# New to Taxi/Tanning Need some startup advice



## thegospelisgood (Dec 30, 2012)

Hello,

I hate wasting hides.

I want to learn taxi and planning to start by just tanning a hide/hair on for a rug/wall display for now.

I haven't determined if I'll take the brain out of the head, but may for ease. 

What I want to know first off is can someone recommend a few basic/economical tools? I need to flesh the hide and need a fleshing knife or something that will work to do the task?


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## nuhunter (Jul 16, 2011)

thegospelisgood said:


> Hello,
> 
> I hate wasting hides.
> 
> ...


Im new to this as well and looking for advice but, I have seen guys using nothing but a pocket knife to flesh the hides. There are a couple of commercial companys that have some kits put together for the novice. Im sure you can find what you need on there.


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## RV13 (Nov 2, 2012)

First off. Tanning a hide is a lot of work. I tried brain tanning many years ago and it was a disastrous mess. My first recommendation is to use a commercial tannery. I use H and H in Reed city. I know a lot of non taxidermy industry guys who send things out to Moyles or USA Foxx.

I send all of my flat skins out for tanning because I cannot afford the time to duplicate the quality of softness in a finished skin. I tan all my deer skins that go on mounts. 

If you decide you want to try it. 

For fleshing I use a knife that is 8 or 10 inches long on a fleshing beam. I never got the hang of a draw knife on skins and after 13 years of doing it, a regular knife works best for me. I also have a table top fleshing wheel that makes finish fleshing easier. 

There are a variety of tanning products. Some are better than others Some are just easier to use.

For ease of use I would recommend a product called krowtan. It is an all in one acid based solution that will give you a nice white skin. The directions are on the bottle and its actually quite simple. (8 oz of krowtan/2.5 gal of water/ 4 lbs of salt for one skin) If you do not have a commercial style fleshing machine i would also recommend putting the time into getting the skin as clean as possible before you drop it in the krowtan solution. No fat or meat on it at all. You do not need to salt skins before putting into Krowtan, but i do just to remove and blood or liquids from the skin I let it sit in the salt for a day, re salt if its still very wet. Sometimes i hang them to dry all the way if I'm backed up, But i like to get them in the tanning solution after a day or two before they are hard. I get better stretch if i don't have to re-hydrate a rock hard skin. 
When it is done in the solution you will have to neutralize the skin with a baking soda water solution. after its neutralized you can do your final fleshing if needed, you can wash it with tide or dawn dish soap. Now youre ready to start it drying. As its drying you will need to work the skin over a beam (2x4, Ply wood, something with an edge) rubbing it leather side down to break down the fibers in the skin. This will help soften it up. You can also use some krow oil to rub into the leather while it is drying and being worked over. Don't apply it to the leather when it is too wet or it wont absorb into the skin. 

Remember that Krowtan is an acid. so be careful, wear gloves and eye protection. 


There are a variety of ways to do it and you will find most people have variations in hopes of the same results. I have done flat skins this way before. It was just not economical for my situation. Good luck hope it works out for you.


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