Skins or Pelts or Furs

[Ryan Ross]

Sure you can do it. You just go out there and do it, is all.

I keep thinking of all these hunter gatherers. They managed it without sophisticated equipment, so why can't I?

Because you don't have the brains.

[Chas]

Thanks, everyone for the input and the links.

This was never designed to be a money making business, so if it never happens, it doesn't matter. I was not particularly interested in the cow hides, but some of the sheep and lambs have very interesting pelts - anywhere from an Angora like to something that looks like an Astrakhan.

The plan is to do a lot more research using the links and at the same time contact tanneries and find out what they can offer.

If it is at all possible, this is a skill that I would like to master. I might have mentioned in the past that I live in the middle of a forest. Well, road kill is an every day occurrence here. Deer (red, roe, fallow and muntjac), fox and badger are seen on a daily basis.

Thanks again

Regards

Chas

[Meadcrafter]

Here is another link for preserving pelts with the fur left on.

[davidlpope]

Because you don't have the brains.

Literally! Most hunter-gatherers brain-tanned their leather!

[Ryan Ross]

Literally! Most hunter-gatherers brain-tanned their leather!

Thanks, David.

...I was hoping someone would pick up on that, otherwise, I would have just seemed like a jerk.

[tyger]

I encourage you to get a Lutan-F kit from VanDykes or McKenzie, and do small skins yourself. It is fairly hard work to flesh the skin, but the rest is easy enough, and it is rewarding work.

Here are sporrans-in-waiting: whitetail fawn, river otter, opossum, racoon, red fox, and armadillo.



The whitetail skull was done with washing soda.


I would avoid road kills more than 2 hours old (maybe a little longer if temperatures are below freezing), and look out for vermin. A search for my other posts regarding road kill skins will provide more information.

[Mickey]

Because you don't have the brains.

Very, very nice


I used to trap and did some of my own tanning the "old fashioned" way. Not an easy task. Modern chemical tanning makes it easier, but it still involves some work. There are a lot of taxidermy supply websites where you can get what you need. The cost and effort doesn't really save you much cash, but you do get the satisfaction of DIY.

I have a bunch of chipmunks in the freezer that are destined for the tanning crock to hopefully be made into a sporran. Just have to figure out which way I want to tan them.