Curing a Snakeskin for a Hatband

Grabbing them by the tail and whipping them like you would crack a whip does work. I killed a chicken snake that way last year to put on my self-bow. I used Deer Hunters Hide Tanning Formula. It worked okay.
 
I do the same as chado minus the borax. I just use straight gylcerin from drug store or trapping supply, skin the snake wrap around your fingers loosely put in a big mouth mason jar add gylcerin to cover let stand in shade for ten days take out let drain wipe well with paper towels pin on board one inch apart stating from center of snake, pin across from one another to keep uniform shape, keep out of sun or high heat for another ten days. Remove pins, wipe again,again, let set open air overnight , wipe again, its done, cut shape and sew to backing if you want make your band. The meat might be small but very very good eating, flour,pepper,salt fry in pan,open a beer and enjoy
 
I have only tryed to tan a couple of them by putting them in anti freeze for a week or so and they dryed up and shrunk.But I put glycerine on a couple and they came out pretty good.But most of them I have skinned I nailed them to a board and let them dry but they are stiff as a board and are only good for hanging on the wall.Im gonna buy some Rittles Snake Tan and try some like that this Spring.If you dont want to damage the head just tie a rope in a knot and smack it over the head with it or a broom stick or something will work too.I use a fiber glass rod used for moving cattle to hit them in the neck with so it brakes their neck but doesnt damage the skin.I have done this so I could skin the head out and I also left the rattles attached.But if your gonna do this make sure you take the fangs out with needle nosed plyers and be sure to get them all.I skinned one that had three fangs on one side of his mouth and two on the other.
 
I have a rattlesnake hatband that came with a hat I purchased from Texas Hatters. The skin is very dull, it almost looks dusty. I assume the tanning was not done properly. Is there a way to restore the color?
 
Originally Posted By: Varmint__slayerGrabbing them by the tail and whipping them like you would crack a whip does work. I killed a chicken snake that way last year to put on my self-bow. I used Deer Hunters Hide Tanning Formula. It worked okay.

I know a big guy that was showing off and tried that. The snake ended up around his arm and bit him on the thumb. Not a real wise way to kill a snake. Also they don't die until sundown. I rocked a rattler and the hit was right behind his head. The head was only attached by a thin piece of skin. I hung it in a tree by camp and it bled quite a bit. After 3 hours or so it fell out of the tree and I picked it up and put it back. For some reason I touched a axe blade to it's nose and it bit it. Off with the head. It still crawled and would turn back on it's stomach when I turned it upside down. I put it in the creek for a couple of hours and then skinned it. The no headed no skin body would still crawl and turn over. Creepy. I'd bet there are some people that are bit by dead rattlers. Oh yeah, I use glycerin also.
 
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^^^ Pit vipers and venomless snakes are not the same. One look at the body structure will tell you that trying to pop one like a whip is going to turn out bad.
 
Skin it, flesh it and soak it in a 50/50 mixture of Glycerin and denatured alcohol. I left mine in this mixture for a week. I didn't put the rattles in the mixture. I used a string to suspend the rattles out of the mixture. The skin is still soft and pliable going on 3 years now. I got the recipe off of you tube and it works great

Kevin
 
Originally Posted By: jumprightinit
Also they don't die until sundown.

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Originally Posted By: CatkillerDenatured alcohol and glycerin in a 50/50 mix, that's what us taxidermists use.

I used that recipe on a big rattler and it did an excellent job.
 
Originally Posted By: jumprightinitAlso they don't die until sundown.


That's pretty much all reptiles... Haven't been hungry enough to eat a snake, but there's video of them crawling off the grill on You-Tube, cleaned and dressed. I've cleaned turtles before, and the legs were removed and still kickin. You can skin a gator out, cut it into chunks, and it will still be twitching in the bowl when you wash it up to batter it.
 
I always stretch them on a board and use Hydrogen Peroxide first as it bubbles up the remaining flesh on the skin. I then take a butter knife and scrape the material off being careful not to cut into the skin. After this is complete I use a 50/50 mixture of Glycerin and rubbing alcohol and work it into the skin until it will absorb no more. I have done this for years and have found it to be an effective method.*

* Interesting side note. In southern Arizona we have Mojave Rattlesnakes that have a really cool green shade, but after tanning they always lost that green tint, so I started adding some green food color to the alcohol and glycerin mixture. It really does the trick.
 
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