COME CONCIARE PELLI DI CONIGLIO

MACELLAZIONE

Come sa la maggior parte degli allevatori, una volta ucciso il coniglio e rimossa la testa esso viene appeso
per una o entrambe le gambe posteriori per permettere lo scolo del sangue. Quindi l'animale viene squoiato.
Per eseguire questa operazione bisogna tagliare la pelle intorno ad ogni piede posteriore a tagliare la pelle
con cautela dai garretti all'ano. Attenzione a non tagliare la carne. Togliere la pelle dalla carcassa tirando
gentilmente verso il basso in direzione della testa. Il movimento è come quello di pelare una banana ma
richiede un po' più di forza. Usate le dita o un coltello affilato per allentare ogni punto difficile.
La pelle appena squoiata, chiamata “pelle verde” deve essere girata per mettere il pelo all'interno e la carne
all'esterno. Lasciate la pelle in ammollo in acqua fredda fino a quando avcete finito di squiare gli altri animali
e di mettere la carne in freezer.

LAVARE E RAFFREDDARE LA PELLICCIA

Una volta terminate le operazioni di macellazione sciacquate la pella in altra acqua freedda per terminare il
raffreddamento il più in fretta possibile. In questa fase non vi preoccupate per eventuali rimasugli di grasso e
tessuti, fate ogni sforzo invece per rimuovere ogni traccia di sangue in quanto dopo la concia, se non
rimosso, potrebbe lasciare macchie brune sulla pelle. Non è necessario usare sapone o detergenti ma se li
usate assicuratevi che ogni traccia di essi sia sciacquata prima di procedere. Fatto il risciacquo
Once the butchering duties are finished, thoroughly rinse the hide in more cold water to finish cooling it as
quickly as possible. Don't worry about any remaining fat and tissue at this point . . . rather, apply your effort to
washing away all the blood left in the skin, since any that's not removed will leave permanent brown stains in
the leather after tanning. (Soap or detergent is really unnecessary, but if you do use such a cleanser, be sure
that all traces of that are rinsed out before you proceed, too.) With the rinsing done, carefully squeeze (never
wring!) the excess water from the pelt.

As an alternative, you can clean skins in your washer (use the delicate cycle, if your machine has one), but
there is a possibility that bits of fat and hair will plug up the drain hose. To avoid this problem, I prefer to
handwash the pelts (which also gives me a chance to examine the furs closely).

Thoroughly cleaned hides can be preserved for later processing by freezing; drying on a stretcher, or salting
and drying. I store my pelts in the freezer if I have more than I can comfortably work on at one time. Before
freezing them, though, I make sure that all the body heat is cooled from the skins, and that the excess water
has been pressed out . . . then I wrap the hides in freezer paper — or store them in airtight containers — to
prevent dehydration and freezer burn.

(A hide can be opened up — that is, split from head to tail along the belly's midline — at any time during the
tanning operation, but I prefer to wait until the process is complete to do this.)

THE FIRST TANNING SOLUTION

When the pelts are clean and cooled (or have been defrosted, if you've been sidetracked for a while), you're
ready to begin tanning. You'll first need to round up a four- to six-gallon plastic container (a wastebasket or
bucket will work fine). Then pour two gallons of room-temperature (about 70°F) water into the pail, and add
either — but not both — of the following recipes. (Each formula will be adequate to tan six to nine medium-
sized pelts.)

TANNING RECIPE NO. 1:

SALT/ALUM

1 cup of coarse or granulated salt ( not iodized)

1 cup of common alum (aluminum sulfate or any of several similar double sulfates), powdered or granulated

TANNING RECIPE NO. 2:

SALT/ACID

1 pound of coarse or granulated salt (about 1-3/4 cups)

1 ounce of full-strength sulfuric acid, or 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of battery acid (dilute sulfuric acid)

You can buy a five-pound sack of the necessary salt at almost any grocery store (look for noniodized pickling
salt) for about $1.00. And larger quantities (usually 100-pound sacks) are available from chemical companies
and other sources at "bargain" bulk prices.

