coyote pelt

[FEATHERS]

Hi all,I have purchased a tanned coyote pelt (on line) & although it is a good looking hide it is stiff around the face & legs.Any suggestions on what to use to soften the hide like the rest.I dont know if it is chemical tanned or what,but it has a nice cream color to it.Thanks in advance for any advice you all may have.Feathers.

[Shotgun Franklin]

It likely needs to be worked, stretched, pulled, rubbed, twisted and turned until it gets softer. Now if your wife or girlfriend is really compliant, you can get her to crew the flesh side until it's nice and soft. You can put a little leather oil on it and that ought to help too.

[GunClick Rick]

Small pocket knife blade and scrape it some..I just got an Alaskan white fox hide,no probs.It being Holloween and my daughter having a white American Alaskan dog,that i take care of sometimes,and Karo syrup and red food coloring in the cupboard

[Bugscuffle]

Put a broom handle or some such round piece of wood in the vice and use the pelt like a shoeshine rag on the handle to soften it up.

[GunClick Rick]

Good idea Bugs

[Mogorilla]

Look in the face area for cartilage pieces, especially near the lips and ears.  I have one and ended up pulling most of the tanned ear out of the piece.  needed to as the ears had become inverted during the tanning.  I got it for a steal because of it.   Pulled that gunk out of there and poked the ears back out, looks perfect and it is real soft.

[Shotgun Franklin]

And if you'll do all of the above you'll have a really nice soft pelt.

[FEATHERS]

Thanks guys,Mogorilla you hit the nail on the head,my pelt is exactly as yours was, ears & round the nose,lip area.Any more ideas are welcome.Thanks again.Feathers.

[Mogorilla]

Hey Feathers,
I did some judicious scraping with a dull knife near the mouth/lips.  The ears it seemed like the cartilage was just in a wad in what had been the ear.  Did some pulling and tugging and it came off the hide.   The ears were inverted so it was easy to grab a hold of what I did not want there.  The ears are soft and floppy and right side out now.

[GunClick Rick]

I have a coyote face like that,i think someone just gave it to me,and i figgered it was supposed to look that way,i'll take a closer look at,i know the ears are stuck flat and hard..

[FEATHERS]

Thanks Rick,You would think that a pelt that is so soft & a nice cream color, that the head & face would be tanned as per the rest.Feathers.

[Shotgun Franklin]

Most pelts aren't bought to be used as part of a project and most projects don't use the 'face' or lower legs. Note *most*.