i would like to know how you go about tanning a rattlesnake hide weve got about 40 penicl neck little things and about 15 that range from 5ft to a little under 7 ft weed like to tan em for remeberrance so please the best procedure for a young cowoby to do would be greatly apprecihiated
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There are different ways of preserving a rattlesnake skin. The best method, and therefore longest lasting method, is to properly tan the skins after they have been throuroughly fleshed. After tanning they need to be oiled. You can get snake tanning kits at any of the suppliers. One kit usually does about three to four four foot long snakes. the kits are fairly inexpensive and would be your best bet if you want your skins to be flexible, soft and long lasting.
If you are just looking for a cheap, easy, fast way and don't care too much about the end product, you can use a solution of 50% denatured alcohol mixed with 50% glycerin. After fleshing the snakes, you can paint them down with this solution for several days. The skins will not be soft and end up being very brittle after a few years unless you also oil them.
Another method is to just pickle them and then tack them to a board and let them dry. Again, they will have to be fleshed properly first. Then they can be submerged in a pickle( one gallon of water to one gallon of white distilled vinegar. Dissolve as much salt in it as is possible). Leave the skins in there for about one hour. Take them out, rinse them off with clean water real quick and tack to a board. The skins will be stiff too, but tacked to a board they can last for several years.
We use Rittels EZ 100 and it makes snake leather not preserved.