Home-made Squirrel buckskin and pouch.

[addo]

During the wild food course last year, I skinned and butchered a squirrel, and we cooked him up over the fire. Very nice it was too. I saved the hide, and popped it salted up into the freezer.

I finally got it out last week to preserve it and try my hand at Tanning. First of all I scrapped it free of remaining flesh and then the epidermis layer.

Lacking the brains (quiet at the back there!) I made a solution of 2 fresh eggs and two heaped tablespoons of egg mayonnaise, rubbed it into the scrapped hide well and popped it into a plastic bag overnight.

Unfortunately the hair slipped. I thought this would not happen until a couple of days in water. Well, I just thought I'd carry on as I had got this far, so removed the hair, and started to dry out and work the skin for a few hours until soft and flexible.

Then a smoking session over some old horses hoof fungi. I've loads of these lying around and these had decayed so were just the thing as I was lacking in punk wood.

As I had been working it, I folded it over and it lent itself to a small pouch without hardly any removal needed, so trimmed it up and made a simple money bag, with some linen thread. The pull cord is 4 strands of the thread twisted up into cordage.

I just need to make a wooden bead for securing the pull cord.
A lot of work for a small piece, but interesting to do and hopefully a long lasting pouch with a story.

Paul

 

[John Fenna]

Good stuff mate!

 

[RonW]

Good work, indeed!
How strong/tough is it?

How many of us can say they have a squirrelskinpouch???

And didn't the man say it in his first post? Quiet at the back, there!!

 

[addo]

Its just right tough and flexible wise. Just nipped to the shops and used it in anger and all is well.
I'll try and make a furry one next time. Best not attach that to the belt though

 

[Shewie]

I remember having a taste of that little guy, nicely done mate

 

[addo]

Yes mate, a great course. As I was sorting him out though most of the cray fish got gobbled up.
That was one great haul from the pond.

 

[Shewie]

Om nom nom .

 

[woodgrain]

Fantastic! Lots of work as you say but how many folks have leatherwork that they can lay claim to every step of the process from gittin' it to finishin' it. Well impressed.

Graeme

 

[ThreeFires]

A great way to put some things to use. I like it!

 

[Bodge]

Hey Addo, you can keep your nuts in that pouch.


Nice job by the way.

 

[Lou]

Nice work addo.
I got 2 squirrel skins from this year's wild food course and I am trying to do the same thing. I am finding it really hard to get the last of the flesh off, finding that by salting it so its hard then scraping the flesh off works better. Getting ****** off with scraping means making holes in the skin which is sad, but it is the first one I have done, so see it as a bit of a test piece. I got some brains and I am just going to rub them in and start to work it like that, I hope the fur does not slip.......

 

[Retired Member southey]

That's cool as a mule dude!

 

[addo]

Thanks guys, glad you like it.

Hope you get some good results tawnyhare.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

If you can make pouches from kangaroo scrotums.http://www.mybadpad.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ebayscrotum.jpg...... anything is possible.

 

[mwnci]

If you can make pouches from kangaroo scrotums.http://www.mybadpad.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ebayscrotum.jpg...... anything is possible.

Let nothing go to waste I suppose......Squirrel Scrotum, the nut sack? Don't suppose you could use it for much though!
Good work, you having another go at hair on? Any other uses for squirrel/rabbit buckskin/pelt?

 

[mrcairney]

Don't mean to hijack, but I've got a decent size slab pig skin in the freezer (with nipples!) that my butcher gave me to make scratchings with. It's been in there a couple of months and it isn't salted. Could I do something similar?