I know there are a few Taxidermists on this forum, and I hope for a straight answer! Can a local taxidermist tan a skin properly in his shop? Some send the skins off, which is best and why? What is the differance between dry and wet tanning? Which is better? I think you get the drift, please let me know your expert opinions .

Thanks

Hi Tradewinds,

Yes, a local taxidermist CAN tan a hide properly in his or her shop. Be aware, however, that the term "tan" may mean different things to different folks.

True "tanning" requires that the hide be placed in an acid "pickling" solution to remove the soluable proteins in the hide. During this phase, the hide will normally thicken over time or "plump up".

The under layer of the hide, called the "corium" is thinned down to make the hide more manageable and to allow the tanning chemicals to penetrate better. This thinning can be done with a knife, however it will not be done evenly over the hide. A rotary knife, often called a "fleshing knife" is much better to use as it provides much more control over the thickness of the skin and is much faster to use. They are not cheap and only the serious taxidermy shops who do their own tanning will invest in one.

After the pickling stage, the acid in the hide is neutralized and the hide is placed in a tanning vat. Here the organic proteins that were removed by the acid are molecularly replaced by what are called "tannins". The hide is then given a coating of a special oil to allow the leather fibers to be worked (often called "breaking the hide") as the hide dries. Once dried, the hide should be stable and soft.

Some taxidermists use the term "tanning" rather loosely. There are creams on the market that can be rubbed into a fresh hide that will preserve it. Even though they may be called "tanning creams" the hides are technically not tanned - they are only preserved and will not be as stable over time.

The lengthy process I described above is for dry-tanned hides. A wet -tanned hide is a hide that has been through the tanning process, but is not allowed to completely dry at the final stage. Many taxidermists prefer this because it saves them time in preparing the hide for mounting. Also, it is not uncommon for a dry tanned hide to take on a "memory" - meaning that even when it is soaked in water to soften it prior to mounting, parts of it - usually the ears and/or nose, will retain the shape of the dried hide. These hides are more difficult to mount because of this memory. Neither a dry tanned or a wet tanned hide is actually better as far as the tanning is concerned. Both are tanned but one is just easier to work with.

Other taxidermists will use what is called dry preservative powder on mounts and will call it tanning. Dry preservative is basically a dessicant powder such as boric acid that draws the moisture out of the hide to preserve and dry it. It is not the preferred method for taxidermy and most professionals will not use it at all.

Some taxidermists will tan hides in their own shop to save money. They can tan it themselves for about $8.00 per deer cape instead of sending it off to a commercial tannery for about $30.00 plus shipping both ways.

I have tanned my own capes when I owned my shop but it is my opinion that time is money. The few dollars saved are not worth the amount of time put into tanning your own hides. I quickly learned to send my hides off to a commercial tannery and spend my time doing more productive things in the shop. Also, by using a commercial tannery, I could expect consistent quality over time.

I hope this answered your questions. Feel free to ask.

Take care!

JDS

[ 11-27-2002, 11:34: Message edited by: jds ]

JDS,

That is an excellent description. Yes, there is tanning and I think the other term is "dressing".

Thanks, Ann-

We talked about "tanning" hides for mounting and that is the normal accepted term. I was always under the impression, though, that "tanning" REALLY meant to tan the hide with the hair off . . . much like cowhide tooling leather, or leather used in boot making, and "dressing" was for hides tanned with the hair left on - such as for mounts or coats.

I dunno . . . except that I'm really looking forward to some "dressing" tomorrow with that big juicy turkey!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all and remember to take a few minutes to thank our Creator for His blessings in our lives.

JDS

jds, if your around I have a question for you.
I received my EZ tan kit from Rittels to do my bobcat hide and decided to do a WT deer hide with it since there is enough supplies in the kit.
The skins have been scraped clean and salted a couple of times.
Question is, Do the skins have to dry TOTALLY before they are put into the brine solution to relax them?
The reason I ask is because there seems to be a few areas that are still plyable and seem slightly moist after several days of drying. The humidity has been on the high side and it appears it's going to stay that way for awhile longer.
BTW, I took your advice and picked up a sack of salt at the feed store.
TIA,, Nutoy

No sir, they don't have to be completely dry. The salt should have set the hair all that it is going to after a day or two. After that, the drying is just to be able to store the hide prior to working on it.

Years ago, when I DID tan my own deer capes, I fleshed them (cleaned the meat and fat off) and put them directly into the pickle. The pickle solution has a high concentration of salt in it so the hide can absorb it then.

In fact, if a taxidermist ever gets in a "borderline" hide, such as one from a deer that was in the back of a pickup for a couple of days, it's best to go ahead and put it straight in the pickle instead of salting it first. This can often save a hide that would otherwise lose the hair.

You might enjoy goint to www.taxidermy.net and look over their forum section. They have a separate area just for tanning and there is a wealth of information there. Bruce Rittel, the supplier from whom you bought your kit, posts there on a regular basis.

Good luck on your tanning.

JDS

[ 12-03-2002, 08:59: Message edited by: jds ]