Curing a Rabbit hide

enocifer

New member
Okay, so my dog killed a rabbit yesterday and rather than letting it go to waste, I skinned it and we cooked and ate it. It was my first time skinning, but I'd seen it before and did all right. Anyways, now I have this rabbit pelt and I want to keep it, but I'm not sure of the best way to preserve the hide. Can anybody help me out? Traditionally I think they used brains, but I already discarded the head. Are there any other methods?
 
Rabbit skin is so thin that's it's hard to do much with without tearing it. A couple eggs spread over it (not the fur side!) and then stretch it by hand for a couple hours until it's dry. Goes easier if you do it in a warm room or by a fire or something.
 
i use black tea all the time on small animals if I don't get the brain (hard if it's head is crushed under a tire). I may not have the best method but it works, I tan work the tea n for an hour let it dry and stretch, then just keep working tea into it every day and work it till it's dry, then after I get desired softness I smoke the shit out of it.
 
i use black tea all the time on small animals if I don't get the brain (hard if it's head is crushed under a tire). I may not have the best method but it works, I tan work the tea n for an hour let it dry and stretch, then just keep working tea into it every day and work it till it's dry, then after I get desired softness I smoke the shit out of it.

hmm, ill have to try that. does it take longer than usin brain?
 
I used to cure a few hides and I allways used Saltpeter (Potassium Nitrate) and Alum crystals, both are available from chemists etc. Just work the mixed powder (2 parts Alum to 1 Saltpeter) into a well scraped wet hide, wrap in plastic for a few days depending on hide size, store in a cool place and unwrap it let it dry before washing away the residue. You can gain a better quality cure and a faster cure time if you add some of the animals boiled down brains to the mixture and do as above but with a dryer skin. This is a good method if you are trying to keep the hide as a pelt.
 
there's lots of ways and I know not the best yet but i've even seen hides that were tanned in jars of urine for three days then smoked that turned out great.
 
hmm, that urine idea sounds alot easier than anything ive tried. geuss i better get a 40oz. and a jar...
 
im likin the urine, thats about as self sufficient as you can get.
 
i think urine wont tan, it will just make it easier to take fat and hair off, so youll still have a raw hide if thats what your goin for
maybe i read wrong though
[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanning[/ame]
 
look into brain tanning, if you've still got the brains.... thats how tanning started, i did it a couple of times and still got the leather after 5 years or so. it's a laborous process but very rewarding.
 
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