Anyone else has this same problem with hairslipping?

What kinds of hides?

I'd suggest that they be salted after skinning and fleshing. It helps to set the hair.

Why are you rinsing after thawing in a salt brine? Not needed..

If steps 4 and 5 are where you first notice slip, then eliminate those steps.

You describe making a pickle, first off, make the pickle and then add the hide as opposed to the hide then pickle mix.
What is the pH of your pickle and how often do you check the pH of the pickle?

 

That's part of your problem....Get the pH lower, 2 to 2.5. Now you did say that the hides started slipping before the pickle and that's why I suggest you skip the washing steps..
With fox you need to get all of the heavy fat and flesh off before drying. Get down to the skin and then salt overnight.
shake off the excess wet salt and put on some fresh salt. Let it nearly dry. Then re-hydrate and put into the pickle. You should stir several times per day and check the pH when you do. Add more acid if needed. You might also look into safety acid to drop the pH...It will get lower than formic.

 

The real problem seems to be the soap and water. The hide seems to be submerred for hours(days) in water. Soap on a raw hide -ESPECIALLY fox - is begging for trouble. If you freeze it before removing the chunks of red meat, you're already in trouble. SkiN the Fox, remove the red meat and salt the hide over night. Rinse the hide, freeze if you must- put into a STRONG pickle and go from there. I don't know where you found the process you're using, but it's an open invitation to disaster.

 

Trash way your old instructions and listen we are saying to you!

 

and get all the fat and flesh off....
and salt...

 

I don't know the conversion of dl salt to weight but you need about 1lb per gallon or 115 gm per liter..

 

Not enough salt, thawing in soap and water, pH of 3, not fleshing and salting...I agree throw away your instructions. Your hides were likely spoiled before your pickle. Learning curve with everything we do.

 

I used to have problems with an occasional hid slipping. NOW, I always salt HEAVILY before I do anything else (right after they are thawed or skinned). I like them to dry and then rehydrate them. Haven't had any trouble since I started doing that.

 

STOP ROT before freezing. STOP ROT when taken out of the freezer. STOP ROT while fleshing before salting. Love my Stop Rot!!

 

I salt fox as I flesh them, it tightens up the skin and makes getting the fat off a bit easier, less holes. Once done, a good coat of salt, dry hard, then hydrate before pickle, now you can clean off blood, use a product like Kemel 4, should be ready for pickle in 15 minutes.

 

Dido what George said.

 

Step #1 - Stop thawing your frozen skins in WATER and Salt! I simply let them thaw overnight on a slanted piece of Plywood or overturned plastic cases with performations in them, so the water from it drains away from the carcass. No Water involved - or Salt! The Water contained in the carcass, if the carcass is left to soak in it. after it thaws, can cause slippage. I'd eliminate that first step. Or at the very least, do it differently.

Also eliminate "Washing" them before you flesh, salt, dry the skins and then rehydrate the skins for the pickling! If you want to wash them - wait until they pickle thoroughly (usually 3 days soaking in the pickle), then take them out, let them drain for 30 minutes, wash and rinse them for 10 minutes , and return them to your pickle for at least 24 hours. Check the pH of your pickle - make sure it doesn't rise, once you return the skins to the pickle.