The Self-Sufficiency Bible by Simon Dawson

Author:Simon Dawson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Watkins Media
Published: 2011-12-12T16:00:00+00:00

Curing small-animal fur

Of course, curing animal fur can be done using the old traditional methods of faeces, urine and rotting animal flesh, but that’s a slightly scary and very smelly method, as well as being an utterly foolproof way to lose every friend you’ve got. It’s much better to seek a less alarming alternative, and there is one that is still natural, and works with smaller skins such as rabbit, squirrel and most small-animal furs.

For the best results, you need to work the skin within 1 hour of the animal being killed, and you should keep it in a cool, shady spot throughout the process. Remove the skin carefully, making sure there are no tears, and tack it to a wooden board, fur-side down and reasonably stretched out. Take a handful of table salt and sprinkle it liberally over the skin until the whole thing is covered, then massage it in with the tips of your fingers. Wipe the salt away with clean water and a sponge until most of the salt has gone. Then make an alum solution by dissolving 1 tablespoon alum in roughly 600ml/1 pint water and, using the same sponge, wipe the alum/water solution over the skin once every 6–8 hours for 3 days, then leave for a further 10 hours to dry. When the skin is dry, remove the tacks that held it to the board and roll the skin like a giant cigar quickly one way, then the other, back and forth until it feels soft and pliable. It’s now ready to use.

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