First batch of hides

Over the weekend I started processing my first batch of hides. Since this is an experiment for me , I decided to only use my meat mutt hides and save the rex for a later date when I have a clue what I'm doing.

After weeks of searching , I finally located a supply of Alum at a hardware store , by complete accident.

On Friday I processed 3 rabbits taking the hides directly from the rabbit to a bucket of cold water , also had a hide in the freezer from a doe I had to dispatch a while back so I added it to this batch as its a sibling of the other three so they are all uniform.

From there they went into a solution consisting of 3 gallons of water 1 cup of alum & 1 cup of non iodized salt until Sunday morning.

I ended up tearing two of them near the edges while fleshing (by hand , no tools used). Wondering if I should have let them soak another day or so to avoid this. Since the tears are near the edges , they aren't a lost cause but I'd rather avoid this in the future.

Two of these were does and were easily identifiable as while fleshing I could see the holes left by the nipples. I assume this will have to be trimmed later so it doesn't tear once I make something from the finished hides.


After fleshing & adding more salt and alum to the solution , they went back in for a soak. Now I'm waiting to see how it all turns out.


I didn't bother to take any pictures of the process but I'll post shots of the finished products when that time gets here.

So far .... so good .... opcorn:

Mines soak for a week before I try to flesh it.

skysthelimit":1o1nipf4 said:

Mines soak for a week before I try to flesh it.

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These weren't terribly difficult to flesh other than in a few small areas.


Does soaking them longer make them easier to flesh / less likely to tear ?!

I flesh mine with no soaking at all using a fleshing tool (a smoothed piece of a deer shoulder blade.) I occasionally tear one a tiny bit but not often that way. I know most prefer to soak 3 to 7 days but, I learned on deer hides and, learned to flesh them fresh, then soak in a lye solution if I want to slip the hair, or just go straight to the tanning solution for hair on. (Rabbits are always hair on.)

Everyone I know that tans has their own preferences and ways that work for them. I'd try a longer alum soak, try it each day until fleshing seems right for you.

BlueMoods":3s1yq8q1 said:

I flesh mine with no soaking at all using a fleshing tool (a smoothed piece of a deer shoulder blade.)

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Could you show a pic of that? I'd like to try making one of my own, seems like it would be easier on rabbit skins than metal tools.

Do you have to wear gloves when processing with the alum solution? I was going to do the battery acid method, but may change my mind if I don't have to wear gloves. Thanks!

soaking them longer dosnt make any difference. you will get some areas that are harder to come off... but be careful that they are immerge all the way in the pickle solution .. I had to put something heavy on them to hold them right under... If any parts are sticking up .. then those are the spots that are hard to do.

Zass":1qm3qmm2 said:

BlueMoods":1qm3qmm2 said:

I flesh mine with no soaking at all using a fleshing tool (a smoothed piece of a deer shoulder blade.)

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Could you show a pic of that? I'd like to try making one of my own, seems like it would be easier on rabbit skins than metal tools.

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Yeah , I'd like to see a picture of that tool as well that way next deer season I can make my own.

Jessykah":1qm3qmm2 said:

Do you have to wear gloves when processing with the alum solution? I was going to do the battery acid method, but may change my mind if I don't have to wear gloves. Thanks!

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I didn't wear any & my hands didn't fall off .... Alum is very mild compared to sulfuric acid , even in lesser concentrations like battery acid which is ~35%.

I did wash my hands thoroughly after with a mild detergent (dish soap).


I cleaned a carburetor once with the battery acid solution they are recommending and forgot about the thing. Came back 6 months later and it had turned that aluminum carburetor to ..... mush.

I'd have to say soaking longer does matter, but more salt is where the soaking matters. Each hide is an individual though. I have never used any tools on my hides. The best thing to avoid tears-- use an older hide.

You still have to wear gloves. Any acid that is strong enough to cure hides is strong enough to cause skin irritation. Gotta know your own skin. I can't use bleach at all, so I don't mess with the alum.

skysthelimit":5jrbx3jp said:

I'd have to say soaking longer does matter, but more salt is where the soaking matters. Each hide is an individual though. I have never used any tools on my hides. The best thing to avoid tears-- use an older hide.

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So how much salt do you use per gallon of water in that initial soaking ?? Do you salt them prior to the initial soak or straight from the rinse to the soak ?

Next time I'm going to give it at least 4 days prior to fleshing just to see if and how much difference it makes.

