How to tan snake skin / diy snake skin processing / rattlesnake skin tannning

[@theforgereviews4346]

I know this video is old so people might not see this, but just wanted to say I appreciated the help man. I found a western rat snake just laying around a yard I was working by and he didn’t look damaged but he wasn’t doing good. Tried to see if I could save him by taking him to a reptile center but they said there was nothing they could do, and he was going to die. I decided to take him home and he died on the car ride back. Looked up ways I could preserve him and I figured skinning and tanning his hide, and using dermestid beetles to pick his bones clean so I can preserve his skeleton would work. Already skinned him, gutted him, put him in the solution, and froze his body. (Still need to get some dermestid beetles). A bit of a weird thing to get into doing on a Wednesday night but thanks for the adventure! If it all works out I’ll edit this comment.

[@RealAdventureTheory]

@@theforgereviews4346 I think it’s better to preserve it rather than just let it rot. Let me know how it turns out.👍🤠

[@eugeniotapia6765]

I've left them soaking for months at a time and it's now my preferred method because when I'm drying them off with a rag all the clear scale covers just come off easy peasy with just a wipe of the rag ! I've seen guys use big pencil erasers to get them off and another guy used a thumb tack and stabbed each individual clear scale cover off X 5000 scales ... nope, no way Jose, not for me ! I just get them off all at once nice and easy wiping them as soon as I pull them out of the 50/50 solution (by the way Iso alcohol works just fine)! First time I let them soak for so long I thought the rattlers were just going to be a mushy pulp, but nope they dried just fine ! I've also scraped off the fatty snot before soaking and I've scraped up the fatty snot after and I find it doesn't matter which you choose, it comes off the same, leaving the fat on during the soak just discolores the solution but doesn't affect it's strength, I've used the same solution 5-7 times and it still works although I do strain it out every few soaks to get the debris out and clear up the solution ! I've never done the salt cure and probably won't start now my skins come out soft supple and smooth every time !

[@jacksontonna4829]

Just used this method on the 2nd deadliest snake in the world (brown snake here in aus) worked a charm! Cheers mate 🍻

[@RealAdventureTheory]

@@jacksontonna4829 glad to hear it!

[@robertkelly5025]

I was specifically looking for a video on how to tan snake skin when I came across yours. This is a very well done video in my opinion. Everything from the small things like the background music and the plant in your garage, to the big things like sound quality, knowledge, enthusiasm and how you articulate what you are doing (even accepting that since it had been six years, there were flaws). Thank you! I can't wait to show it to my twelve year old boy and ten year old girl.

[@RealAdventureTheory]

Aww thanks. I’m still learning and that’s a really nice thing to hear 😁

[@F4zbear]

Thanks dude!! I’m a young taxidermist, I’m a beginner at this stuff, but I found a huge bullsnake in the middle of the road and I’m planning on doing this! Will it work without glycerin though? I don’t have that currently but i could get some if I need t

[@larryperez8102]

Hi, I'm tanning a (Bothrops atrox) Fender Lance, about 4 feet, where I live I can't get vegetable glycerin, is there any problem with using only alcohol? Thanks.

[@RealAdventureTheory]

@@larryperez8102 I don’t know. 🤔 But my instinct is it’ll probably not be great because the glycerin makes it soft and flexible. Whereas I think the alcohol may make it dry and brittle. But I’m not sure. Try ordering the glycerin? Amazon?🤔

[@larryperez8102]

@RealAdventureTheory Hi, I'm waiting for the glycerin I ordered yesterday to arrive, it's already completely skinned and cleaned, I stretched the skin with pins and let it dry, in fact it's already completely dry and without any strong smell, but I'm not sure how flexible the skin is, and if it can break so easily, so I ask, is there anything wrong with curing the skin with glycerin and alcohol in these instances? If so, how long would it be prudent to let it cure in the solution. !!Thanks¡¡

[@RealAdventureTheory]

@ I’ve never tried to cure it after it’s dried 🤔. So this will be an interesting experiment. I’d still do the 3 day soak. Let us know how it turns out 🤠👍

[@robbyfiveboy4862]

Nice vid. How to dry the glycerine enough to later glue it to leather to make something?

