Tried cutting my own.....

RABBIT STRIPS!! :)

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Was at a craft store (Pat Catan's) today and found some full tanned rabbit skins for $4.97. I bought 1 in white and will be going back to get the natural color they had as well. :D Don't know if it is possible to dye a hide already tanned and soft? 8" x 16" piece but the outside edge is too thin to stay together. I "stripped" about 1/3rd of it. Ended up with some dubbing material too - and hair puffs floating everywhere! Took a little work, but will come out MUCH cheaper than buying pre cut.

Went to another craft store to get a cowgirl cake pan for my daughters b-day. Found some Darcie long fur for 50 cents!!!! :eek: I got Orange and Fawn. The Darcie marabou I found is some great quality. Nat. assorted color feathers - 14 grams - $1.00 White marabou - 7 grams - $1.00 Feel like I just robbed a bank! :D:D:D Total for the day - Including the rabbit skin - 8 bucks and some change!
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Nice score! I tied up some rabbit strip shad heads a few days back and got them out today I really like the action of that stuff I need to play more with it and see what else I can come up with. What did you use to cut it?

yes you can die rabbit hide I would buy all the natural color and white with store had these hides.

Nice steal!!!!!!!!!!!

Fatman

Jubs - I used a razor utility knife. I tried cutting it (bottom left corner) with-out tacking it to a board with staples, could not get a straight cut. :( Once I stretched and tacked it down, it worked pretty good, and just cut it by eye-balling it. Just had to press down with a finger on each side of the cut to hold it. May end up trying to mount 5 ravors .125" apart on a piece of scrap wood, but not sure how to do that yet. :)

AF,

Good buys on the craft fur. That's pretty neat that you were able to find orange. I'd have to order that color on-line since I haven't found a local store that carries it. BTW, I believe that the Darice company is located in OH. Perhaps I should plan a drive to go shop over there. ;)

Coincidentally, yesterday I spent a bit of time at a craft store called the "Flower Factory". They carry all kinds of brightly-colored feathers. Though, I couldn't find any wording on the package that noted they were colorfast. I did purchase some material called "Optic Fiber". It too is distributed by another OH company called Liberty Art. It's neat looking stuff. A bright yellow iridescent fiber that shimmers gold and green under light.

They also carried rabbit skins in black, natural, and white for $4.75 apiece. I thought long and hard about them and decided...nah. Now that I've read your post, I'll consider purchasing some the next time I visit there. I now have a better idea of how to cut the skins.

Lastly, I wound up at Gander Mountain which seemingly has a perpetual 25% off all fly tying materials. They had a $.97 bin where five fly tying items could be purchased at the 25% discount and the next five are yours for free. I now have five packages of saltwater blue streamer hair (Icelandic sheep wool), a bunch of spools of Uni-Floss, strung olive saddle hackles, strung grey and fl. chartreuse marabou (blood quill), and a spool of new Ultra Thread for less than $20.

I plan to tie some bi-colored wool jigs in the near future. :)

Pup, I was told at our local Gander Mountain store that they are selling off ALL fly tying materials and loose flys. Loose jigs are going also. They want everything in blister pacs. They will not be replacing the fly tying materials.
This was at the Davenport IA. store but I assume all the same. Illinoisgiller

Good deal on the materials. Try using a straightedge, like a framing square, pushed down firmly on the skin. Make sure the fur is not lying accross the cut too bad cuz if you use too much pressure on the blade you will cut the fur short. Apply just enough pressure to cut the skin and you can get some super results. If you plan to do much of this look into a carpet layers razor knife with replaceable square edge blades. This cut with almost no effort and is unforgiving with misplaced flesh. Having used these when I used to install rug it became a tool I use frequently for things like this. Using a straightedge will also allow you to get a few more strips from each fur.

