Help please!

[kansasana]

Hi,
I have bought some rabbit skins online, and they are hard and crispy. So far as I can work out that means they are tanned but not softened? ANy advice would be welcome, they are needed for use on costumes which must be finished by saturday morning!
Last time I bought rabbit skins they were lovely and soft and supple, I am a bit lost what to do with these.

Any help would be massively appreciated!

Thanks,

Kansasana

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

:hi: .. I cant really help you as i am just learn about the fur myself. But welcome

 

[3mina]

Search the tanning threads first, tons of info there. Basically, you need to dampen them and work them til dry to soften them. There are several things you can use to dampen with thus the search suggestion. In order to work them it's bend, crumple, stretch til dry. The process is called 'beaming' and anything can be used as the beam as long as its smooth and strong enough to withstand the stress of pulling the fur firmly over it for a long time. This is going to take some work but the finished product is, as you found out, dependent on this stage.
You may not be able to soften these hides, depending on the tanning process used but you won't know until you try it. Hope that helps and welcome

 

[skysthelimit]

i think i just put water on mines until they were soaked, then stretched them over the back of a chair. At least that's what I think I did

 

[dragonladyleanne]

I haven't done any tanning yet, but my friends have, and always say you "condition" the hide with lanolin or other leather oils afterwards. Here is an article I downloaded to help me with my first rabbit furs, and note what they say about "salt and alum" tanning (sounds like what you bought), and the chapter on "finishing".

Good luck with the project!

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Just wet them thoroughly, squeeze (don't wring) the water out and when you start to see it drying, you can begin working it to soften it. Manual stretching or pulling back and forth over a wooden chair back works.