Today I was skinning a couple of cats and 4 greys and on one cat I made a small hole with my knife (approx 1/8") and two on a grey fox. This will be my first year on putting up fur. I have sold green the last 10+ years. Should I sew those small holes before I freeze, after I flesh, not at all?

Also, on larger bullet holes...say 1-2" should I sew those or leave as they are? Just wondering if animals with that large of a hole are worth fleshing in the first place?

I have the Matt Jones fur handling video on the way from nwtrappers but thought some here might could help me on these questions.
Thanks for your time.

I sew up any holes larger than a quarter inch, especially if they are in short fur areas.

I do them after fleshing it's a bit easier and you don't have to worry about nicking your sew job.

Bullet holes are a bit more work, unless they are perfect you have a jig saw puzzle to match up, best way with these is to cut them into an oval closest to the larger part of the hole, removing any jagged edges and then use an over under sewing job, as this pulls the fur together evenly instead of just sewing the hole shut.

Tie one end in a knot to start then keep your stiches about an 1/8 of inch apart depending on animal, thin skinned you might want to keep them a bit further apart, as when the leather dry's it will put a lot of pressure on the seam your making, then when you reach the end of the oval tie an knot on this end and snip the left over lacing.

I use upholstery thread, it's small and very strong, don't use the dental floss, like everyone does, its a pain in the neck, comes unravled, the waxed kind sticks, and it's hard to tie with, plus it never holds up in the tannery.

Where can I get the upholstrey string? Wally world?

They might have a knock off brand. Go to a fabric store, they have all kinds of it and it's cheaper than going to a upolstery supply house!!

Wally world has it. Got a spool on the sewing machine now making some coon hats.

What do you use for needles? For sewing?

TexA, you would change your suggestion real fast if you were a manufacture sewing fur, I bet you that!!

I've sewn holes up with everything and it will hold but when it comes back from the tannery the dental floss and light weight threads all have come loose or broken, that makes for a very large hole where there was nothing to begin with. The tannerys don't sew them back together for you and you still have to pay the tanning fee. I would rather make sure they don't come back in half!

Yea if your sewing holes shut and you don't give a rats butt about how the end user is going to deal with it sew it up with anything.

Better yet why bother? Is it ethical to try and pass off sewn or torn up fur for full price?? Do you put your nice top dollar Bobcat with a belly shot hole with the others or do you single it out as a second? Do you announce to the buyer that you have sewn any holes up in it, or just try to fly by with them!!

I'd venture a guess that the majority try to pass them off as first and hope them sew jobs don't get noticed at all.

Nope you don't need fancy thread, and you don't need to sew them up either, if your going to be honest about the whole deal!

> The tannerys don't sew them back together for you and you still have to pay the tanning fee. I would rather make sure they don't come back in half!

Get a new tannery. Every skin I've had ripped (not cut - big difference) at the dressers in any stage other then the final tumbling has come back to me sewn with a fur machine, a very fine seam, natural beige thread. They won't repair shaving machine cuts, but all other types, they fix.

It's the missing paws, ripped faces, and missing tails that bugs me the most!

I have also had skins come back to me that I sewed with buttonhole thread (the wife's thread that he is referring to) before sending, not be ripped at all. The difference? I fleshed and shaved the area before I sewed it up, so they would not have to touch the area. So no breakage.

One tannery I sent to didn't even lose the claws on skunk that I had GLUED on. I guess they weren't using mineral spirits in their drum. :).

I prefer the holes to be left as holes. It really is honest. I can do the let out work just as easy after I block out an open hole, as one that I have to cut the thread to make it back in to a hole. If you are doing only full skin work, leaving the holes sewn up is faster, but not always easier.

TexA, trimming an untanned skin results in a lot of hide loss. That can break the pattern and make a skin go in to the worst damaged lot vs. just a regular damaged lot. Do not trim! Sew up as needed or leave open (use pins on the wood board).

TXCatMan, if it's an eighth of an inch, don't bother, unless it's going to taxidermy. Anything over half an inch, put a couple stitches in. DO NOT USE TWINE. That is the ugliest, nastiest, most childish repair type I have ever seen. Lots of people swear by dental floss. I use buttonhole thread, but only to keep it together for fleshing. Once it's dressed I don't care if it comes back open - I can sew it back closed.

I am using three point glover's needles, size 4 or 5, on slightly moistened dressed skins for hand sewing. They work better then regular darning needles - you can get the needle through the hide with far less force then if you were using a darner.