Preserving rabbit skins

[Baldrick]

I'm dealing with a plague of melanistic rabbits on one of my permissions. I've shot several today, and the black fur on the rabbits is stunning. It would be a real shame to see it go to waste.

 

Is there an easy way to preserve the skins, for future use?

[steve109]

just rub borax into the skin.....

[taggy]

hi steve,

 

I have preserved a few rabbit skins, but never tried borax.

can you tell me, is the skin soft when you use it?

or, does it go stiff as it does with salt?

thanks.

[steve109]

if you just want it cured then borax will be ok but will go stiff, if you need a supple finish then a bit more work involved

you will need to wet tan the skin then oil.............

[samgingerboy]

try this

http://islandgems.net/tanning.html

[Paul in North Lincs.]

try this

http://islandgems.net/tanning.html

 

 

I enjoyed reading that.......sound so easy!!!....I may have a go my sen now!!!!!!!

 

good bit of info

[Big_Sam]

Or try k-tan

 

http://www.attacc.com/acatalog/NEEDLES__TH...___LEATHER.html

[codling99]

i did 2 fur s recently,one black and one normal,.i nailed them to a bit of ply board ,stretching them in to as a big a shape as possible,sprinkled them with salt and left them out in air for a day or so,then when they dried up nice,i lightly rubbed them over with a wire brush,seems to shine the skin and softens them so their lovely and plyable.best done in warmer months mind or theyll sweat.

[taggy]

many thanks for all the replies.

 

will try the various methods and see what works best.

 

[bob300w]

I'm dealing with a plague of melanistic rabbits on one of my permissions. I've shot several today, and the black fur on the rabbits is stunning. It would be a real shame to see it go to waste.

 

Is there an easy way to preserve the skins, for future use?

Isn't it odd how these appear? Two of the farms that I shoot have had large numbers of these this year, more than I have seen before, on the plus side they are easy to see targets!

Have a look here; http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_l/l-103.pdf

[tomtom]

Scrape off all the meat, salt to draw out ALL the water, rub in vasaline intensive care moisturiser thoroughly.

 

I have one here I did a few years ago, and its lost no fur.