Old snake skin, still useable?

[Drummer@Home]

While moveing my parents this weekend. I found a big Rattlesnake skin. Must be 20yrs old or more. Nothing was ever done to it. Dried and rolled in a zip-lock bag. Its verry oily and a bit smelly.
Can I still use this to back my Mosshorn? What do I have to do to the skin to get it ready. Going to follow the Ferrets page on applying the skin. Just not sure how to get it in good condition.

[Jason Lester]

Is it a skin or a shed. Sheds won't do you any good.

If its a skinned snake you could try rehydrating it and rolling it out flat to see how it is. If its all in one peice I don't see why it wouldn't work. You may want to rehydrate and get it flat and make sure the skin is clean and free of OLD meat etc. Clean it up and pin it down to dry again if your not ready to use it. Plus you can see if it will be big enough.

Just my Opinion.

[OconeeDan]

If it was oily, maybe it was tanned?  If tanned, I read that it won't work.  Only on dried skins, they say.

[Jason Lester]

I missed the oily part. You probably right. It probably has been tanned.

[Drummer@Home]

Its not tanned. Possably my fther put somthing on it. I'll try washing it, then re-drying and see what happens.

[omahabows]

I would rehydrate it by soaking it in some water.It was probably teated with lanolin.Then I would stretch it out and scrub it down with soap on the backside (meat side)or oxy clean powder to boil the oil out of it.Rinse it out good afterwards the stretch it out to dry again.After it dried be careful bending it before using it.I would dampen it before glueing it up.