SnakeSkin

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Well, I've got my name on a twelve foot African Rock Python skin. :cool:

A friend of mine has seen it coming up in an auction house in South Africa and all he's told me is that its 12' long, around 15" wide, and that it's ''tanned'' ; ( according to him, that is a term that involves preservation, and its colour is still natural :confused: ) Nevertheless, I couldn't miss the opportunity, knowing that it's an endangered species, and clearly illegal now?!?

So my questions are these...



Is an ear-to-ear grin in order? :p

&

Does anyone have links that could reveal some tips/techniques on correctly working this stuff into more than a few sexy sheaths??
Does anyone have direct experience?!?

Many thanks.


Damien.
 
Where I work we make othopaedic shoes. Sometimes we work with delicate leather.
One trick is to make the 'structure' of a tough leather or nylon like material and cover it with the delicate leather.
The material underneath takes the stress of usage, the leather on top just looks pretty.
 
Might not be what you wanted to hear, but if I spent that much money for python and had never used it, I would send it to someone who had. That's just me though. Perhaps there is someone local to you that may have experience with it and would consider a trade for some first hand instruction? That would certainly be the way to go if possible.
P.S. Great score on the skin!:thumbup:
Matt Doyle
 
Hengelo 77 :

Yeah, I've found a few tutorials around, and plenty of galleries that deal with more delicate leathers ni this way, but I'm a little concerned about stiching (with rawhide lace maybe) and how to seal the seams, I'll still troll the web for more information though, wont let this go to waste. :)

mdoyle :
I'm not going to give too much for it, he's asking $120 and I can only assume that's including his profit too, so I'm rather pleased, I've seen much smaller skins touch $160, but I know what you mean about possibly trading it, I know there are some makers who would really value it and cry if I wasted on a few bad first attempts, We'll see, There's a traditional cobbler around here who might be able to trade some stuff for half of the skin, I've already asked him about 15+ oz leather, but it comes to him precut. :(
I'll ask around a few forums, I wouldn't mind trying to swap some for a few
black bear claws, horn/antler sections, ostrich or even a lil bit of bison.
Hell, any neo-tribal materials would be appreciated, even with six square foot left I could make many sheaths.

P.S. Reminds me of a scheme I had in mind a few months ago about setting up an online trading-post for natural materials, heh.

I'll also post pictures up when it arrives.


Damien.
 
Since when have Rock Pythons been endangered or illegal to sell??? I have friends in Afirca and have never heard this?
 
I read that online....must be a conspiracy!!! heh

Doesn't matter... he's just contacted me, said it went for $300+ on commision bids. :(

Ah well?!? He'll find better things, He's a retired curio dealer, he's had everything from tribal skulls dredged from rivers in borneo, dolphin skeletons, to good ol' cobra wine.

I've told him to keep an eye out for anything cheap and ugly. ;)
 
It sounds promessing.

The way I would have my first go at a project like yours; I would first make a sheath of a steardy leather. I would hand stitch it.
If the sheath is functional only then I would cover it with the snakeskin.
I would attach it with glue.
Be carefull to use a glue that stays flexible after it dries. Shoemakers (a traditional cobbler) will use glue like that and might provide you with some.
An other glue that will work is rubber cement. It is used to fix punctures in tyres. (basically natural rubber disolved in gasoline)

You have your snakeskin glued to your sheath. Now you can stich it. I would use a fine threath. About as fine a the kind used to make jeans.
The glue keeps the skin where you want it. The final stiching is only done to make sure it won't peel off.
To make it look better you could cover the edge of the snakeskin with band of an other leather, or you could cut the piece of snakeskin slightly larger (app. 5mm) and fold it over, so the edge looks better.
If you fould it over, first glue the edge, fold it over, gently tap it in place and then put it on your sheath.

I hope you understand what I mean.

If I had something to trade you I'd be interested is a piece of skin, but we don't have to many exotic materials in Holland.
 
"If I had something to trade you I'd be interested is a piece of skin, but we don't have to many exotic materials in Holland."

If you're interested I can get material to make a stacked leather knife handle. You know, disks of thick leather, stacked.
 
SOme countries like Australia have import bans on some animal products. SOme don't check with your customs office if you have any doubts about weather you can import it or not.

Having said that We can by the occasional local sea snake skin tanned.

I bought a couple. only small big enough for 3 pouches. It was paper thin.
I bought some soft thin sheep leatherabout 1mm thick. I glued the thin skin on the back of the snake skin. with the backing leather it was strong enough for pouches. If you did the same thing but on stiff vegitable tanned leather I would think it would also work well. My pouches are at least 10 years old and going strong.

Just to clarify that a bit more I left enough of the paper thin snake skin hanging past the edge of the sheep skin so that I could fold it over and glue on the back edge as well. Like when you cover a book.
 
If it is an endangered species you may have a CITES issue getting the skin to your door. That being said, I've used the "glue to some other material" method for working with snakeskins. I've only done a few but they have turned out nice and are still looking good. I've also glued snakeskin and sharkskin to Kydex (using contact cement) with excellent results. That too, is still looking great :thumbup:
 
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