[@RealAdventureTheory]

Drys in just a couple days (depending on conditions) and is ready for use.

[@robbyfiveboy4862]

Cool beans. Thanks for responding. Gonna sub.

[@davidAll5]

nice job !!

[@RealAdventureTheory]

Thanks! Ended up making a hat band with it.

[@nookymonster1]

I have heard that automotive antifreeze is a good solution. Any thoughts on that?

[@RealAdventureTheory]

Funny you should mention this. 2 days ago I was having dinner with family and an uncle was talking about not only not using alcohol, but also that antifreeze worked really well. He mentioned there was a brief green hue but it went away after a few days. Also a few extra steps with washing the skin but to sum it up, yeah, there is a way to use antifreeze!

[@graveleater9746]

Is the glycerin/alcohol solution able to be re-used? These are hard things to get where I live but there are many snakes.

[@RealAdventureTheory]

@@graveleater9746 if memory serves I’ve used the same solution 3 times I think 🤔. But if it gets too old the alcohol evaporates and weakens. If I had lots of snakes around I’d experiment to see how many I could do 🤠

[@jackybetawi]

Can we sell that skin.? My brother just catch huge 5 meter phyton with very beatiful skin

[@RealAdventureTheory]

Great catch! And as long as your local laws allow it I don’t see why not.

[@Ealum1013]

thank you for this video! Gonna try this on a 4ft cotton mouth my cousin killed!

[@RealAdventureTheory]

@@Ealum1013 Nice! I’ve always wanted a cottonmouth

[@ford4life069]

Why denatured? Isopropyl won't work?

[@RealAdventureTheory]

I'm not sure. Denatured is the recipe I know and it works so I haven't tried another.

[@kellyroup4262]

It works fine isopropyl, denatured, the glycerin any as long as pure. One thing I'm not seeing is anyone pickling the skin first. You flatten it out flesh side up and rub table salt into it or just pour it on and then fold up and put in zip lock and leave for a day. It will pull out fatty oils and any blood from bits you missed while scraping. I'll take that out and scrape again then rinse off and pat or squeeze dry in paper towels then put it in 50/50 solution so that it's covered and snake lightly 1-2 times a day for 3-7 days depending on size. Then remove and wipe off excess oil and start stretching gently. It breaks the fibers and softens it. Scales sometimes come off especially if the snake was close to shedding. Won't hurt the look once finished. Snake skin doesn't really absorb much you're just removing and or preserving any proteins left on it in my opinion. I'm no pro because I don't like killing them but I've tried lots of ways in 50 years and this works great. People used to soak them in anti-freeze and that works but doesn't look as good.

[@ford4life069]

@@kellyroup4262 we generally don't kill either but this one snake wouldn't leave my nephew alone at work so he had to. Hubs was with him so I said hey, if she's already dispatched, bring me the skin. She's been in the freezer ever since. I've got to find the glycerin. No one had it locally. Small towns...

[@rondolinar]

Ive watched several similar videos and was surprised that no type of plant material like leaves weren't used for tannin. Would it be an extra benefit to add these to the alcohol glycerin mix ?

[@RealAdventureTheory]

I really don't know. Snake skin is the only thing I know how to tan at home. The Glycerin is vegetable based so maybe that kind of counts.

[@Royal_Flush_TV]

Why don’t you salt the skin first & then use the 1:1 solution? Is the salt an extra step that isnt necessary?

[@RealAdventureTheory]

Yeah, the salt is a preservative used to keep it from rotting. Since I skinned and tanned the next day there was no fear of rotting. But if it was going to be a while and I couldn’t freeze it I would have salted it.

[@Royal_Flush_TV]

@@RealAdventureTheory thank you! & why denatured alcohol instead of iso please?

[@RealAdventureTheory]

@@Royal_Flush_TV honestly I don’t know. That’s the recipe I learned and it works so that’s how I do it 🤪

[@boytrouble80sgirlpunknewwa88]

Yes, excellent video, thank you. Is that cardboard you're using to flesh and stretch the skin?

[@RealAdventureTheory]

@@boytrouble80sgirlpunknewwa88 it is. But it’s a pretty thick and rigid upside down box.

