# What to do with rabbit skin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 11, 2008, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109 "2008-01-11T10:44:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/1 "2008-01-11T10:44:54Z")
So, yesterday I bought a (dead) rabbit for £4, gutted it, and skinned it. Now the meat’s in a pot and waiting to be cooked for dinner tonight. I gave the head to my ferret, who was absolutely thrilled and ran off to hide it in the back yard. Is there anything I can do with the skin, apart from discarding it? I wouldn’t mind having a nice furry rabbit pelt to use as a doily or something. Do I have to treat it to prevent decomposition? Can I just put it in the oven on low heat to dry it out? Or is this project something that requires the services of a professional tanner? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/2 "2008-01-11T10:49:53Z")
Tanning rabbit skins at home is possible, but it’s a bit more complex than drying them out. There is what looks to be quite a comprehensive set of instructions here: [http://www.motherearthnews.com/DIY/1983-01-01/How-To-Tan-Rabbit-Hides.aspx](http://www.motherearthnews.com/DIY/1983-01-01/How-To-Tan-Rabbit-Hides.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/3 "2008-01-11T12:05:28Z")
A dead rabbit is worth 4 quid? :eek: Bloody hell! If I knew that, I wouldn’t use the ones I shoot as dog food… While we’re here, I don’t suppose anyone knows how to tan a fox skin, do they? It might be interesting to have a small foxskin mat or something. My fiancee has told me that under no circumstances am I to attempt to make a foxskin hat. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/4 "2008-01-11T12:12:27Z")
What to do with rabbit skin----why, wrap your baby Bunting in. 🙂 \*Bye, baby Bunting. Daddy’s gone a hunting, To get a little rabbit skin To wrap his baby Bunting in. \* ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/5 "2008-01-11T12:16:05Z")
[QUOTE=Martini Enfield] …foxskin mat… …foxskin hat. 😃 [/QUOTE] Careful, one more of those and you’ll turn into Dr Seuss. Instructions for tanning fox skins are going to be pretty similar to the rabbit instructions linked above, I should think. ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/6 "2008-01-11T12:16:16Z")
Should you decide to follow the excellent instruction given in Mangetout’s link,I suggest obtaining a cabinetmaker’s card scraper to be used in lieu of the knife during fleshing. A card scraper is simply a rectangular piece of moderately tempered steel ~1mm thick which has a burred edge and lessens inadvertent nicking. ---
**Author:** ![FourPaws](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e0b2c6/32.png) [@FourPaws](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FourPaws)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/7 "2008-01-11T12:29:02Z")
[QUOTE=Carson O’Genic] Should you decide to follow the excellent instruction given in Mangetout’s link,I suggest obtaining a cabinetmaker’s card scraper to be used in lieu of the knife during fleshing. A card scraper is simply a rectangular piece of moderately tempered steel ~1mm thick which has a burred edge and lessens inadvertent nicking. [/QUOTE] Or, you could use a kitchen scraper. They generally have a wooden or synthetic handle, and build the same way as the card scraper listed above. Like this, for instance (just an example) [http://www.mjsales.info/servlet/the-12597/ScraperKitchen-Cutlery-cln-Victorinox40597/Detail](http://www.mjsales.info/servlet/the-12597/ScraperKitchen-Cutlery-cln-Victorinox40597/Detail) ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/8 "2008-01-11T16:01:42Z")
Hang it in your garden on a little cross, as a warning to all the other crop-eatin’ varmints out there! And that little blue coat and pair of shoes with it! ---
**Author:** ![Sockmunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Sockmunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sockmunkey)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/9 "2008-01-13T08:09:58Z")
[QUOTE=robardin] Hang it in your garden on a little cross, as a warning to all the other crop-eatin’ varmints out there! And that little blue coat and pair of shoes with it! [/QUOTE] Make sure it’s an “X” cross, not a “t”, otherwise people will get some screwy impressions when easter rolls around. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/10 "2008-01-13T12:23:58Z")
[QUOTE=Sockmunkey] Make sure it’s an “X” cross, not a “t”, otherwise people will get some screwy impressions when easter rolls around. [/QUOTE] Won’t that just make people get screwy impressions once 30 November rolls around? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/11 "2008-01-13T12:54:15Z")
What is 30 November? The referance dosn"t readily connect with us over here in the states. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/12 "2008-01-13T12:55:04Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] \*Bye, baby Bunting. Daddy’s gone a hunting, To get a little rabbit skin To wrap his baby Bunting in. \* [/QUOTE] You really mean it? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/13 "2008-01-13T14:23:42Z")
[QUOTE=Martini Enfield] A dead rabbit is worth 4 quid? :eek: Bloody hell! If I knew that, I wouldn’t use the ones I shoot as dog food… While we’re here, I don’t suppose anyone knows how to tan a fox skin, do they? It might be interesting to have a small foxskin mat or something. My fiancee has told me that under no circumstances am I to attempt to make a foxskin hat. 😃 [/QUOTE] Australia needs to start exporting rabbit meat, canned, with noodles & veggies. And a disingenuous name, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/14 "2008-01-13T14:40:28Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] You really mean it? [/QUOTE] Yes, I believe that [this](http://www.tjtoys.com/p-10419-.html) is a modern day version of what he is referring to. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/15 "2008-01-13T20:37:27Z")
You could make [parchment](http://mitglied.lycos.de/oriane/parchment/parchment.html) from it - a friend has one of Oriane’s black/purple rabbitskin scrolls - too cool. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/16 "2008-01-13T21:56:40Z")
[QUOTE=Martini Enfield] A dead rabbit is worth 4 quid? :eek: Bloody hell! If I knew that, I wouldn’t use the ones I shoot as dog food… While we’re here, I don’t suppose anyone knows how to tan a fox skin, do they? It might be interesting to have a small foxskin mat or something. My fiancee has told me that under no circumstances am I to attempt to make a foxskin hat. 😃 [/QUOTE] Oh, you need a fox hat just in case you ever visit [Auchtermuchty](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfMUwCKtWMI) ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/17 "2008-01-14T14:55:53Z")
[QUOTE=Si Amigo] What is 30 November? The referance dosn"t readily connect with us over here in the states. [/QUOTE] Saint Andrews Day, the national day of Scotland (Saint Andrew was killed by crucifixion on an X-shaped cross.) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/18 "2008-01-14T15:08:11Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] What to do with rabbit skin----why, wrap your baby Bunting in. 🙂 [/QUOTE] And here I thought most people threw out baby bunting with the dirty diaper. ---
**Author:** ![lalenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@lalenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalenin)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/19 "2008-01-14T15:22:47Z")
[QUOTE=psychonaut] So, yesterday I bought a (dead) rabbit for £4, gutted it, and skinned it. Now the meat’s in a pot and waiting to be cooked for dinner tonight. I gave the head to my ferret, who was absolutely thrilled and ran off to hide it in the back yard. Is there anything I can do with the skin, apart from discarding it? I wouldn’t mind having a nice furry rabbit pelt to use as a doily or something. Do I have to treat it to prevent decomposition? Can I just put it in the oven on low heat to dry it out? Or is this project something that requires the services of a professional tanner? [/QUOTE] If you managed to get it tanned rabbit skins make excellent bicycle seat covers. Or you can make the skin into two tails and hang them from the same bicycle handles. ---
**Author:** ![I\_m\_No\_Saint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/977dab/32.png) [@I\_m\_No\_Saint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_m_No_Saint)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109/20 "2008-01-14T15:28:07Z")
Is it rabbit season? I could have swore it was duck season… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-rabbit-skin/433109.md?page=2)