing to pay. It's a time-consuming process, though! Keep me posted on the reindeer sleeping bag! :D

Thanks man :) Are you planning on making it out of reindeer?

Takk for det :) Det hadde nok gått fint å sove i denne, ja - men sikkert ikke førstevalget som ytterklær i reinsjakta, som du sier ;)

Heheh :) Thanks :) Hopefully we'll get to use it next winter - how 'bout a "primitive cabin-to-cabin ski trek"? On wooden skis, of course...

I guess you're right about that. But a "regular" machine - no way. It would have to be something much more rugged. Also - the hairs have to be shorn off around the stitches, or they create massive problems. It's smart to add some fabric as well, to make it much more rugged and less prone to tearing.

Heheh - thanks a bunch. Sporting a beard nowadays, which would make it all the better!

thanks a bunch :)

Hahah :) Reindeer is always good ;) Thanks a bunch - I dunno about a hat, but I'll definitely make gaiters or chaps or something to wear on top of pants to ward off snow and such. You've got your own forest? Awesome!

I enjoyed your work. watching from Shanghai,

cool - If me and my missus are ever thereabouts we'll be sure to check in ;)okanoganforest

As you can see there is lots of space and room. Let me know when and you will have the "big" forest all to yourself. Bears, cougars and wolves and you. Happy Trails.

Ja det kan være greit å kunne ta den av. Odd

Hi again! The parka is doing fine. It's had some wear and tear over the years, but it's been fairly easy to fix. I truly have not done much to keep it in shape. It's been waxed a few times, but that's it. It's got less hair these days, as these are prone to breaking, but other than that it's okay.

Ah very cool. Thanks so much!

No native Indians had the fur on the outside

+Sebastian Aune Takker :) Den er god og varm! ;)

Heheh - thanks :) I do wear it sometimes, but it's seldom cold enough for me to actually need it! It's been a while since I made the coat and the video, so I can't remember if I hunted these furs myself, but I do hunt reindeer sometimes. And yes, I do make fur garments from time to time, if I need them or for various projects or classes. Thank you so much for commenting - have a great day!

Thanks! The hides are industrially tanned, so that's the reason why. I do sometimes tan hides, but I don't always have the time for it. These ones are industrially tanned.

Hahah :) Well, glad to hear it!

Thanks! A few pointers. This parka consists of far more than 1 hide - it's more like three. About the hairs on the inside vs outside is a question of use. This can be used both ways. I just wring it inside/out and then I can wear it the other way around. It does wear on the hairs more, but it's also warmer. Traditionally inuits and others would wear various garments. The inner ones would have the hairs on the inside, while the outside garments (the "shell" layer) would have the hairs on the outside. A parka like this would definitely be used with the hairs on the outside - in most cases. So it depends on the use, the situation, the kind of fur, etc.

Hi again :) Thanks! Appreciate that :) Hides that get wet and stay wet will usually shed their hair. This is especially true for reindeer, which anyways has a tendency to shed lots of hair, as well as suffer hair "breakage" (is that a word?). This is hard to avoid, but sort of not a huge problem, as the reason for them breaking is the same as the reason for them being super warm. They're hollow-ish. Bottom line is to avoid your hides getting wet, or at least to dry them if they do get wet, to avoid this outcome :)

You can also treat them with linen oil. And if you get skins that are not tanned (just scraped) they will stand up to water much better.

⁠@@Veidemannen Thank you so much for the help, you’re the first person I’ve asked about this and I’m glad I asked:). I will try my best to keep my hides dry and I definitely will have a look at the linen oil. I’ve got to ask, how is the parka holding up after these last 10 years because it looks absolutely amazing in the video:) Once again thank you so much for the help 🙃

@@Woodlandcreature18 No problem :) Happy to help! It's still doing pretty good, actually, although I've had to do some repairs and reinforcements here and there. I only use it in dry cold conditions, though. It's just too warm to wear if it's any warmer than -10 degrees celcius.