These were ~14 weeks old , they weren't terribly thin skinned nor were they particularly thick .... I probably could have been a bit more patient in doing the fleshing tho. I was lucky that the tears were along the edges so there wont be a whole lot of waste because of it.

1 cup of salt and one cup of alum, wait a few days, sometimes a week, pull some flesh, add another cup of salt. Wait a few more days, pull off all flesh, add more alum and more salt. I don't salt before hand, mostly because I have no where to lay out pelts.

Most people just don't wait very long. It could be three weeks before I bother the pelts again.

I put in 1 cup of salt and 1 cup of alum, let them soak for two or three days, flesh, then add them back in the solution with an additional cup of salt and alum for seven more days. I think I got that procedure from Mother Earth News. Seems to work pretty good. I have a few furs I did a couple of years ago and the fur is still on. Working the hide at the end so it turns white is probably the most rewarding part, as long as it was fleshed well, of course!

Alum is used in antiperspirant. It's always better to wear gloves, of course, but if we're applying it to our bodies it shouldn't hurt your hands if you don't.

Truckinguy":q50kkht8 said:

I put in 1 cup of salt and 1 cup of alum, let them soak for two or three days, flesh, then add them back in the solution with an additional cup of salt and alum for seven more days. I think I got that procedure from Mother Earth News. Seems to work pretty good. I have a few furs I did a couple of years ago and the fur is still on. Working the hide at the end so it turns white is probably the most rewarding part, as long as it was fleshed well, of course!

Alum is used in antiperspirant. It's always better to wear gloves, of course, but if we're applying it to our bodies it shouldn't hurt your hands if you don't.

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I got the instructions from the same place. Yesterday was a week in the second solution , I'll check for "doneness" tomorrow. So far they look very good , we'll see how they look after working them.

Mary Ann's Rabbitry":19g550bb said:

soaking them longer dosnt make any difference. you will get some areas that are harder to come off... but be careful that they are immerge all the way in the pickle solution .. I had to put something heavy on them to hold them right under... If any parts are sticking up .. then those are the spots that are hard to do.

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Yes, that and make sure to stir them daily to get all the parts soaked equally. Also, it will take longer to process in cold weather.

Truckinguy":2ozqv7gr said:

Alum is used in antiperspirant. It's always better to wear gloves, of course, but if we're applying it to our bodies it shouldn't hurt your hands if you don't.

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I have serious rash and itching from most deodorants. I can only use ones that don't contain aluminum, and still I have to keep rotating them to avoid itching. I have bad reactions to fragrances as well. If you have issues like that just take care. <br /><br /> __________ Wed Mar 05, 2014 12:10 pm __________ <br /><br />

OneAcreFarm":2ozqv7gr said:

Yes, that and make sure to stir them daily to get all the parts soaked equally. Also, it will take longer to process in cold weather.

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Good point. I always seem to do mine in November. Probably culls from the end of show season.

I finished these up quite a while back , they came out nice & soft , had a couple tears while working them soft , mostly around the edges & nipples. I'll have to be more careful next time. Those nipple area's tear very easily.


They have a slight odor to them from the alum solution. I "thought" I washed them thoroughly .... guess that's what I get for thinking. They've been put away for a couple weeks , can I wash them again to get the odor out or will that ruin them ?!

I`m trying my first batch of hides too. I`m doing the alum and salt method. (found alum in the bulk food store). The furs were supposed to take about 9 days total and now at day 17 they still don`t pass the "curl" test. (place a strip in hot water, if it curls it's not ready, if it doesn't it is.) Any advice at this point?

I have the same trouble. I started the pelts in April and they still aren't done. I just added more salt and alum, will that help? Would adding more of one or the other help? If it doesn't work out, would it be okay if I put them in a different solution, like battery acid? Or would this happen? :explode:

There are tons of rather safe and relatively inexpensive tanning products on the market these days. If anyone wants an alternative to alum:

http://www.fntpost.com/Categories/Fur+H ... +Supplies/

I usually recommend the the Rittel's kits for beginners (can be neutralized and with baking soda and disposed of down drains), but there are a lot of options for sale there.

I have no idea why almost every article on hide tanning totally fails to mention ANYTHING about modern tanning methods or have information on any product at all marketed after 1970.

I wonder if they think that anyone who is interested in tanning hides must be a traditional purist who only wants to use older methods? Thinking along the lines that most sites that talk about spinning yarn almost never mention electric wheels.