I'm not a taxidermist, but I have a question about a dried out bear skin. When I was a kid, my grampa had a bear skin rug which we loved to lay on. It fell into disrepair and now all that is left are several large pieces of skin. The head is gone. Is there a way to rehydrate this skin and piece it back together to make a rug again?
Thanks
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Sadly, no. Most of those old hides used sulfur based tans and over the years, they've deteriorated both from chemical interaction and by simple aging processes. If you rehydrate it at this point, it's likely to dissolve into a hairy mess. Your best bet would be to get a good piece of canvas, spray the canvas and the back side of your hide with 3M contact glue and attach it to the canvas. Once complete, you should treat it like a good memory and encase it in a glassed frame with an inscription or, better yet, a story about the hide and it's memories to you. That way, like a lock of your great-grandmother's hair, your great grandchildren can also enjoy a small piece of family history.
Judy, as a wholesale rugmaker I have preserved hundreds of very old rugs. George is correct in his response not to rehydrate the skin, as it will surely fall apart. But I do have a better method to vulcanize a rug than using spray glue.Please e-mail me and I will discuss the preservation of this family treasure with you. Best regards, Mary