tanning hides

[mmw52880]

I have a couple of hides I need to get tanned and dont know where to send them. Does anyone have any ideas on a good place to send them to get tanned, or maybe a link to a tanneries website.Any and all info is greatly appreciated, Thanks in advance. Also any idea on the cost?

[fishandhunt]

Try http://www.uberglove.com

Prices on the site

[mmw52880]

Thanks fishandhunt, but they just do leather tanning, no hair on tanning. I appreciate you trying to help though.

[orion]

Try asking a local taxidermist, most of them would steer you in the right direction.

[RIP]

Sorry, I answered your question in some detail and lost my post.

What kind of pelt? It makes a difference as to my advice.

[mmw52880]

One bobcat and one red fox. Thanks in advance.

[DZtaxidermy]

My unlcle owns The Village Smith Taxidermy in Holly. He wet tans his own hides. Saves alot of time. A lot of taxidermists send the hides somewhere else to be tanned. Give him a call. 248-634-8834

[mmw52880]

What is the difference in wet and dry tanning? Which one is the soft pliable one? Thanks in advance.

[wild bill]

try checking here http://www.taxidermy.net/forums/

[David G Duncan]

I am also going to get some furs tanned for display this year. I believe there is a difference between getting furs tanned to make garments or for taxidermy. So this is a consideration also.

One company that I am going check out is USA Foxx & FURS located in Duluth MN. Email: info@usafoxx.com

Their prices look reasonable, but I am not sure about the type of tanning they do. It appears that the furs will be cut open so they lay flat, and I am not sure I want this type of tanning, since I am looking to display the furs so they look more natural.

Another company I might check out is Tubari Fur Processors located in NJ. They indicate that they do Taxidery tanning. I don't know if they have a web site.

I am also planning to check out the local taxidermist to see what he recommends.

Good Luck

[mmw52880]

Thanks Trapper Dave, I noticed that you are from Kalkaska and I heard that there is a tannery right in kalkaska. Do you know of this place, I think the person said its called Mouldrie furs, or moultrie furs, something like that. Just Wondering. Thanks again

Matt

[Lunker]

I too have a beaver hide coming Id like to tan myself with the hair on. Any tips or good product suggestions would be appreciated... Thanks:p

[David G Duncan]

I was not aware of a fur tanning business located in Kalkaska, but I looked in the yellow pages. Listed is a business by the name of Holloway Fur Dressing with phone # 231-258-5200. So I guess I will have to check them out.

It is possilbe to preserve a beaver pelt by just rubbing a borax paste into the leather side of the pelt. I have a blanket beaver pelt that I treated this way. I then laced the pelt on a hoop I made from maple branches using deer hide lacing I made from a deer hide I tanned myself using an Indian method. This was done over thirty years ago and still looks as good as it did the day I finished it. It was a jet black beaver with exceptionally long and dense fur. It makes a beautiful wall hanging. In order to give it some accent, I have a couple of ermine pelts attached to it that were never tanned, only dried. The truth is, as long as you can keep the moths out of the pelt, it will keep almost forever if it does not get wet.

So if you only want to display a beaver pelt, said on a wooden hoop, and you don't need the pelt to pliable, then treatment with a borax paste work just fine. Besides, it has been my experience that some tanning solution (especially those that use acid) will bleach out the color of the fur somewhat.

[Lunker]

What if I want to make a pair of mittens:D I need it pliable I should of mentioned this , my mistake, thanks for the good tips however. I have seen that method before on a hoop. and it looked real good. It had a buffalo trimmed in the fur like a relief wood carving and it looked real good.

[mmw52880]

Thanks trapper Dave, I too found that number to Holloway furs and tried to call them but they were closed. I also heard of another company that I heard was very good and reasonable and I also seen some of there work. I think I might give these guys a try.

Moyle Tanning
374 South 600 West
Heyburn, ID 83336

(866) 826 3877

Good luck to everone and their furs, and if you find anything else please let me know.
Trapper dave if you do use the guy in Kalkaska please let me know how your experience with him goes, it would be quite handy to just take them to him instead if everything goes well.
Thanks again

Matt

[David G Duncan]

Thought it might be of interest to see the picture of the borax tanned beaver pelt I referred to in my earlier posting.



http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/533/252Black_Blanket_Beaver-med.jpg

[Lunker]

Looks good David.
Did you trap those ermine ? I ve seen one in the wild for an instant. They are fast little dudes. I found a soft tanning kit for 15.00 that looks pretty promising and seems easy enough. I love borax for preserving hides too but I want to wear this one.

