What to do with a snake skin?

[James MacMillan]

Last summer I rescued a road-kill rattler, and stretched, scraped, dried and salted the skin. It's now in to the point to start the actual tanning and oiling and I really don't know what I am going to do with it.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what I could do (in a kilt related area) with it?

I'm running empty on this one. It's a little over a meter in length. Not long enough for a belt. Maybe pieced for a sporran front?

Any ideas?

[Jake_S]

I honestly couldn't tell you James, but that is a beautiful skin though. Good luck with it.

Jake

[Kilted in Maine]

Pieced together for a sporran front may be tough to match.

Maybe just the sporran flap??

[zeroack]

A sporran would be awesome. Even if it was just the front part. Then if you could find three nice big rattles, that would be awesome. Rattlers are very common here in Nebraska so I now have a reason to keep a few. Hope something good turns out! Look forward to seeing it.

Zero

[JS Sanders]

Finally my advanced degree in herpetology becomes useful.

Snakeskins are the easiest of all to tan, and vipers are the easiest of them.

Soak the skin in fresh water overnite to remove the salt. Spread it out and allow it to dry, until the fleshy side remains slightly moist.

Rub with glycerin bought at a pharmacy and let it soak in a few hours.

Wipe off any excess glycerin with a cloth.

Almost done.... gently pull the snakeskin in every direction, but do in small increments. Pull enough to make the fleshy side turn white - this is easy to observe. Lotsa scales will come off, but won't change anything.

Keep it up 'til the entire skin is done and let it rest overnight. Later you may see a few place that need an additional pulling. Then put it to good use.

Slainte,
steve

[Abax]

How about a sheath for your sgian dubh? You'd have to make one out of a sturdy leather and then laminate the snake skin to that . . .

Abax

[ccga3359]

first off how can you 'rescue' something that's already dead ? Ideas? How about covering a sgian dubh handle and sheath, garter ties or kilt pin sort've thingy. Hat band or detail on an existing belt. Very thin full face sporran .

[James MacMillan]

Finally my advanced degree in herpetology becomes useful.

Snakeskin is the easiest of all to tan.

Soak the skin in fresh water overnite to remove the salt. Spread it out and allow it to dry, until the fleshy side remains slightly moist.

Rub with glycerin bought at a pharmacy and let it soak in a few hours.

Wipe off any excess glycerin with a cloth.

Almost done.... gently pull the snakeskin in every direction, but do it in small increments. Pull enough to make the fleshy side turn white - this is easy to observe. Lotsa scales will come off, but won't change anything.

Keep it up 'til the entire skin is done and let it rest overnight. Later you may see a few place that need an additional pulling. Then put it to good use.

Slainte,
steve

Well thanks for that info - but I do it a little differently. But, I know how to tan the hide.

What I was looking for was some ideas as to what to do with the tanned skin, not how to tan it.

In the past, I have made belts (this one is too small) Hat bands (big enough, but it wouldn't really go on a glengerry or balmoral very well) Knife sheathes (this one is big enough, but a sgian dubh sheath is hidden behind the hose, so why waste the effort?) Wallets (maybe)

Any ideas on what to do in a kilt related area with a snake skin?

[JS Sanders]

Sorry bro - I interpreted your post differently.

[Bugbear]

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