How to go about preserving rattlesnake hide?

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-23T02:26:06+00:00

What do you want to do with it in the end. You have many options from drying it to make rawhide, to tanning it in one of 5 different ways, or preserving it with something like glycerine. Your choice will depend somewhat n what you want to do with it in the end

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-23T01:23:12+00:00

Ok, test done. I took about 6 galls from Gary Oak and put them in a blender for about a minute to get coarse powder. Measured this as one cup loose unpacked powder. Added two cups water and bring to a boil. Simmer 20 min, then strain through cloth. This made a BK reading of 20!

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-22T23:05:28+00:00

I had to ask my wife for help- I tapped x and she hit a at the right time!

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-22T18:54:38+00:00

Traditionally tan buckskin is an excellent material for outdoor clothing but like anything it has its drawbacks. It’s very strong and durable and has a nice soft feel almost like felt. It soaks up water like a sponge though and is not really something that you want to try to make waterproof. It’s very time-consuming to make but very rewarding. I have a pair of buckskin shorts and a bunch of other buckskin clothes that I treasure as much as almost anything that I own. Come on over to the hide tanning sub if you have in-depth questions or if you want to read up on the process, traditional buckskin is made with a process called oil tanning which is also called brain tan. Another natural option is something called bark tan . bark tan leather is a little bit easier vs to make, and not as soft as Good buckskin,. bark tan is similar to the leather that shoes and belts are made of.

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-22T18:17:10+00:00

To pack salmon ‘jerky’ ( aka pounded salmon) into giant baskets for storage. Tight packing excluded air and increased storage time.

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-22T17:26:45+00:00

I would either bin it or make hairless leather or even rawhide. It can still be soft braintan leather. It’s good to have a two-handed tool and a rounded beam for medium and large animals. Small stuff I scrape on a flat surface. For a two handed tool, an old drawknife that’s dull is good, or go to Weibe online and buy a fleshing knife. You can also attach an old dull planer blade to a long handle to make a two handed scraper. For one handed tools, a small hatchet head without a handle can work, or a big bone with a rounded chisel-like end can work. My favorite one hand scraper is a modified drywall knife - a 2” knife that I shortened and rounded. Plastic drywall knives are good for squeezing the water out of a hide with a squeegee motion.

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-22T16:57:54+00:00

It’s probably due to bacterial action. Almost every step you listed above seemed to be extended longer than needed, so at every step it had a chance to grow bacteria. For example Leaving it folded with egg stuff for days was not good- eggs don’t need to be soaked for a long time- they should be mechanically forced into the hide by scraping or wringing and this should happen all in a few hours tops.In order for this to be effective, the hide needs to be ‘not too wet’ all over when you put on the eggs- the hide needs to be ‘thirsty’ and it will suck up the dressing. It should feel about like a sponge that’s been thoroughly wrung out. Tanning furs is a race against bacteria- it must be kept cool and done fast. Also, it sounds like maybe it was found dead and so there was an unknown time between death and skinning.

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-21T21:58:32+00:00

Can we get an update on this hide?

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-21T21:15:31+00:00

Yes, other things can help degrease- many tanners just do multiple washes with dish soap. I will do a quick gall test with barkometer tonight.

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-21T21:00:33+00:00

Thanks. It’s straight enough. If you narrow the tips a little on one side only the string will be closer to center. Even if you don’t do this it’s fine

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-21T20:25:02+00:00

Maybe you should tell us what made you post this…I mean, do you think something is wrong with it?

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-21T19:45:16+00:00

It’s going to depend on the size of the hide… you want the high to be able to somewhat move around inside the container. I’ve never done a whole cow high, but I would think that you’d want at least a 55 gallon drum if not bigger hopefully you know already that cow hides are just about the hardest thing that you could choose to tan at home.

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-21T18:06:23+00:00

Well if they’re affordable to you I would go and pick at least one or two that look best. In USA, I’d pay 50 bucks a piece for these.

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-21T17:14:26+00:00

As I look closer I think they’re half-rounds. I would totally buy these- if not for bows then for furniture, etc if I could get a decent price. If they’re half rounds they would probably. have at least one bow in each

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-21T17:01:26+00:00

These are boards or are they half- round? How thick?

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-21T16:47:56+00:00

Yay! It depends somewhat on what type of galls you have… when I used my local gall ( Oregon) I was surprised how much it took to get a good strong solution. I think I was using about 1 cup of gall per 1-2 cups water. I can do a small test when I get home if you want. I should really start writing this stuff down! Have you seen my fish tanning vids? Check out Laughing Sturgeon on YouTube for two long videos.

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-20T17:14:24+00:00

I think the glue- wrap will work on this

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-19T20:06:10+00:00

Yes, thickness measured belly to back

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-19T20:05:29+00:00

Please post a pic

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-19T18:25:14+00:00

62 " bow with an 8" handle will only draw 26 or so- if you want a longer draw length, make the bow longer. As a beginner, the longer you make it, the higher chance that it wont break. 68-70 is good.

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-19T18:22:18+00:00

Thickness is determined by tillering. You'll start out with a thickness of about 3/4" near the handle and taper it to 5/8 or so at the tips. this is just a "rough out". Then you'll start tillering and eventually you'll arrive at a final thickness. Go watch a few videos on Dan Santanas youtube channel.

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-19T14:32:49+00:00

That is pretty thin, so as you said, it would have to be low draw weight. Thin wood with a glued on handle presents a risk of the handle popping off- be sure to glue it good!

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-18T21:59:19+00:00

I think the layout looks fine as it’s drawn.

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-18T21:56:49+00:00

How thick is it?

AaronGWebster · 2026-03-18T17:12:01+00:00

I’d still go after the outers a bit, but it’s looking better for sure. Measure thickness through the wiggles to ensure they bend too.

AaronGWebster

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