Alum is stocked by biological supply companies, handicraft and leather shops, chemical suppliers,
pharmacies, and feed stores. It comes in both a commercial and a medicinal grade (for tanning purposes it
makes no difference which you use) and generally costs between $1.00 and $3.00 per pound.

Battery acid (electrolyte) is available from auto supply houses for about $1.00 per gallon (128 ounces) and is
usually sold in five-gallon containers. (I've never worked with full-strength sulfuric acid, because I feel it's too
dangerous.)

Both recipes work well and take approximately the same amount of time. I prefer the somewhat more
expensive alum mixture because it produces a whiter, softer leather with the feel of fine suede.

Once you've determined which method you're going to use, add the chemicals to the water (don't let them
splash) . . . and make sure the powders are completely dissolved before you add the pelts. Be certain to show
respect for your chemicals and to handle them properly. (Wear rubber gloves if you're working with sulfuric
acid.)

Now, drop each skin into the pickle (as the tanning mix is called) and swish it around with a wooden stick or
spoon (or use your glove-sheathed hands) to work the solution into the fur and skin. Allow the pelts to remain
in the brine — at room temperature (65-70°F) — for 48 hours, stirring them at least twice a day. If the pelts
tend to float to the top of the solution, weigh them down . . . using a glass jug filled with water or a clean rock.

After the two full days have passed, squeeze the excess brine from the skins (save the solution . . . you'll
reuse it later) and rinse them in cold water.

FLESHING

Fleshing is the process of removing the fatty tissue and flesh to expose the actual leather (or derma) to
chemical action. Rabbits have a clearly defined undertissue which, after the first chemical soaking, can be
peeled off in one piece (if you're careful). Since the flesh separates most readily at the rump section, I usually
start there and peel toward the neck. A steak knife can be used to scrape and loosen the difficult areas you'll
likely encounter on the belly and around the legs. Be careful not to peel too deep and expose the root hairs,
but do try to get off as much fatty tissue as possible.

When you're finished, rinse the fleshed hides in cool water and then squeeze out the excess liquid.

THE SECOND TANNING SOLUTION

Now, go back to the recipe you chose before, add the same amount of salt/alum or salt/acid as you used in
the first soaking solution to the reserved brine . . . and follow the same mixing procedure. Put the pelts in the
liquid, one at a time, working each hide thoroughly to coat it with the pickle. Keep the skins soaking at room
temperature for seven days, stirring them at least twice a day.

You can test for tanning "doneness" after the week's up by simply boiling a small piece of hide for a few
minutes in water. If the leather curls up and becomes hard and rubbery, return the pelt to the solution . . .
because a well-tanned skin will show little or no change in boiling water.

DRYING AND FLUFFING

After one pelt has tested "done", remove all of them from the solution and squeeze out the excess pickle. The
tanning brine will likely be pretty much used up if you've soaked the recommended number of skins, but any
liquid that does remain should be dumped out. Take care to discard the mixture where farm animals can't
drink it and the chemicals won't contaminate drinking water. (Although it's not poisonous to handle, the brew
might be fatal if taken internally.) I generally pour any leftover solution along pathways to keep them free of
weeds.

Next, wash each pelt thoroughly with a mild detergent. I use an inexpensive cologne-scented shampoo that
leaves the fur soft, fluffy, clean, and sweet smelling. Then rinse the hide several times in lukewarm water and
squeeze out the excess liquid. Hang the pelts in the shade to dry (I usually put them on a temporary
clothesline suspended over the bathtub). It'll take from six hours to two days for the skins to become fully
dried, depending on the temperature, the humidity, and the thickness of the leather. (Don't ever put wet hides
in direct sun or near a heat source, as they'll quickly shrink and become brittle as they dry.)

