Tanning Hides

Rabbit Hide Tanning

Rabbit hides can be tanned using different methods. Two popular methods are the **Alum Tanning Method** and the **Rittles EZ Pickling Acid Method**.

Alum Tanning Method

Alum Tanning is an **alkaline tanning method**, so the pH will be high.

Materials Needed

• 1 five-gallon bucket with lid (drill breathing holes)
• 1 box of pickling salt
• 1 3.5 lb bag of pickling alum
• 1 long paint stick or clean stick
• 1 sheet of cheap plywood
• 1 staple gun with staples
• 1 knife
• 1 pair of fish skinning pliers
• Curved needles and cream-colored upholstery thread (for accidental holes)
• Heavy glass bowl, clean brick, or rock to weight pelts

Suggested Brands

• Medley Hills Farm Alum Granulated Powder (Food Grade) 3.5 lbs.
• Morton Canning and Pickling Salt 4 Lb Box
• SHALL Staple Gun Heavy Duty, 3-in-1 Upholstery Staple Gun Kit with 3000 Staples
• DYWISHKEY 30 Pieces Natural Bamboo Sticks, 15.75” x 3/8"
• Maybrun 03101 Catfish Skinner, Nickel Finish

Instructions

1. Make sure your hides are clean and scraped of large chunks of meat/fat.
2. Mix alum and salt in water to create your tanning solution.
3. Fully submerge the hides and keep them weighted under the solution.
4. Stir occasionally. The solution should have little to no scent; if odors appear, add more alum and salt.
5. Touching the solution is safe, but it may dry out hands. Wash and moisturize afterward.
6. Once tanned, remove hides, rinse, and hang to dry.

Rittles EZ Pickling Acid Method

This is an **acid tanning method** (pH should be low) and is best used on larger animals, but works for rabbits too.

Key Principles

• Time
• Temperature
• pH levels

Materials Needed

• Rittel's Ultra-Soft Relaxing Agent (1 qt)
• Pickling Acid (Saftee-Acid, 1 qt)
• Rittel's EZ-Tan (1 lb)
• Tanning Oil (Pro Plus, 1 qt mixed with 2 parts hot water)
• Salt (50 lb bag recommended)
• Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda)
• pH testing strips
• Large buckets, measuring tools, fleshing/shaving tools

Steps

1. Rinsing

• Wash freshly skinned hide in cold water to remove blood and dirt.
• Let drip dry 30 minutes and pat out excess water.

2. Salting

• Remove large flesh chunks, turn ears, eyes, nostrils, lips, and remove tail bone if applicable.
• Apply a heavy layer of salt, rub into tight areas.
• Fold flesh-to-flesh, hair-to-hair, and place on an incline for 1–2 days with a drip pan.
• Shake out excess salt and reapply if necessary.
• Open the hide and run a fan for a few days to dry.
• Salted hides can be stored until ready for tanning.

3. Relaxing

• Soak salted hides in brine with Rittel's Ultra-Soft Relaxing Agent: 4 tbsp per gallon water (8 tbsp for greasy skins).
• Soak 10–24 hours until hides are soft.

4. Pickling

• Pickling stabilizes the hide, plumps it, and sets the hair.
• Saftee-Acid formula: 1/2 oz Saftee-Acid, 1 lb salt, 1 gallon water.
• Keep pH below 2.5, ideally 1.1–2.0. Adjust with acid, water, or baking soda as needed.
• Minimum time: small game 48 hours, whitetail capes 3 days.

5. Shaving

• After pickling, shave hides. Thinner shaving = softer skins.
• Light furs may not need shaving; heavy skins benefit from fleshing machines or scalpel blades.

6. Degreasing

• For greasy hides, use 1/2 oz Dawn dish soap per gallon water for 30 minutes.
• Rinse and return to pickle for at least 24 hours.

7. Neutralizing

• Prepare a bath (pH 4–5) using 1 tbsp baking soda per gallon water.
• Submerge hides for 20 minutes to bring pH up.

8. Tanning with EZ-Tan

• Mix 1 gallon water, 1 oz EZ-Tan (3 tbsp), 8 oz salt.
• Submerge hides in 65–75°F water for 16–24 hours.
• Rinse and drain 20 minutes.

9. Oiling

• Mix 1 part oil to 2 parts hot water.
• Apply to flesh side using brush or hands (gloves recommended).
• Fold flesh-to-flesh, hair-to-hair, sweat for 4–6 hours.

10. Drying

• Hang to dry completely (thin pelts may dry in hours; thick hides 1–2 days).

11. Stretching and Working

• When almost dry, stretch fibers carefully until the hide turns white and soft.
• Sand flesh side if needed and trim ragged edges.
• Brush woolly hides periodically to maintain fluff.