As its name implies, rawhide is simply the dried skin of the animal with the hair removed. It is not considered leather as it has not been through the tanning process. Raw hide is charesteristically hard and sinewy and is most commonly used for snowshoe webbing and gives maximum strength and durability.

The rawhide is much stiffer and stronger than ordinary leather and could be used for edging and facing shields, making 'emergency' shoes, or any other job requiring a stiffer, stronger material. Like leather, it could be softened by soaking for ease of working, but would become hard and shrink as it dried. It has the propensity to suck up moisture unless it is proofed in some manner with a shellac of some sort.