Hide tanning company

Stringer

Well-Known Member
Some time in the last year there was an article in the Shooting times about a company that tans deer hides for around £20 if my memory serves me.

Dont suppose anybody knows the name or contact detais of the company in question.

Many thanks

Stephen
 
There is also someone in the New Forset who does it to.
I'll try and find details from the last BDS mag for you.
 
Thanks guys, someone put uo a thread recently after finding (think it was his wife that fould it) the old copy of ST.

Just need to get a deer skin now :rolleyes: :evil:
 
Fenland sheepskin Co

The article you seek is ST 31st July 2008.

They are based on the industrial site in Bridgewater and it is run by the former owners of the Moorlands tannery.

I have currently 2 roe skins there, it takes about 2-3 months and they make a wondrefull job of them. I have 2 tanned roe doe skins and they are very good, have several requests from non shooting friends for skins!!

Ideally you need an unmarked skin, skin it out asap and then sprinkle a generous ammount of salt on the flesh side. Leave 12-24 hours and then resalt, fold up and mail to them.

Best call them on 01278 427586

You can use hiusehold table salt, best buy a 3 kg bag, 1 kg will be ample for a roe skin. They can tan almost anything if you can get them a skin.

Place is well worth a visit it like going back 50yrs.

C
 
Thanks for your kind offer Ash.

Dont have any skins at the moment, just asked the question so I am prepared when I have one worth doing :lol:
 
I've often wanted a few skins tanned but i'm unsure what you have to do to them before sending them.

Can anyone tell me how i should prepare them?
 
The easiest way to tan a deer hide for mounting is using a product called Knobloch's Liqua-Tan. It is available from taxidermy supply companies and has proven to be a fine product.
First, skin the animal as soon a possible.
Only remove any large chunks of meat at this time. DO NOT flesh the skin yet.
It is important that the salt be applied as quickly as possible after the cape is taken off. Now salt the hide heavily, working the salt into all areas of the flesh. Allow the skin to drain overnight. Shake off the wet salt, re-salt heavily, and leave it overnight again.
After the second overnight salting, the skin is now ready to be soaked in a salt solution. Mix a solution of 2 pounds of salt per gallon of water and soak the skin for three to four hours. This will loosen the skin up enough to allow it to be fleshed.
At this point i recommend you pickle the skin or go right on to fleshing.
Pull the skin out of the pickling solution and neutralize the acid by soaking it for 15 minutes in a solution of 1 TBS baking soda per each gallon of fresh water. (If you didn't pickle the hide, pull it out of the salt solution and let it drain for a couple of minutes.) Now flesh the skin using a beam or fleshing knife . It isn't nearly as important what method you use to flesh the skin as it is to end up with flesh that is thin and evenly shaved.
Pickling is an optional but highly recommended process, especially for carnivores and any skin that is not fresh.
For pickling with Saftee-Acid use: 1/2 fluid ounces of Saftee-Acid and 1 pound of salt per each gallon of water.
Leave the capes or skins completely submerged in this solution for 2 to 3 days depending on skin thickness. The pickling solution should have a pH level of about 1.1 to 1.5 when skins are placed in the pickle. An average deer cape will require about 3 gallons of pickling solution.
After all the fleshing is complete, take the skin to a sink and rinse it thoroughly in cold water. It is important that you do this in order to rinse all of the salt out of the skin. After it has been rinsed, it should be dried with towels or drummed until the majority of the moisture is gone (the Liqua-Tan will penetrate faster with the moisture out). Lay the skin out flat and apply the Liqua-Tan with a brush or work it in by hand over the entire flesh side of the skin.
After applying the Liqua-Tan, roll up the skin and allow the tan to penetrate for at least 5 hours.
Then you have a tanned skin
 
I've always used the STS kits K Tan and White tan and had reasonable results depending upon the work you put in. I dont like doing clients hides in case they go wrong and I end up using them for knife sheaths. I find that a sample collection is good for teaching. I've been looking for the Bridgewater place since River Cottage but a couple of other places have been recommended.
My hide freezer is now full and I dont have the time or the space so off to the tannery they must go!
 
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