Call To Holster Makers

[ericpetrosian]

I have an order for a holster with a snake skin inlay. Simple right, just buy some replica snake skin and make an inlay holster. Not so fast, during the meeting about the holster, I was giving a jar that contained a snake skin in formaldehyde. The customer wants the actual skin from the snake he killed with the gun in the holster. Hmm, that changes things. Has anyone taken on a task like this before? My main concern is cleaning and drying it in a way to not ruin it or have the scales fall out.

[JLSleather]

No, I haven't tanned any snakes. But, I don't like snakeskin anyway ... it has to be done up with some type of top coating, or the scales like to flake ...

[Dwight]

Goggle it my friend, . . . take the lesson you find there that sounds most logical.

I have just about quit asking people, . . . I just do the Google, . . . asked a "people" a week ago about a feature on a sound mixing board he sold me, . . . when it didn't work, . . . Googled the right answer.

You have a world at your fingertips, . . . use it.

May God bless,

Dwight

[ericpetrosian]

Why even converse at all, let's just Google everything. Ideas and thought processes are expanded upon when multiple minds think, not when search engines vomit.

[Russ]

Why even converse at all, let's just Google everything. Ideas and thought processes are expanded upon when multiple minds think, not when search engines vomit.

Agreed, I think you will get a useful answer here pretty soon. The years of experience on this forum is amazing.

[TXAG]

Goggle it my friend, . . . take the lesson you find there that sounds most logical.

I have just about quit asking people, . . . I just do the Google, . . . asked a "people" a week ago about a feature on a sound mixing board he sold me, . . . when it didn't work, . . . Googled the right answer.

You have a world at your fingertips, . . . use it.

May God bless,

Dwight

I agree with Dwight actually...

[Red Cent]

This a leather crafters "forum" guys and gals. This is the place where you should be able to ask questions. I would hope Dwight didn't mean for the OP to stop asking questions but that the Internet is really mindboggling when you want to search for something.

Personally, I wish we could meet at the camp fire and partake of some adult libation and tell some good stories. Or Coca Cola.

[Dwight]

Red Cent, . . . bring your camp fire chair, . . . your root beer, . . . come on over, . . . I'll light the fire when you come in the driveway.

Seriously, . . . I love a good conversation as well as the next guy, . . . but I've also learned that there are any number and/or percentage who feel they have to "defend" their way of doing something, their purchase, their ownership, . . . so depending on the subject, . . . sometimes I'll ask people (I have a question over on the purse section, . . . been there for a couple of weeks, . . . knowing someone on here has the answer), . . . but other times, . . . Google is my friend.

I put something like "snake skin tanning" and got a couple of youtubes right out of the chute, . . . tough to beat that.

But anyway, . . . I'm just glad we have both, . . . Google, . . . and this site, . . .

May God bless,

Dwight

[camano ridge]

I do not have a diffinative answer for you either however I think what was being said is not that we don't want you to ask the questions it's just that it might be days before the right person sees your question and you would get answers with in minutes through google. One other place that you might ask your question on the leathershop forum on cascity.com there are several on there that tan hides, also the muzzleloadingforum.com there are several there also that tan hydes.

A few things i do know be careful handling something that has been soaked in formaldehyde many people have a sensitivity to formaldehyde. It can cause dermitits also prolonged exposure can cause other helath effects. How long has the skin been pickled in the formaldehyde, is it just the skin or the whole snake?

[Jumpout]

I have a buddy who has a rattlesnake hide he wants me to make a belt and holster with. It has been skinned and is in his freezer. I told him if he could tan it or find someone who could I would be happy to do it. I explained I didn't want my first tanning job to be his skin he killed himself. Better to let someone more experienced handle that part.

[Lobo]

My reply would be: $50 per hour plus materials and supplies, and no guarantees on the results.

Time would include researching whether or not a snake skin soaked in formaldahyde can be successfully tanned, what method of tanning would produce a usable leather, researching sources for the necessary tanning supplies, placing orders, accepting deliveries, every step of the tanning process, and the making of the holster.

When Mr. Customer wants to know how much the project will cost tell him the truth, which is that you won't know until the job is done.

