Skinning and egg tanning squirrel/rabbit

[skoronesa]

1 minute ago, Big Sioux Saddlery said:

This is a new one on me. How does the skin end up? Is it similar to a brain tan?  And do the skins have an odor after they are finished?  I never knew you could tan hides with an egg!  I have, at times through the years, really wanted to try a brain tan, but I also, get a little queasy at the thought of cracking the skull open.  I remember talking to a guy who did some brain tanning, and he said he'd put the brain in the blender and make a "brain shake".  If I could get someone else to do the work up to that point, and NOT think about what I was really using, I think I would someday like to try it. . . when I get some spare time.  I still have two frozen cowhides in my freezer that I'm going to make rawhide out of, "when I get time".

The shoulder pad on my rifle sling is squirrel I egg tanned. I have only egg tanned and have no brain tanned items to compare it to. The fur has stayed on fine. It is not pliable because I did not work it, Didn't need it to be for a sling pad. I got it soaked the other day going through the brush after a rainstorm, it is fine. It was tanned last fall.

Also, don't leave the skins in the egg for 4 days, two is fine. I was being lazy and putting it off and it wreaked because of it.

If you tan them you aren't making rawhide, you are making leather. You could heavily brine, salt and dry them. Then they would be rawhide and stable unless they got moisture and the salts came out. I think I remember reading that this is why chrome tanning isn't technically tanning, it's just the salts stay in really well.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

The cow hides are meant to stay rawhide. I'd just like to try brain tanning a small hide sometime. I've heard it's pretty labor intensive, and you don't want a heavy hide. 

[Vapor Beast]

If you use brains to tan with then you can't eat the BRAINS

[skoronesa]

So, the squirrel and rabbit furs finally stopped smelling, I finally got some leather conditioner, and also finally got some motivation. I had a day alone with my youngest who this bag is for and he wanted to play marbles. How could I not finish it and get him his first set of marbles?

We went to the store for marbles and the playground after I finished. We played marbles at the sand table and he was so happy to have them he told anyone that walked up about it, he's not even 3 yet.

The bottom is a piece of 1/8" suede. The drawstring is some pretty week lace and will need to be replaced. I will most likely get another squirrel this fall and make the bag taller.

[skoronesa]

[skoronesa]

Now I just have to finish tanning the other rabbit hide I have had in a brine bucket for like a month so I can make those mittens for my other son.

[JD62]

Thanks for the update !

[Rohn]

Thanks for the update.  Love what you have done!

[skoronesa]

So, like I was totally stoked monday afternoon. This lady gave me a bag of 9 frozen rabbit furs!!!! She used to raise rabbits for meat and said that she has thrown out hundreds. She finally thought about tanning some, tried it with a kit and it came out bad so she gave up. She happen to have some in her freezer still. Totally made up for the kruddy morning and getting shocked.

I put them in a bucket with what I hope is more than enough salt. I say hopefully because I finally got around to taking my second rabbit fur out of the brine bucket and there was no salt left. I don't remember hw much I had used but I tend to go way extra because I can reuse any that's left.

There are a ton of squirrels around our house again, I just haven't had time to shoot and skin some. They are going crazy over the two black walnuts we have.

[Rohn]

Sounds like you have enough to keep you occupied for a while anyway. Hope they turn out good for you.