I have collected many pelts from various critters over the years. Most went to the dogs as toys (I lived in WI where I could get nice fluffy stuff for cheap)
(A subject for another day: Some tanning methods involve chemicals that aren't necessarily safe for dogs to be chewing on, but I didn't know that until a few years ago as I grew up thinking everyone brain tanned like our neighbor did)
Despite my years of collecting, it has only been a recent development for me to work them into crafts. I've been having quite a bit of fun and have enjoyed the (positive) attention from buyers. (Sadly, there are A LOT of people not fond of Real Fur, yeesh)
I rather enjoyed working on coyote (SUCH SWEET JUSTICE) and I've worked opossum and fox but now I am onto a pile of rabbit furs and made this clay-and-rabbit-fur "soft sculpture":
It turned out great but I was only able to use what would have been the rump portion of the rabbit because it seemed to be the only part the tanner focused on. Towards the edges, the flesh was still on in places and when I touched it the pelt just fell away wherever the flesh hadn't been taken off. :/
Is this pretty common for rabbit pelts? I never paid attention this closely before, but now I have a few hides here from various places and all of them have a thinner half to them (the shoulder area) that is very delicate. And some flesh near the edges making some places unusable for sewing on.
A few questions for those that tan:
Older animals would have thicker skins, correct? Even at the shoulder area?
How old is a good age? A year old rabbit, a two year old rabbit?
What is the quickest tanning method? I saw the neat Murphy's Oil Soap Experiment post by Zass and was interested in a tanning method that took less than 24 hours.
(A subject for another day: Some tanning methods involve chemicals that aren't necessarily safe for dogs to be chewing on, but I didn't know that until a few years ago as I grew up thinking everyone brain tanned like our neighbor did)
Despite my years of collecting, it has only been a recent development for me to work them into crafts. I've been having quite a bit of fun and have enjoyed the (positive) attention from buyers. (Sadly, there are A LOT of people not fond of Real Fur, yeesh)
I rather enjoyed working on coyote (SUCH SWEET JUSTICE) and I've worked opossum and fox but now I am onto a pile of rabbit furs and made this clay-and-rabbit-fur "soft sculpture":
It turned out great but I was only able to use what would have been the rump portion of the rabbit because it seemed to be the only part the tanner focused on. Towards the edges, the flesh was still on in places and when I touched it the pelt just fell away wherever the flesh hadn't been taken off. :/
Is this pretty common for rabbit pelts? I never paid attention this closely before, but now I have a few hides here from various places and all of them have a thinner half to them (the shoulder area) that is very delicate. And some flesh near the edges making some places unusable for sewing on.
A few questions for those that tan:
Older animals would have thicker skins, correct? Even at the shoulder area?
How old is a good age? A year old rabbit, a two year old rabbit?
What is the quickest tanning method? I saw the neat Murphy's Oil Soap Experiment post by Zass and was interested in a tanning method that took less than 24 hours.
