Cow and springbok hides

[2trapper]

Dear fellows, I've one of each hides in the title, but I have no idea of what I can do with them. Displaying them is not possible, so I wonder if I can do anything. Any suggestion?

 

[crosslandkelly]

Make a back pack?

 

[bobnewboy]

I have a springbok and a roe deer hide to use up as well. The deer hide will be going into a primitive style quiver with any off-cuts going into smaller projects. The bok hide will be made into a new possibles bag, but it will take some extra work to ensure the long guard hairs along spine of that hide work well in the bag. Keep us posted with pictures of what you make

 

[Kitharode]

Did you buy these hides? Were they a gift? Did you find them? A deer hide (or part of) sounds like something I could enjoy trying to work with in my efforts to expand my DIY skills.

 

[bobnewboy]

My skins came from Wildlife Products in the New Forest, see the website:

http://www.wildlife-products.co.uk/page2.htm

Note that those seem like steep prices, but they also sell on FB, and they stock a lot of 2nds skins/hides and other stuff which are much cheaper. That is what I bought. The missus and I were in the New Forest and went over to meet up, so we could check the hides out ourselves.

Cheers, Bob

 

[Dave]

I've never bought a reinder hide before, because everything I have read has stated that whatever process you put it through, in the end, seemingly sooner rather than later, a lot of the fur sheds all over the place, and you end up with blading patches?

Is that right? Because Ive always thought buying a sheepskin to use as a seat, lay down on, is a better option really?

 

[2trapper]

I've heard the same. I have bought a sheepskin in Skye several years ago, I washed it and it is still like the first day

 

[bopdude]

I have a springbok hide that I bought in South Africa, never really thought about doing much with it though, nice just to look at

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

 

[bobnewboy]

In my experience deerskins do lose some hair over time, especially if subjected to friction. Reindeer skins do lose hair, but it seems to vary by quality and time/season of harvest - I use one as a bed throw but dont sleep on it. Reindeer skin is made into / sold as chair/stool covers in Sweden.

Sheep skin is pretty tough and the fleece is well interwoven by nature. Its also more dense, and so I think better suited to lying on.

Apart from the reindeer skin, I dont use the skins around the house, but for hobby (archery) bits and pieces. I also have a nice shearling hide to make some things from. At the moment I'm thinking about a hat and some other bits....

 

[KayakFisherFinland]

Have a simlar issue, 2 calf skins (Charolais =white). Skinned them and sent to a company for processing. One was 2week old and one premature, so the skins are rather thin.
Sure one could make a handbag out of the "fetus" and go pick up vegan chics in the bar, but since I'm married, that aint an option. Any ideas what to make out of them?

 

[crosslandkelly]

Gloves?....

 

[bobnewboy]

Bodhran or other kind of drum?

 

[crosslandkelly]

Hi Bob, not sure, but don't they use Goat skin for drums?

 

[bobnewboy]

Hi Bob, not sure, but don't they use Goat skin for drums?

You're right of course. But if the skin is tough/firm enough it should work fine. The type of tanning done would be more important when considering what to make from the calf skin. If the hide is really nice and soft, calf skin gloves would be great, but I think that glovers were amongst the highest skilled leatherworkers around in the past times. Way beyond my capabilities I'm afraid Of course if the hide is soft, any other kind of clothing would be good as well.

 

[KayakFisherFinland]

The skin is semi-hard as it has not been handeled after it came back from the tannery. The hair is holding on relatively well, but doubt it will do well in hard wearing conditions, like a seat cover or similar. No need for a drum and my talents are such that I shall buy my gloves from a shop