Just off the top of my head I'm thinking it would eat up at least 20 or 30 hours to get it done, and I don't have that much time to spend on a somewhat "iffy" job. A non-refundable retainer of around $1,000 and hold his pistol until the balance is paid sounds about right.

[Shooter McGavin]

Im with Lobo on this.

[Greystone]

Im with Lobo on this.

WORKS FOR ME at the minum good luck

life's to short ,,,,,,let him do some work for HIS custom holster,

make him part of the process or just tell him open his wallet and hang on

[George B]

I'm not a tanner, wouldn't want to try it. Not even for a holster order.

That said, if it is something you are interested in doing just make sure you are paid for the time you are going to have to put in it.

With customers that have special requests, especially those requests I have not done before, I have a minimum charge.

The charge will cover one to two days of work, including leather, prototypes, mistakes and corrections.

I charge what I would make if I was making standard holsters for sale. I like making new items but not enough to loose money.

And I agree with what Lobo posted. He usually has a keen insight into these things and has more than likely seen it all.

[Russ]

I would simply say, "I'm sorry, this part is outside of my specialty and I don't want to risk ruining your skin" and pass on at least that part of the job. I'd do it with a smile and try to be helpful by sending them in the right direction to get the skin prepped, even if it meant me taking a few minutes to, yes, do something they could do on their own, like searching google. Being honest and helpful may not immediately pay a huge hourly rate, but it could go a long way towards a future customer. A few minutes of explanation and kindness won't hurt the bottom line that much.

[Andies Tack]

I didn't read all the replies, but someone else on another of my threads commented and asked about my snake skins that I personally tan myself...I also tan gators, deer hides, beaver tales, snakes, or anything dead but a nasty skunk. LOL...I make all horse tack....headstalls, breastcollars, halters, knife sheaths, custom gun belts, bracelets, etc. and use my own tanned hides. I've been tanning since I was a teenager, and only making leather horse tack and knife sheaths about 8 months ago now. Everything I make is made by hand only, and hand stitched too.

Here's a breastcollar for a horse that I just made with one of my rattler hides. It doesn't peel the scales, and it's tanned correctly. My hides are soft and useable for whatever you want to do with it. I'll add the link to the video of some of my hides to see what they look like and the texture of them.

I don't salt at all...it's a waste of time.

Skin snake....cut down his belly with a pair of scissors and pull off hide like slipping off your socks.

Scrape all membrane off the hide...I use a blue kitchen sponge with the scrubby side...you can use a knife though.

Mix Glycerin and Pure Alcohol 50/50 in a glass jar with a lid...(you can buy both at a Walmart Pharmacy)

Let it sit in mixture for about 3 days....gently shake jar 2 or 3 times a day to keep it mixed.

Take out of Jar and pin it loosely on a board...don't stretch it tight

Let dry with a fan on it for about 3 or 4 days

Take off board and spray with Indoor/Outdoor Spar Urethane....let dry

It will still be soft and protected from peeling.....if it peels than the snake was already starting to shed it's skin too much when it was killed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdgJfwGvDnc&list=UUEmtKbhO3V4uN9LJjVYWiRg

[leatherquestions]

My first reaction is a definitive "NO!". I don't know if it can be tanned after soaking in Formaldehide. If it can, I would not tan it. I would explain this to the customer this way, "I'm a leatherworker, not a tanner, and I will not risk ruining a holster or a snakeskin. If you want the holster, bring me the tanned skin and I'll do it.". But, that's me. You're the one doing the work. Hope everything turns out well & we get to see the finished holster.

Tip

[Colt W Knight]

If it hasn't been stored for a long time, or exposed to high temperatures, you can pull it out, wash it off, and tan it like a fresh hide. If it has set a while or exposed to higher temperatuers, the chemical nature of the hide will be changed, and I have no idea what it'll do if you take it out.

[rickybobby]

I'm a Holster Maker not a Tanner! That would be my response.

Customer special requests always cost YOU! Cater to customers that like your work and send others to specialists in the field. When the snake skin falls apart on a holster you made people will think you made a crappy holster even though you had nothing to do with how the skin was treated prior to tanning.

You have no control over the quality of the snake skin (bad business/reputation position) but could become your problem.

Hope this helps, I look out for my reputation and am sensitive to something out of my control.