Having worked semi-pro as a rabbiter many years ago I have had the oportunity to tan quite a number of fox skins over the years, many of which I still have at home, even after 20-30 years.
Here's how I usually do it.
First of all the skinning. This can be as simple of detailed as you like.
If you really want a quality pelt then take the utmost care right from the outset. Care be-gets quality.
The basic cuts are up the underside from chin to genitals & carefully around each side of the genitals.
Then across each leg so that it all resembles a 'H' pattern.
Now, the mask. if you want to retain the mask with your tanned skin then you're in for some slightly fiddly work.
Ideally the eye lids & lips should be split & salted once the mask has been removed, but you can often get away with not doing so if you're living in a reltively cool climate. If you live in a warmer climate then it pays to split/salt em as they can decay after a while.
To get the body slkin off work it slowly with your fist starting from the belkly & boing over the back & then up each leg.
When you get the leg skun down as close to the feet as is absolutely possible you can then cut through the fur just above the feet.
Once you've got the main body skin off go to the head/mask. Leave the tail for last.
Now, assuming you've got the body skin off but the tail skin is still on the tail, there's two ways to handle skinning the tail.
First is to use two green sticks clamped together (by hand) with the tail between. You basically just push the tail skin off with the sticks.
The other way to do it is to wrap the body skin around the tail base several times until it's reletively tight & then holdinhg the tail fairly close you use the body skin to push the tail skin off. Once you get the hang of it it's really fairly easy.
Now, once the skin is off all fat & meat needs to be removed as soon as possible.
The easiest way to do that is to hang the pelt over a rounded pole setup for that purpose but if you dont do that many skins then you can simply peg the skin out temporarilly & then carefuly scrape it off.
Once the skin is clean it needs to be carefully washed. DO NOT wash it in warm or hot water & dont use detergents.
Do so & the fur will slip - guaranteed.
Just give it a good, thorough wash in cold water & then hang in in the shade to dain a bit.
Then you can peg it out properly.
Take care to get it pegged as evenly as possible & if there are any tears/holes now ids the time to stitch em.
Tanning the skin.
There are more recipes for tanning skins around today then there are different types of skins I reckon.
One that I have found extremely easy & works well for both fox & rabbit pelts is merely just a mixutre ofd Bi-carb soda & kerosene.
Mix it into a paste & work the paste well into the skin (which by the way should be pegged fur side down).
Allow the skin to dry in a shady (but not damp) area for around 4-6 weeks. During that time it's worth re-applying the paste every 3-4 days.
Once the skin has dried adequately it then needs to be 'broken' by working it over a rounded object.
Again the best tool for this is the rounded post but working it over the back of an old chair will work ok..
Once it has been 'broken' is can then be LIGHTLY sanded after which neatsfoot oil can be lightly applied.
A light dusting with borax every few months into the fur side will keep insects at bay.
Very easilly done & produces a very nice pelt.
If you're not overly worried about the face mask the pelts can be square cut & stiched together to make a nice throw rug, coat, etc.
Note that when using this method (past rub) it is very important when pegging/treating the pelt to ensure that the tail is split down the middle & also pegged & cleaned right out. if using an immersion tanning mix the tail can just be turned carefully inside out for cleaning/tanning, after which is can be turned back to it's fur side out & retained in 'unsplit' form (makes for nice fox pelt hats).
Bill.
PS. As an aside, one method that's often employed by pro shooters (when head shooting foxes with a rifle - it doesn't work with shotgun shot foxes) is to cut a small nick in the base of one leg skin. A compressed air blower is then inserted into the nick & the air is then pumped inbetween the skin & carcass.
This blows the skin up like a balloon & seperates the skin from carcass quite nicely.
It's then only a matter of making the 'H' cut to get the carcass out as well as completing the mask/tail skinning.
