# Finishing fur



## tryinhard (Jul 19, 2007)

Anyone ever finish their own fur? Been trapping for a while now and would like to learn the whole process. Looking for books etc that will help me get going.

Thanks,
Th


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I did a couple with the old chrome tanning method.

A taxidermist told me that to soften his hides he uses a dryer with the heat turned off. He puts them in wet I think.


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## backwoodsman (Jan 21, 2010)

We use to stretch and dry everything. With the low fur prices right now and work etc. We only "put up" muskrat, mink and red/grey fox(we released all but 1 grey fox that the FIL dispatched before I got to the farm) this year. Alot of good books(and videos) out there, watch the dates/copyrights on some as the preferred methods have changed for some furs/critters. Badger and **** in particular. Most furs they prefer them not to be as wide as they once were stretched etc. They use to want ***** with a big belly viewing window and now they prefer a small window etc. Mink and mukrat are the easiest to "put up" and noone should send any to the market otherwise as it costs the trapper 20%+ by not spending 5 minutes or less on a rat and maybe 5-10min on a mink. Buddy got lazy and had 26 rats that were LG/XL and skinned but not processed they brought $4.00ea. I sold our comparable rats same day to the same buyer stretched and dried for little over $5. With one hide or so it doesnt matter but we had 292 rats so if you figure .50-1.00+ a rat? If you stretch and dry your fur you can hold it longer pursuant to your game laws, save money on electricity until warm weather and have alot more selling options(most auctions only take stretched and dried fur). Typical LG **** in this type of market will bring $3 on the carcass, $4-$5 skinned, $6-$8 processed(stretched and dried), $9-$11 at a bigger fur auction/BIG fur buyer. Doesnt always happen but I was a fur buyer years ago and seen it happen too many times. It's a little more pronounced with mink some years and some buyers will start calling more mink "cotton" in this type of market too trying to make up some loss's. We had one buyer that tried to tell us half our mink were cotton this year. That turns a $10 male mink into a $2 mink in this type of market. Needless to say he didnt buy any of our fur. If I can help just let me know.


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## backwoodsman (Jan 21, 2010)

Well I messed that up. Thought you meant finishing as in stretched and dried? Tanning isnt too complex, we use plain Alum available at most pharmacies. 3 lbs to 30 gallons of non treated water is about right. Good market for some hides tanned in the crafts, taxidermy and collector area's.


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## jamesdel (Mar 21, 2006)

Hal Sullivan has a good book out there about the skinning and processing of fur


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