Les Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 I have an alligator skin that is approx 7' long, stiff as a board (brittle), and likely is a few years old. I found it in the basement of a house I own. I put a little fabric softner in the bathtub, filled it with warm water and soaked the skin overnight and it got really soft. Left it laying out on the carpet in the living room over night and it curled up and got stiff again. My wife does not think all this is very funny and has given me a couple of days to come up with some practical use for it. I immediately thought of Marc. How do I keep it soft? Right now it looks and feels like it has been salt cured or dryed like buckskin. Maybe smoked? There is no salty taste and the cat hates it, so must be there is no food value left on it! It is not leather, just dried skin. Feels like a chamois when wet. This is all I got from a tenant that owed me two months rent, so this has become a very important issue for me. Ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Baird Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Maybe spray with some kind of oil treatment. Reminds me of that story about the rabbi who took a sack of foreskins to a leather shop and asked them to make him something useful. When they finished all they had was a billfold. He told them he thought there should have been something larger. They said all you do is stroke it some and it turns into a suitcase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtblum Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Les, I'm sure you probably already did this, but I googled alligator hide care, or something like that, and read there are some conditioners made specifically for exotic leathers. You might want to dig into that a little further before you screw it up with stuff like fabric softeners? Why not call a taxidermist? They,ll know. They might even turn it into $$$ for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Or a leather shop. An old friend used to work at The Scarlet Leather in Greenwich Village back in the '70s. He got requests to make all manner of strange things out of all manner of strange hides. My guess is that the leather world hasn't changed much since then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted May 2, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Talked to one taxidermist and he said he would have to research it. The problem is the hide is not leather, per se. I suspect that it can't be made into leather at this point. Everything I find deals with hides and making them into leather. Maybe soak it in soy sauce, cut into strips and make some Roman sandals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 This thread screams for cutting sarcastic humor, but I can't seem to find the right combination or order of ideas. So, I'll have to let the thread stand on it's own humorous merits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Continue the soak and dry cycles until it curls into a pleasing shape and auction it of as art. 'The Scream' is estimated to go for $80 million later this week, and has 50/50 odds of reaching $150 million. Your gator sculpture should easily net you a few months rent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Moore Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 You can't put a price on keeping the wife happy so, unless you happen to be in love with a large piece of dead skin off a reptile, my advice is to get it just soft enough to line the inside of your garbage can. My other thought was that you could hang it prominently in your office to constantly remind you about being screwed out of a couple of months rent...but then I didn't think you were that masochistic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolan Kienitz Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Don't let any of your trials to 'keep soft' let it turn into ANY SHADE of PINK! If you do Marc will never answer/help out. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottpat Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Mink oil, saddle soap, etc.. find a good saddle shop and they will have several products you could use on the hide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hausdok Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Try soaking it in a vat of glycerin or lanolin ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHI in AR Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 Maybe soak it in soy sauce, cut into strips and make some Roman sandals? Come on now...everybody knows that Roman sandals require olive oil and properly aged balsamic vinegar. The use of soy sauce only makes for really bad gator jerky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kogel Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 Les, now you know why your tenant left it behind. [] I tried to tan a beaver skin once. Hey, I'm Canadian. You nail it to a plank and scrape it. Put it out in the sun. Scrape it some more. It will get soft when it is good and rotten. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 I think you're supposed to chew it for several days to get it to soften up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 That was worth the wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resqman Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 Tandy Leather #139 - DETROIT-139 Manager: Rance Pope Detroit139@tandyleather.com 32524 Warren Rd Westland, MI 48185 USA Phone: 734-422-9102 Fax: 734-422-9105 Toll Free: 866-422-9102 Store Hours: Monday-Friday: 9am - 6pm Saturday: 9am - 4pm Sunday: Closed Tandy Leather #18 - GRAND RAPIDS-18 Manager: Chris Howard GrandRapids018@tandyleather.com 3134 Division Ave S Grand Rapids, MI 49548-1147 USA Phone: 616-452-8621 Fax: 616-452-9928 Toll Free: 800-632-9620 Store Hours: Monday-Friday: 9am - 6pm Saturday: 9am - 4pm Sunday: Closed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted May 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2012 Bruce, Thanks. I had called them and they knew even less than me! Our office mgr, Paula, used to work in the leather biz but it was all retail. I have learned that most leather is made in India and Pakistan. PS: my wife is now claiming my little friends on tij are not so smart after all. What does she know? - she sells real estate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted May 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 Click to Enlarge 69.96 KB update. still stiff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Moore Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 Click to Enlarge 69.96?KB update. still stiff. OK, it's been more than 4 hours. I've heard that you are now supposed to seek immediate medical help. I'm not clear how that will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emalernee Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 Click to Enlarge 69.96?KB update. still stiff. OK, it's been more than 4 hours. I've heard that you are now supposed to seek immediate medical help. I'm not clear how that will help. He must of found a secret potion in that hide, now he needs the antidote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted May 22, 2012 Report Share Posted May 22, 2012 I never saw this thread until now. Sorry Les. I'll ask some local gater trappers about it and get back to you. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted May 22, 2012 Report Share Posted May 22, 2012 Courtesy of Tony Howard, President of the Louisiana Trappers and Alligator Hunters Asociation: Do you know if it is tanned or not? If not it is just dried out nature like a snake hide with no tanning process. That is not good if it is not tanned, it is only going to be board stiff. If it was tanned however, he should be able to use some type of leather soften oil such Neat's Foot Oil or baseball glove leather conditioning oil. Hope this helps. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted May 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2012 Thanks Marc! I'm sure it is not tanned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 I've found the perfect use for Les' gator skin....... Flyin' high Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark P Posted June 4, 2012 Report Share Posted June 4, 2012 I find that sligtly disturbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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