Softer Hides

[eastern fly 0]

I have a lot of furs in my collection that I have saved with Borax. My problem is this, the hide is hard. Does anyone know how I can soften them. Some of them are rabbit and I want to make Zonker strips with some. Can anyone help me. :help:

[Grunt 0]

If you want the rawhide to be softer you will have to tan the hide. Tanning is laborious and smelly. I have braintanned deer and egg tanned squirrel, it is a lot of work. Best go ahead a buy a tanned hide and cut your own strips.

[Kenneth K 0]

a lot of times you can find nicely tanned pelts at those generic tourist shops around popular attractions. then you can bleach them, dye them, do whatever.

[JSzymczyk 0]

"modern" chemical tanning isn't really that difficult... Brain Tanning and Egg Tanning, and Urine Tanning and all that stuff is literally stone-age. It works, but as stated is smelly, messy, and a TON of work. For small hides such as yours, basically pickling in a low-pH solution, then neutralizing in a high-pH solution, then drying and "breaking" the hide with tanning oil and elbow grease gets you a nice soft skin.

 

Taxidermy supply companies such as Jonas Bros and WASCO sell kits that work pretty well, but there is a bit of a learning curve. All you need is a five gallon bucket, water, and time.

 

In reality, you are probably going to be more successful just buying commercially tanned and cut rabbit strips for fly tying though. The amount of time and work you put into the tanning process might make you not want to cut up that hide... Good luck with it.

[Steve P 0]

To be totally honest with you J here above me is totally right in that you are gong to put more work and time and money into it than it will be worth to just buy a couple. Your best bet as far as that is concerned would be to call a Tannery and see if you can get ahold of some thirds. I picked up 3 rabbit, 2 skunk, a fox, couple of opossum, and a coon for about 35 bucks plus 10 for shipping or something to that effect. They all had large holes in them or had a bare spot or something wrong that I had to work around but it was well worth the time and the call to save myself about 60+ hours worth of work and close to 50 dollars worth of chemicals on tanning all those hides then oiling and breaking each one.

 

Steve

[eastern fly 0]

Thanks guys I think I will just continue using mine for dubing and buy some. I did get some very good deals this week for ebay. If you have not looked their for supplies you should.

Kevin