I have tanned some tails using saftee acid and ez100 I oiled them w/ McKenzie oil afterwards but they are still very stiff. I worked a couple of them by hand and that didnt seem to make any difference either. I have a tumbler to tumble them but it is not working right now. Antbody have any advice?
Return to Tanning Category Menu
The tail of a beaver must be shaved VERY thin to start with and then hand beamed to break that fiber. It's still going to be tough to break along the edges and the tip because that's almost like calloused skin. A beaver tail tends to be a lot like a foot pad on a bear or a mouth pad on a caribou. That's why we use artificial tails on our mounts.
I have used Van Dykes reptile tan on some and had pretty good results. I remove from the skin and tanned them separately.
O Lyons
Try adding Acid Bate to your pickle. It is useful in softening the head areas in furs and for the same reason, logically it may open up your Beaver tails and make them more "looser"! Like the heads, its safe to assume that a tail is also a denser fiber structure than the body, and using an enzyme like a Bate that eats away the undisolvable fats in the fibers should open up that fiber structure. It should also allow it to soak up more oil.