@@lektorbay9790 Aye that’s good and repairs add more character to it so that’s no problem:). I bet -10 feels like a summers day with that on.

No - I thought I mentioned that? No, it's like three. Two adult females and one calf - shot in various seasons. The calf has its winter fur. Thanks :)

@@Veidemannen Thanks for the reply !! :) I saw that apparently, you need to "get" your reeinder fur just before the winter or mid-winter at last because this is the moment just before they will start to lose their hair. I was like wtf ? Just before winter ? Isn't in winter that their har become resistant and that need to stay ? Do you know more about that? Thanks again ;)

Well - I wouldn't say it's that critical - as long as you don't get them right as they're shedding/changing from one season's coat to the next. Winter fur is a different color, more massive and the hairs seem thicker. The hairs are hollow, which is why they insulate so well, and also the reason why they're brittle and literally break. A lot of so-called "shedding" in reindeer is actually just that the hairs tend to break when they're bent, pulled, etc.

It definitely malts. Reindeer is horrible like that. Not a problem in the out-of-doors. Just don't wear it to dinner. Make sure you NEVER leave it wet for long periods as that will make it shed at a tremendously increased rate. The tanning process also matters a lot. Are you buying yours or tanning yourself?

@@Veidemannen I was going to buy mine. Is there any specific method of tanning I should look out for.

@@willsmith4965 Buying will be fine - not a problem, really. There's a bunch of different books and online resources for tanning. If you want to be extra cool you should try the Sámi method for tanning hides - using a combination of smoking and willow bark extract.

@@Veidemannen thanks for the info I'll look into it.

Would have loved to do that - but I didn't use one, sadly :( I just kind of measured the size of another jacket I have and cut out pieces of paper, which I then transferred onto the reindeer hide. I would recommend you try something similar.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ypMQjChKyiA.html

@@Veidemannen ok thanks for the reply :)

@@dianneschurko5807 Yep! :) But that almost always works out great in my experience - you kind of mold it to your body.

@@Veidemannen how did you prepare the skin? If you did I would love to know all these tutorials I'm finding are taking off the hairs and such.

Contact me if you're interested in a quote.

Hey :) You can e-mail me, which might be easier to start us off, at eirik.gripp.bay@gmail.com or you can text me or call me (though time difference and work might interfere with me being able to answer) at +47 995 74 018. Best regards.

Heheh - I have one now 😉

Good question :) primitive peoples did both. Some Inuits of Greenland, for instance, would have an innen layer with the fur going in and an outer layer with the fur out. Both offer insulation, but in different ways. Reindeer hides have hollow hairs, however, and they are prone to breaking. If worn inside-out many of them will soon break off and you're left with a much less hairy version of this parka :) It'll still be warm, but you'll also be haunted by loose reindeer-hair for the next few months. Sheepskin jackets are worn with the hair on the inside, but then that's a very different kind of hair. So yeah - basically it depends. Bunch of different methods depending on the type of animal, climate, weather demands, culture and tradition :) No clear answer.

@@Veidemannen interesting, Thanks 👍👍

Tja - det var tanken å lage to stk. én med hårene inn og én med hårene ut, men jeg gadd rett og slett ikke. Får eventuelt bli et annet år :) Hårene inn vil nok virke enda varmere enn denne, samt slite mer på varigheten av parkaen og føre til svært nedsatt bevegelsesevne. Denne kan, som nevnt i videoen, vrenges for å få hårene inn, men det blir da mye dårligere plass inni den. Jeg foretrekker å ha greit med klær under, og så ha denne over når det blir ekstremt kaldt, eller hvis man beveger seg svært rolig bortover. Kan være super å ha på når man sitter på post eller skal sove uten sovepose, f.eks.

Nope. Fur generally isn't. It would be too warm to use in rain anyways - this is for winter use when the temperature is well below freezing.