[@hannibalheyes339]

Will the Klean -Strip "SLX" Denatured Alcohol work also?

[@RealAdventureTheory]

I’m unfamiliar with that specific product but as far as I know any liquid denatured alcohol works.

[@hannibalheyes339]

@RealAdventureTheory thanks. Did some research and found out SLX contains more methanol and the regular has more ethanol which is better. Thanks again. 😊

[@NotAMorningPerson4008]

I can’t find the exact denatured alcohol you used. I found the same brand and it also says clean burning but the label is different. I’m sure it would still work but I wanted to ask just in case. Please let me know!! :)

[@RealAdventureTheory]

The brand shouldn’t matter, just as long as it’s denatured alcohol. 👍

[@Cherrys4Me8P]

Would the denatured alcohol and glycerin get rid to the stink normally associated with rattlesnakes?

[@RealAdventureTheory]

I’ve done this method with around 5 different species and have not had any stink on any!

[@Cherrys4Me8P]

@@RealAdventureTheory I got my snakeskin marinating now! Thank you for the video! 😆

[@jemb4889]

I found a snake and I cleaned it off and just let it air dry. I then put a thin layer of Elmer's white glue on the underside would that last our should I try this method? Or did I mess it up too bad at this point?😅

[@RealAdventureTheory]

@@jemb4889 I had a dried skin and it lasted a long time hanging on the wall. Only issue is it’s really brittle and a bit faded. If you’re just going to glue it on a board or something like that I think it’ll be okay. But not sure it’ll be suitable for something like a knife sheath or hat band. Hell, only one way to find out 🤠

[@davef3179]

People seem to be saying it doesn't last long, and once the glycerin evaportates it wil stiffen up. Is this true?

[@RealAdventureTheory]

I glued some skin to my knife sheath that lasted years. The in and out of my truck and constant rubbing on the seatbelt clip damaged it though. Glued skin to my hat band that’s holding up great and mounted a bunch on sanded and stained pallet boards that still look perfect after 8 years. But the oldest ones I have are 8 years so don’t know what the definition of a long time is. Hope that helps.

[@davef3179]

@@RealAdventureTheory Awesome, I guess I'll go ahead with that method 👍 thanks for the reply!

[@seawolf1330]

Great video get past your coconut bowls, lol I’m trying to do the same thing with Halibut skin. Hopefully it works.

[@RealAdventureTheory]

@@seawolf1330 🤔 never tried fish skin. Lemme know how it works out 🤠

[@seawolf1330]

@@RealAdventureTheory just trying to find those product you used right now I have about 50 of them all dried out

[@RealAdventureTheory]

@@seawolf1330 I get denatured alcohol at Home Depot and places like that and vegetable glycerin at health food stores, usually in the cosmetic or pharmacy area.

[@stevenjensen9408]

I work with him. He seems to know what he’s doing

[@houston1722]

Would rubbing alcohol work?

[@RealAdventureTheory]

@@houston1722 I’m not sure. I’ve never used it. But I think if you have extra skins it’d be worth an experiment 🤠

[@houston1722]

@ well I’m trying it right now so wish me luck 😅

[@RealAdventureTheory]

@ 🤠👍

[@raquelb731]

Dumb question maybe. Can you reuse the solution?

[@RealAdventureTheory]

@@raquelb731 if I remember correctly I did use the same solution a couple times. Just need to keep the lid on between uses (I use a big mason jar) and probably don’t want it to get too old before making new. I’d worry bout the alcohol evaporating. I think I did 3 snakes in 3 weeks 🤔with the same solution.

[@DuckT42]

May I use 95% ethanol?

[@RealAdventureTheory]

I do not know🤔

[@kabanchan5768]

wtf vetigable grlizzrin ?

[@reverscrypto7638]

What a chad

[@MustangMaynard]

Works for about 6 months to a year then scales peel off. Don’t do this!

[@RealAdventureTheory]

@@MustangMaynard Balls to that. I’ve got a knife sheath that’s nearly 10 years old and a hat band going on 2 that haven’t had any issues. Unless you’re talking about belly scales and yeah, those fall off. I pointed that out in the video.

[@samanthacrona]

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