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Originally Posted by AtticaFish

Jubs - I used a razor utility knife. I tried cutting it (bottom left corner) with-out tacking it to a board with staples, could not get a straight cut. :( Once I stretched and tacked it down, it worked pretty good, and just cut it by eye-balling it. Just had to press down with a finger on each side of the cut to hold it. May end up trying to mount 5 ravors .125" apart on a piece of scrap wood, but not sure how to do that yet. :)

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Attica,
I ran across this homemade zonker strip cutter last year but never got around to making one. Looks like it would do the job.

YouTube - Make Your Own Zonker Strip Cutter

Just saw this thread and was going to tell you to look up that home made zonker cutter, but Len came through with the link. I just don't even want to get into that part as I can't tie what I have now as fast as I need to. Also I don't pay that much for them now anyway. I bought a ton of packs wholesale before I started getting the whole hides Pre-cut, but some of my colors they don't offer yet that way or at least I don't think they do. Going to check on that though. I have a couple of big bags full of packs with every color you can imagine. So I am set now unless they start selling the Pre-cut ones in the two tone ones.

Be careful to any of you that try that home made cutter to not cut your fingers off.

Skip

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Originally Posted by skiptomylu

Just saw this thread and was going to tell you to look up that home made zonker cutter, but Len came through with the link. I just don't even want to get into that part as I can't tie what I have now as fast as I need to. Also I don't pay that much for them now anyway. I bought a ton of packs wholesale before I started getting the whole hides Pre-cut, but some of my colors they don't offer yet that way or at least I don't think they do. Going to check on that though. I have a couple of big bags full of packs with every color you can imagine. So I am set now unless they start selling the Pre-cut ones in the two tone ones.

Be careful to any of you that try that home made cutter to not cut your fingers off.

Skip

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I agree Skip. Just one slip and probably end up with serious injury!
Where do you get your pre-cut strips?

just a heads up on dieing that stuff rabbit takes color real well but once the skin hits the hot water will shrink up big time i use <and she hates me for it> my wifes kniting hoop its like a 6 inch cirle and can fit well in my dieing pot and let dry on the hoop

Len - Thats a slick little idea there, but would not be the easiest to tie jigs with a few less digits! :eek: If you listen to the audio on the vid, he says to keep the ER phone # handy, guess thats your warning. ;) Thanks, it looks ALOT more simple than the vision I had in my head.

Skip - I don't buy anything in wholesale, and that hide will probably last me a year or more. I just want the natural color now - white & gray, I'd be set for the crappie around here anyway. Plus I can try cross cutting some, never have bought or used it that way.

Skeet - Tried using a metal L-Square to cut along first, but the skin puckers in from the dead space of the hair on other side and was more crooked than just eye-balling it.

Thanks for the input guys! :)

Ok got one question, if I buy feathers and fur from a craft store, will the ones that are dyed bleed out the dye in the water while fishing?

I've looked at the stuff before but been fearful of them bleeding out. My wife scrap books so I spend time in the craft stores quite often with her.

When I buy feathers at a craft store, I tend to stick to natural colors.

At least one distributor labels their feather packages "not colorfast" when applicable. Read the labeling carefully.

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Originally Posted by njones

Ok got one question, if I buy feathers and fur from a craft store, will the ones that are dyed bleed out the dye in the water while fishing?

I've looked at the stuff before but been fearful of them bleeding out. My wife scrap books so I spend time in the craft stores quite often with her.

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If the pack is cheap, I just buy and try. Have had different colors from same pack where some bleed and some not. Maybe depends on color, not sure?

Thank you AtticaFish I'll give it a try, it's hard coming up with money for those exspensive fly tying materials when your newlyweds. But I hear every happy couple starts out having nothing but each other (& a fishing rod) in the beginning.

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Originally Posted by njones

Thank you AtticaFish I'll give it a try, it's hard coming up with money for those exspensive fly tying materials when your newlyweds. But I hear every happy couple starts out having nothing but each other (& a fishing rod) in the beginning.

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Very true words there. If you have a good relationship neither of you should have to give up anything you love to do. Congrats, and take her with you.