Search the Community

Hello everyone! This is my first post and I'm entirely new to this, but looking forward to learning it all. My very first question is regarding using hide from dead cows, deer, goats....even bear that has been sitting in the desert from anywhere from a week or two to possibly a couple of months. I come across dead carcasses of different animals all the time here in the middle of the desert. Most of which were stripped of meat and dumped there by people, leaving the fur/hide and bones. I have collected some up and wondering if its possible to make leather, rawhide or just tan the hide/fur and maybe just hang it somewhere? Or any possible use there is for it? I know it's best to use a freshly dead animal. And I can't seem to find info on possibly treating and using this type of 'not 100% freshly dead' animal stuff for projects. Any insight at all would be greatly appreciate!!! Or maybe these questions are all just crazy and I should ditch them. Just seems to be a waste when I come across these on hikes. -PICS- 1st is a dead cow. Originally wanted the skull, but cut a bunch of the neck hide out when gathering the skull. 2nd is the hide from the cow the that i save, non-fur side view. 3rd is from a bear! (pretty sure) 4th is LEFT/FORWARD: another part of the bear OR something else? RIGHT/BACK: is a goat. 5th is possible another part of the bear OR something else? Any info at all is great! Thanks in advance!

So a couple things happend during the construction of this wallet that I thought I might ask for help. Its my first real rolled edge wallet and Im really happy with how it came out but it could be better. Im hoping the links above worked to show you detailed photos of the wallet on my photobucket page. I will post my questions below... 1. Does anyone provide Skiving as a service or know where I can shop and buy a mechanical skiver in the Portland, OR area? (I wrecked 4 pieces of veg tanned to get the one that worked with a safety skiver) 2. If I wanted my top-stitch on the outside of the wallet I cant see what I'm sewing... so? I prefer the look of the top stitch on the outside so I don't get those "blowout punctures". 3. In this pic it shows the "bridge" of the wallet. I like the way it encourages the bend in the wallet but I am curious if it should be sewn or just rolled like I did. Please let me know what you think good and bad. Please be strict. I want to make them better in every way.