Thread: Rabbit Fur?

Originally Posted by mehtat

I was wondering about rabbit/hare fur and how hard is it to prep?

I am kinda keen on attempting to make one of those fluffy ball thing key chain things most girls have hanging off their bags (I like to stay somewhat girly) and thought it would be cool if i could use the fur off a hare/rabbit i have shot. But i am thinking this would be bloody hard to do.

My partner said just pull of its tail and stuff that and bam fluffy key chain, But that's not quiet what i was looking for

Is this impossible having never prepared skin/fur before, should i just flick it off to someone who knows what they are doing or give it a go?

cheers

Classic decor in Napier has beautiful tanned rabbit skins for ten dollars each.

Sure you don't mean Classic Sheepskins Gary?

Agree it's not worth shagging about if you can get one for $10. They do a good job on deer skins.

Looks like you figured it out alright. If it hasn't been tanned it'll be sensitive to moisture - getting damp can let bacteria grow and the fur slip, or if it dries before that happens but is untanned it'll harden since it's more or less rawhide.

Chemical tans are easy to use and give a decent finish, but my personal preference is bark/veggie tans. It's slower, but gives a nice rich deep brown colour to the leather. Has to be worked until dry or it'll be rock hard. Keep the mix a little acidic and the solution strong and you won't get fur slip, then rinse and neutralize it at the end so you don't get acid burn in the leather a couple years down the road. In a hide that's as thin and low in oil as a rabbit's it's impossible to case harden the hide so just hit it with the strongest tan solution you can make. If you slip the fur rabbit skin makes really nice soft book or glove leather too.