Mary, we are so happy the video was helpful. Yes, the skin needs to be tanned first (to turn it to leather) then oiled (to keep it soft). Soaking your skin in a vinegar-salt-water bath is OK, although the vinegar is not necessary. The vinegar is acidic and will lower the pH of the snakeskin. The pH in the skin is most likely around 3, so in order to get the tan to work properly, the pH needs to be raised to approx. 4. To do this, first rinse the skin in fresh water (like you did) put 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 1 gallon of water (it won't take much) and test the pH level with pH paper. Once it stabilizes at 4, you can proceed with the tanning and oiling steps. The skin can be rolled up and frozen until you are able to do this. Let us know if you have additional questions. Thank you!!

Thank you so much for your reply! I’ll freeze the skin for now and do the soda/water bath in a few days

@@Gebo307 Sounds good, then the snakeskin can be tanned.

Yes, tanning cow hides are popular and we do have it on our list of videos. Coming out next are videos for a Mule Deer and Boa Constrictor. Thank you for watching.

@@AdvancedTanningSolutions Thank you for replying, I am looking forward for it.

Due to the sensitive nature of the fangs, we did not show that part. It is carefully done with the blade and slowly peeling the skin back - side to side until it gets past the head area.

@@AdvancedTanningSolutions Do you just start from the lip of the snake and work it around the head because I am 12 years old but I have lots of rattlesnakes around my house and I am trying to earn some money and I love hunting and furs and taxidermy stuff and a friend of mine who's dad is a taxidermist told me that rattlesnake mounts go for about $300-$400 but he doesn't know the correct way to skin the head just the body and I already know how to skin the body just not the head and you need the head for mount and I plan to be a taxidermist when I grow up and I figured that rattlesnakes would be a good start because the don't require big mounts like you need for deer, bear, elk, ect. I guess that I am asking if you could please do a video or type out how to do it in depth on skinning the head I would very much appreciate it. Were do you find the video that you show how to skin a rattlesnake for mounting like you talked about in the video of how to tan a rattlesnake? Or is this the video?

@@cashcalhoun733 First, we are thrilled to hear of your interest in taxidermy. We would be happy to walk you through skinning the head area. Give us a call when you have a chance, 303.642.3060. Thank you!

@@AdvancedTanningSolutions ok i will thanks

@@AdvancedTanningSolutions I called a week ago and no one answered but that was probably because it was a weekend and i messed up the first voicemail so i called again and left a voicemail with my phone number and haven't got a call back I am not mad but just wondering when i will get a call back

Our website should be available - call us if you need assistance, 303.444.1470.

We do NOT recommend putting the snakeskin in alcohol. Our Tan-a-Snake process is to skin, flesh, soak in salt water, tan and oil. You can see the full directions on our website.

@@AdvancedTanningSolutions thank u for reply

Yes, that is definitely true for flat snakeskins! In this case though, because it was being tubed skinned, we needed to remove it before it was skinned so that we could invert the skin.

@@AdvancedTanningSolutions oh I didn’t know it was any different lol. You can also hit them on the head with a stick so you don’t have to put it in the freezer alive. If you hit it behind the head you’ll destroy the skull without damage to the skin

@@easternkentuckyoutdoors8092 Ah yes, that is a good tip too!

Yes, if you are making fish skin leather, this process can be used. Note: go easy on the oil, depending on the thickness of the fish skin. If tanning fish skin for taxidermy, it is better to use our "Bird & Fish Tan".

@@AdvancedTanningSolutions I was taught and still use this way to do fish After i skin amd flesh a fish I do a dawn dish soap and boars soak for 2 hrs then rinse and mount it works great but always looking to improve and find a better way to decrease fish skins for mounts

@@jasonnester9514 Thank you for the information on your process!