@@Veidemannenoh i see! Figured you could rub with oils in the direction of the hairs to keep it a bit more watertight. i wonder if theres anything you can use besides layers that would be waterproof/keep you dry.

@@gulldaw272 Well, you've got various types of fur and skins. Sealskin and several other types of skins are considered waterproof. I haven't worked extensively with it, but it's about the layers and the tanning process again. Industrially tanned hides lose much of the qualities you're after when you're making garments out of hides. Usually you can't get everything in these processes - there's usually both pros and cons. If you salt a skin it retains its hairs to a larger degree (they're prone to falling out and there's BILLIONS of them...) but it'll soak up moisture more readily. Less salt will do the opposite. If you tan the hide (as opposed to simply scraping the meat hand most of the fatty tissue) it will be very stiff and more difficult to make into a garment, but it will be much more waterproof. You can also oil the skin, just like you describe above, to make it less susceptible to suck up moisture. Heavy rain will still make it wet, though. You can use boiled linenseed-oil - that's what I've used at least. I'm sure most other oils work too, though.

@@Veidemannen i shall give it a further look into... tanning and then using linseed oil was absolutely the first thing that came to mind, so with you thinking about it too gives me confidence to maybe fuck it up haha

Contact me if you're interested in a quote.

The traditional garments were used in various ways for various reasons. You would be correct to assume that wearing it with the fur on the inside is warmer, but it also creates a lot of friction, thus chafing off a LOT of hairs. other types of fur sheds a lot less - especially things like beaver, wolf, bear, etc. If it was very cold outside one would have an inner layer with the fur towards the body, and then an outer layer with the fur on the outside. Boots were also often lined on the inside with rabbit fur or the like. Same with gloves. But like I said - it all varies from place to place all over the globe according to what was available and the local requirements based on weather patterns and activity.

@@eirikgrippbay7303 thanks

It's not for rainy weather. This is for winter conditions.

@@Veidemannen yeah, cool jacket! i wanna make one :)

Well, I don't really make stuff to sell it. It's mostly made for fun and, of course, to use in very adverse winter conditions. Never sold any of the stuff I've made.

@@Veidemannen I don't necessarily mean you. I was just wondering if you knew where I guy like me could acquire such an item. I intend to learn one day, but it's not possible right now.

@@boxinggunsguitar No, sorry I don't. I've never seen them made commercially. Maybe for TV-shows or movies? Those costumes have got to end up somewhere, right? Unless it's all fake :p

Contact me if you're interested in a quote.

You could go pretty cold. It's just an outer layer - you'd need to have several layers underneath as well (like in all cold weather, it's all about layering), but if you had 2-3 layers with varied clothing underneath it could be used in temperatures of -30 to -40 with no trouble.

Contact me if you're interested in a quote.

​@@Veidemannen can you call me?

​@@Veidemannen do you have a phone number that I could contact you with?

@@fredlynn9250 Indeed I do. You can e-mail me, which might be easier to start us off, at eirik.gripp.bay@gmail.com or you can text me or call me (though time difference and work might interfere with me being able to answer) at +47 995 74 018. Best regards.

Vi får håpe det ;)

Uhhhh well I wouldn't recommend it. Deer fur is just not the same at all. The hairs are really short and dense by comparison - not at all the same heat effect. It'd be less bulky - but also deer skin is less supple than reindeer, as well as being more fragile - thus prone for breaking and tearing. Deer is perfect for making buckskin, however!

Absolutely, but it will be a little thinner and lighter-- a different coat all together.

Nei, det skal gå bra nå ;)

Not for sale, no - sorry 🙂

Contact me if you're interested in a quote.

Whats your email? I want to buy one!

Wth

Sorry - it's not for sale :'(

@@Veidemannen $2000

@@calholli You wanna pay 2000 $ for it?

@@Veidemannen I don't really "want to-- But if you threw it on Ebay, You could sell it for that fairly easy. Its a sick coat.

Contact me if you're still interested in a quote.

that coat will last a long time compared to modern material.