Using tanned pelts

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skysthelimit

skysthelimit

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So a whole herd of Rexes and SF were culled and I have hides of twenty plus rabbits. Now I'd like to make mittens, hats and a scarf. What type of needle and thread do I use on my sewing machine?
 
A denim needle for sure, rabbit leather isn't that thick so that'll work :)
A thick cotton thread as well, I wouldn't recommend a nylon thread, it'll go through the leather eventually
 
real small, thin needles are easiest to use on leather because they slide between the fibers of the leather rather then try to cut through them like larger cloth needles do.

that or get a leather punch or awl. i have two awls... :mrgreen:
 
ohiogoatgirl":p8oyawub said:
real small, thin needles are easiest to use on leather because they slide between the fibers of the leather rather then try to cut through them like larger cloth needles do.

that or get a leather punch or awl. i have two awls... :mrgreen:
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using a machine, don't want to hand sew twenty pairs of mittens. Or would it be better by hand?
 
skysthelimit":8bq3ybkx said:
So a whole herd of Rexes and SF were culled and I have hides of twenty plus rabbits.
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wow, a whole herd. ... I would like to see pics and how you did the process of the furs, very interested as this is what i will be doing also. Just not so many... I would love to see the finished product... Are you selling them and how much would you ask for a pair of mittens.
 
Mary Ann's Rabbitry":7k72ox4w said:
skysthelimit":7k72ox4w said:
So a whole herd of Rexes and SF were culled and I have hides of twenty plus rabbits.
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wow, a whole herd. ... I would like to see pics and how you did the process of the furs, very interested as this is what i will be doing also. Just not so many... I would love to see the finished product... Are you selling them and how much would you ask for a pair of mittens.
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She needed to seriously reduce her herd, anything that was not top show quality got culled, some real nice animals got culled, and some of her older producers, things she has I wish I had room for.

I will go home and get pictures step by step. Right now they are laying out on the floor, on top of cut open feed bags, and I've salted them with pickling salt, while I'm waiting for the alum. I'm not sure what I will do with them, besides making something for all of the family members of my Rex breeder, I will still have 15-20 pelts left, not counting what she has in her freezer from the past, and what I have in my freezer. Depending on whether or not they turn out as goo as my previous ones, I might put the finished pelts on eBay for crafters. I'm going to check out prices there for pelts, and as far as mittens, I will divide the price of the alum, food/time for Rex to grow to usable size, materials, time, and try to see how much is cost to make each pair.

__________ Tue Oct 16, 2012 8:08 am __________

LadyKarli":7k72ox4w said:
How do you tan your pelts??
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I salt, then soak in an alum bath. Alum makes whiter, softer leathers. Then I rub in some leather oils.
 
I have been considering rexes for meat and wondering if there is much profit to be made from their pelts too? I'll be interested to see what you get for them on ebay.<br /><br />__________ Tue Oct 16, 2012 11:15 am __________<br /><br />Also, if someone is allergic to rabbits would the finished products bother them? Might be a silly question...sorry.
 
Mary Ann's Rabbitry":2lfgdywn said:
where did you get the alum...
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eBay is the only place I could find it. If you have a store that sells canning goods, you might be able to find it there, but the inner city has very few people canning anything.<br /><br />__________ Tue Oct 16, 2012 12:46 pm __________<br /><br />
MamaMandy":2lfgdywn said:
I have been considering rexes for meat and wondering if there is much profit to be made from their pelts too? I'll be interested to see what you get for them on ebay.

__________ Tue Oct 16, 2012 11:15 am __________

Also, if someone is allergic to rabbits would the finished products bother them? Might be a silly question...sorry.
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I can't really answer either of those questions. Where I am at, there isn't really a market for anything, and most people here wouldn't be able to tell quality from cheap stuff and would not want to pay what things are worth, call it the Walmart syndrome.
So most of these will be gifts, though I will offer some on eBay just to see if I can get lucky.

Don't know about the allergies either, I haven't met anyone who is allergic to rabbits that wears fur. Good question.

Keep in mind, when using Rexes for meat, they grow slowly, and take twice as long to get to 5lbs than the other meat breeds. Which is why I got the silver fox.
 
You can get it in 5lb bags that are sold in the gardening section....I just ordered some from Amazon.com
 
OneAcreFarm":1sed6zic said:
You can get it in 5lb bags that are sold in the gardening section....I just ordered some from Amazon.com
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If you have a store that sells that kind of stuff. Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, and local stores like Gales only carry things bagged up with name brands and basic manure in a bag. They don't even carry Ag lime at the big chain stores here, and no one carries sweet lime but TSC. Look around if you know your community well, for me online was best.<br /><br />__________ Thu Oct 18, 2012 2:36 pm __________<br /><br />The alum came today. This will be the first time I've had more than one pelt to tan at a time. I think I put about seven or so in the pickle. Now the waiting begins.
 
Oh how exciting. I can't wait to see how they turn out. :)

__________ Thu Oct 18, 2012 4:57 pm __________

Oh and from previous sewing experience, I would use a thin needle. Rabbit hides are not thick or tough. And I would use cotton thread as well. Make sure your tension isn't to tight.

I'll try to find the website with a video on how the master furriers sew the hides without messing up the fur.<br /><br />__________ Thu Oct 18, 2012 5:11 pm __________<br /><br />This video shows how they tuck the hairs while sewing the hides together.

http://www.master-furrier.com/fur-infor ... 0a7de9495c
 
From sewing with faux fur, I know t hat you have to brush the fur away from the seam that you are sewing. Also, when you cut your pieces from the pelt, cut from the back and stay as close to the skin as possible so that you don't cut the hairs. Just a tip.
 
Ok so I will use a regular needle and the regular thread I use all of the time. Nice video. Like the fur knife.
 
As for the allergies, there shouldn't be any from processed furs ... the dander and saliva is what generally causes an allergic reaction and these are both stripped from the fur during the processing.
 
The pelt from the three year old buck, four days in the pickle and I can't get the flesh off. it's the only one, I believe he is the oldest of the group.
 
skysthelimit":9asakxqq said:
The pelt from the three year old buck, four days in the pickle and I can't get the flesh off. it's the only one, I believe he is the oldest of the group.
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I am following this thread... That is good to know about a older buck. I dont have any idea to give you. Maybe it needs another day longer than the rest. Let us know how you work it out.
 

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