When the pelts are just barely damp, toss them in an electric dryer, with no heat, for 15 to 45 minutes. This
step can be omitted . . . but the machine fluffing does make the fur easier to work with and the next procedure
less difficult.

WORKING THE LEATHER

Ever since animal hides were first turned into leather, they've been pounded, rubbed, chewed, and beaten —
and often annointed with grease or oils — to make (and keep) them flexible and soft. I stretch partially dried
hides to soften the leather, using a process known as breaking the skin.

Pull the skin of your damp pelt in all directions, working only a small area at a time. The leather will begin to
turn soft and white. The trick is to catch the hide while it's still slightly wet and limp. If it becomes too dry and
turns hard, resoak it with a wet sponge (this is called damping back ) until it's pliable enough to stretch again.
Be firm as you pull the leather, but don't use too much force, or you might tear it. Keep up the skin-breaking
procedure as long as necessary . . , until the pelt remains soft as it dries. ("Broken" hides may be tacked to a
board or frame to encourage them to dry flat.)

FINISHING AND STORAGE

After the hide has dried and is sufficiently soft, give the fur a good brushing with a small hairbrush. Then
massage mink oil (I buy it at shoe stores . . . where an eight-ounce container, which is enough for several
dozen pelts, costs about $2.00) into the skin side of the hide with your fingers. (You'll be glad to know that
mink oil is a wonderful hand conditioner.) As a final — optional — step, try buffing the leather with pumice or
fine sandpaper to give it a soft, velvety feel.

Rabbit fur, like all leathers, breathes . . . that is, it contains microscopic spaces for air circulation. Therefore,
it's best not to store rabbit pelts (or any other fur or leather) in airtight containers (except, of course, when
you're freezing them before tanning). I keep my finished hides in a cardboard box with a bar of sweet-smelling
soap, which repels insects and helps to scent the furs.

SEWING RABBIT FUR

Working with thin leather — such as rabbit skin — isn't all that different from working with thick cloth.
Therefore, any person who sews should have no great difficulty making the transition from fabric to fur.

The following list should serve to give you an idea of the variety of items an ingenious homesteader can craft
with rabbit pelts: bedspreads, coverlets, robes, cushion covers, pillows, handbags, toys, hats, caps, hoods,
mittens, baby bootees, vests, coats, capes . . . in short, the scope of your furs-titching projects is limited only
by your imagination!

The first step in constructing any article of rabbit hide is to make (or buy) a full-sized pattern for each piece to
be cut (the jacket shown in the accompanying photos was made from a purchased pattern). If you're not sure
about the fit of the finished product, sew a muslin dummy and make any necessary adjustments to the
sections before cutting into the pelts.

After you're satisfied with the size and shape of the pattern pieces, organize them on the skin side of the pelt.
(For some articles you'll need to sew several pelts together to get a large enough section of "fabric". To do so,
cut the pelts to be used into one or more squares or rectangles and stitch the blocks together. You can either
make a large sheet of fur to accommodate all the pattern pieces, or combine just enough squares to fit one
part of the pattern at a time.) You may need to rearrange the pieces several times to avoid objectionable bare
spots and to make efficient use of the best sections of the pelt. Keep in mind that the thickest fur is found
around the neck and in a band down the back.

Always lay your pattern with the grain (the direction in which the hair grows) so that the fur of the finished
article will run in the same direction as it did when it was on the animal. (In the case of rabbits, the grain runs
from neck to rump.)

Using tape, long pins, or small dots of rubber cement, attach the pattern to the hide. Trace the outline of each
section with a ballpoint or felt-tip pen, or simply cut around each pattern piece. A razor blade or a utility knife
might prove useful, since it won't snip as many hairs as will scissors. However, you can use sharp shears if
you take care to avoid cutting more than just the skin.
Most soft leathers, including rabbit, can be sewn by hand using a glover's, leather, or furrier's needle . . .
waxed nylon, linen, or heavy carpet-weight thread . . . and a running stitch, whipstitch, or cross-stitch. (Most
good leatherworking books and sewing guides will include instructions for making these stitches if you're
unfamiliar with them.) To hold the pieces together for sewing, use thin quilting pins, paper clips, or spring
clips.