[David G Duncan]

Yes, I did trap these ermine.

As you know an ermine is just a weasel, which was brown in summer and turns white in winter. Once the weasel turns white it is referred to as an ermine. These weasel pelts were never tanned, but just stretched and dried.

[DanMichTrapper]

Hey David , there was a place in Kalkaska that sold fur garments but I cant remember their names . Do you know who that was , I met them at the Traverse City outdoors show a couple of years ago . I been trying to find them again but cant . I talked to my Fur Buyer up there but he didnt know them either . Also there is a book out called The Complete Book On Home Taning Furs and Skins that I have that is a really good book . It tells many , many ways to do it . About those Ermine , I have tried for two years to trap them on my line but only get mice in my boxes . Any help ?

[David G Duncan]

Dan,

Apparently the fur business in Kalkaska is no longer operating, but I have no first hand information on this.

To catch an ermine you first need to find some fresh ermine tracks in the snow. Then fashion a cubby set with some fresh muskrat meat for bait. A 1 1/2 long spring trap work good or an alternative is attach some bloody meat to the trigger of a 110 conibear.

Good luck!

[RIP]

Sorry I didn't get back to you. I'll have to keep this short as they do pay me here.

Bobcat and coyote/ fox you said. If they're precious and you want them to last, take them to a taxidermist and pay the price.

You can get great garment tans done from the big tanning houses
for cheap, but you will loose the ears over time on longhaired animals. (mites)

Beaver, rat and mink look great when done garment quality.
Otter's are amazing. No taxidermist will do anything that will spruce up a tanned otter any better than you will get from a well done garment tan.

Somebody asked about gloves. Definitely garment tan by a tannery. Not the taxidermist. Tabari is okay, but I wasn't sure they were still in business or we had bad luck with them or ,something. I've used three big tanning houses and the best results have been through a place called Moyle (Moyle Mink Farms). Don't have the number or contact info, but see if you can search them out on the net. They definitely put the best care in to my pelts. You could tell they cleaned and degreased them better. We had very few unexpected tares if any.

Home tanning. I've used it all. Borax, Alum, tan in a bottle.
Preserve okay, but I haven’t found any tan process that helps in the breaking process. That’s just plane hard work with so so results.

Then there’s the good old brain tan. Historians say just squish it on to the pelt and throw it on your back and your ready to go.

Well, let me tell you, Indians were extremely good at what they did, they didn't care how it smelled and they had a free labor resource called women and children. Once you done a brain tan, you've reach the end of the tanning mystery and your finally full circle back to sending them out to somebody else to do the work and you can go out in the great outdoors.

If you enjoy spending time working on these things, you can do both of your pelts (fox and bobcat) with good results for display. They won't be soft and they might oil out on the hide side over time, but they will hold up and the fur will remain in good condition
as proven by the years old beaver photo as mentioned earlier. You would have to learn how to split the ears on fax and cats.

I just finished a coyote that I started back in December. Honestly, I would have sent it out, but it was an out of prime road kill and I couldn't justify the money for a mediocre quality pelt. It looks good, but I anticipate problem’s with the ears over a couple of years. I used a bottled tanning formula out of VanDykes, but I haven’t found any bottled formula that was considerably better than the rest. IF it comes in a bottle and it looks like pancake syrup, it will do the Job. Borax is fine for preserving a stiff flat display fur as well.

Look up Vandykes and see if they can send you a catalog. You will have at your fingertips every single product ever used in the tanning, mounting and preserving of animals. You will have access to every product that any taxidermist has. You just won't have the experience required to use it. For that you must work your way to the Indian Brain Tan and back home again.

Sorry for getting of the subject. I don't know when I'll be back and I just wanted to share as much as I could quickly about tannery's, home tanning and taxidermy in regard to fur bearers and pelts.


Answer: Moyle for garmet tans. And taxidermist for that nice cat. You can do it yourself, but don’t expect a savings if you value your time.

[RIP]

Here ya go.

http://www.moytown.com/

Take a look. They do really good work and I can attest from experience. Turns out the're also the official tannery of the National Trappers Association.

Link has a quick tour of their operation. I see prices have gone up just a little since I sent pelts to them last. Still the best I've found.

These people seem to not mind taking small orders.

[mmw52880]

I am sending my two hides to Moyle today. Best Ive found and have seen some of their work and it looked nice.Gonna give em a try.

[mmw52880]

Well Ive just recieved my two hides back a couple days ago. I am very pleased, they did a quality job and in a very reasonable amount of time. I would definately reccomend Moyle to anyone. Very Pleased.