snake skinning

[Steel]

Anyone have any tips on skinning pythons? The skin does not seem to come off as easy as other snakes I have done. I get about 1/3 the way down and the skin stops pulling off like normal snakes it seems to be a real pain in the *** to skin these suckers.

[allan f]

I just have to ask how a guy gets himself in the position that he IS skinning MULTIPLE pythons    :eek:

Allan

[Bryan Bondurant]

I can ask a guy this weekend that has skinned and tanned a few. He uses them to cover knife sheaths and things with.

[R H Clark]

Don't know if it will help but I skinned a large chicken snake a few weeks ago.I cut along center of belly with scissors.Tried peeling from the tail up and no go.Went to the head and had no trouble peeling down.

[Steel]

I have a friend who raises Pythons,boas, and cornsnakes he has some die time to time so I talked him into freezeing the dead ones for me. I can tell you the skin does not come off like a copperhead or a rattlesnake it is almost like it is glued on there. At this rate I am never doing another python skin again!

[Bryan Bondurant]

Steel, Is the skin shredding on you or just sticking on there? Have you ever skinned a catfish? We would take pliers and peel the skin on them like that.

How are you trying to skin it? Do you have it tied up by the head so you can work down? Have you tried using a surgical scalpel, it would be tedious but certainly it would come off.

  If you were trying to save the head skin you could lay it out, cut the skin off the head, then tie it up and work down. Thats about the only way I know how to do it but that was from watching someone else and it was not a python.

  I will call the guy I know and let you know what he says about it, Interesting subject though.

[Steel]

Skin is coming off but lots of meat shredding and staying attached. I have it off but the skin has a ton of meat to flesh off now. Good looking skins but lots,lots,lots of work. Skin is also pretty thick I have lots more fleshing to do and it may not be good for a glass bow unless I can get this skin thinned down some. Trust me when I say I doubt I ever do another one again. I could do two dozen copperheads/rattlesnake skins easier than one of these pythons I have skinned alot of snakes this sucker is kicking by B***!


 

[joevan125]

That is a really nice looking skin

[broketooth]

i got this tip from a fellow tg member.batman told me to use a utility knife with a hook blade, the kind that roofers use to cut shingles. flip the snake on its back and cut right down the center. the blade will cut right through the belly scales. ive had great success with this method. i didn't have to scrape any meat off the hide. then find a board long enough to handle the hide.. use push pins to stretch the hide in a straight line. let it dry in your garage for a day or so.

[Steel]

I use scissors to cut down the belly and then just peel the skin off head to tail so easy it just takes a minute or two. I then tack and air dry.That trick is not working on these pythons the skin starts and then stops about 1/4 the way down from the head and then the skin starts pulling lots of meat of. I have done a few pythons same thing every time. I think the python skins are going to be more of a selfbow backing they seem alittle to thick for glass bows even at 30 inch long size. I would tell people to steer away and go for another type skin for a glassbow for sure.

[buckster]

Begin with 16 ounce of Jack Daniels.  Pour 1/2 on the skins and drink the other 1/2.

Don't know if this will work Steel, but it could be an interesting experiment none the less.    

[7eyes]

Yeah, The pythons are thick skinned. Better use is a quiver, leather grips, or some rock star pants.

[R H Clark]

They may be easier skinned fresh than frozen and thawed.

[JimB]

Pythons and boas are different than skinning other snakes.They cling very tight to the meat and fleshing is a chore.If I had to do one I would put it on a beam and work it off with a draw knife just like doing a bear.

That is a ball python.I'm sure they are too thick for bow limbs but that would sure be beautiful on a quiver.I would definitely tan it for that purpose though.

[Shaun]

Python skins are great for backing self bows as they act like a layer of thin rawhide and have the beauty of snake pattern. If you don't want to mess with fleshing them, contact Mike Yancey (sponsor Pine Hollow) handles them and I'm sure he will want to get them from you. Seems like those ball python hides go for about $60 each in fleshed and dried raw state.

[Bryan Bondurant]

Steel, I just got off the phone with my guy over here who has skinned a few pythons. Basically its bad news, he stated that they were by far the hardest snake that he has ever skinned. A five meter snake takes him a average of three hours and he said there are always fleshing problems.


  His method is to tie the snake by its head from a limb. Start cutting from the hole in the belly up to the neck. Cut around the inside of the skin around the neck then cut off the head leaving the skin alone. From there he cuts the meat out of skin and he can pull and cut this way till it comes out.

  For fleshing he tacks the entire hide onto a board making it flat. He said he had experimented and this seemed to work the best. Overall he said cleaning a python was a big mess but the end product was worth the trouble. He also said forget about the scalpel idea and that he uses a very sharp lockblade pocket knife for push and pull cutting the skin off.


  Not sure if any of that will help but at least you will know your not the only one that has problems with pythons.