If you prefer, rabbit pelts can be stitched on a good sewing machine fitted with a No. 16 to 19 needle (some
manufacturers market needles designed for leather) and all-purpose thread. The machine should be set to
produce seven to nine stitches per inch.

Do follow the directions for assembly that come with the commercial pattern, whether you decide on hand or
machine sewing. (Of course, you'll probably already know how best to assemble a project of your own
design.) To flatten seams and hem edges, place a warm, damp cloth over the seam/hem line on the skin side,
and pound the leather with a wooden mallet or hammer.

To finish your creation, brush the fur side well with a small hairbrush, paying particular attention to the seams
(you may need to use a sharp object, such as a long needle, to pull out hairs that are caught in the stitching.

And what about the scraps? Well, find a use for them. You might try piecing odd bits of similar weight together
to achieve a crazy-quilt effect. Or turn the leftovers into small pouches, flaps for purses and jackets, and other
novelties. (For instance, I make little catnip-filled toys for my cats.)

Sewing with rabbit fur is an enjoyable, and often profitable, handicraft. In fact, I've actually discovered that the
sale and barter of my fur items more than pays the cost of raising the rabbits . . . so the meat I get is free!

PREVENTING FAILURES

Although the procedure itself is simple enough, really successful pelt tanning is usually the result of ingenuity
and perseverance. The secret is not so much the chemicals used as it is the elbow grease that you apply to
make the hides soft and supple.

Keep in mind that each piece of leather is different. And even among hides that were all tanned in the same
batch of solution, something will occasionally go wrong with one or more of the skins.

The problem I encounter most often is hairslip: bare patches that appear as the fur pulls or slips off the
leather. This condition, which is also called taint, results from the growth of bacteria on the outer skin (decay)
and usually occurs in folds and wrinkles, where the surface wasn't exposed to the tanning solution. It can be
prevented if you stir the pelts around in the solution frequently and make sure that the liquid comes in contact
with all parts of each hide. Take care, too, that the brine ingredients are dissolved and mixed well before
adding the skins. Finally, don't store the pelts in the solution at temperatures over 80°. If hairslip does afflict a
pelt or two, however, you can trim away the damaged sections when constructing garments or other articles.

ALTERNATIVE TANNING PROCESSES

The tanning technique I've described here is a simplified version of chemical tanning. (There are also
vegetable and oil tanning methods, neither of which is well suited to preserving rabbit skins.) Most of the other
chemical processes in use today would require additional equipment, extra labor, and complicated
ingredients. In general, these systems involve the application of a paste or powder (common ingredients
might include alum, acids, sodas, salts, animal brains and livers, oils, and vegetable tannins) to the fleshed
skin. The substance must be reapplied several times over the course of a few days, with the residual material
scraped off the hide before each new application.

Not only are such processes too timeconsuming to fit into the schedules of most busy homesteaders, but they
also require the green hide to be fleshed before the application of the tanning agent . . . and the mere thought
of spending hours scraping fat and tissue from a hide is enough to discourage most folks from even
attempting to tan furs. The chemical method I've recommended, on the other hand, requires only a minimum
of scraping, which can be accomplished within five to ten minutes.

NOW WHAT?

If you follow my instructions, you should be the proud possessor of a stack of soft, silky rabbit pelts . . . which
you can either sell as is or fashion into beautiful garments and other items for sale or barter. (To learn the pros
and cons of these options, take a look at the accompanying sidebars.)

All in all, rabbit-pelt tanning can add a whole new dimension to a homesteader's small-scale hare-raising
operation. If you've even the slightest inclination to make full use of your backyard bunnies, just take a little
more care at butchering time . . . and tan those hides!