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Blue hides??/ #920400
10/07/08 08:54 PM
10/07/08 08:54 PM
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,297
South Dakota
skunky 101 Offline OP
trapper
skunky 101  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,297
South Dakota
what does this mean when the hide is blue?

Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: skunky 101] #920409
10/07/08 08:57 PM
10/07/08 08:57 PM
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,060
Mount Pleasant, MI
T
Tony Dutmers Offline
trapper
Tony Dutmers  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,060
Mount Pleasant, MI
It means the roots of the hair are closer to the surface of the leather because it's unprime or early in the year caught.


I'M THE MAD TRAPPER THAT NIGHTMARES ON RAT RIVER ARE MADE OF

Set simple & set often...you'll catch fur. Common sense on the traplines goes a long way.
Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: Tony Dutmers] #920432
10/07/08 09:04 PM
10/07/08 09:04 PM
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,297
South Dakota
skunky 101 Offline OP
trapper
skunky 101  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,297
South Dakota
thanks!

Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: skunky 101] #920440
10/07/08 09:07 PM
10/07/08 09:07 PM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 681
va
G
GLEN Offline
trapper
GLEN  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 681
va
As a general rule blue hides are unprime, but you will see some that the fur is good just blue. But as a general rule snaremaster is right


Work is for people that don't know how to trap
US Navy 83'-89'
Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: skunky 101] #920451
10/07/08 09:09 PM
10/07/08 09:09 PM
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 6,683
Newark, Ohio 83 years
Actor Offline
trapper
Actor  Offline
trapper

Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 6,683
Newark, Ohio 83 years
The color is also a bluish gray verses a white when fully prime.


“Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.”

Have been trapping 77 years…
Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: ] #922031
10/08/08 05:56 PM
10/08/08 05:56 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,808
Logan County KY
M
mark Offline
trapper
mark  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,808
Logan County KY
Originally Posted By: akwolfer44
A little trick an old friend showed me. Rub salt on the skin up the legs and around the inside of the bottom of pelt and it turns white. when dry wipe off all the salt. It doesn't stand out so much when selling to a fur buyer. Especially when mixed in with other fur.


Dean Wilson would have never been fooled by that trick, nor would anyone who has been around fur (and/or buying) very long. I'll toss that into the junk pile so fast your eyes would turn blue. NEVER put salt on a "hide" you intend to sell to the fur market unless you just want downgrades.

If it is "blue" sell it the way it is. Chances are, it will be worth more than a salted hide any day.

Last edited by mark; 10/08/08 05:57 PM.

A "half truth" is still a whole lie.
Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: ] #922035
10/08/08 05:58 PM
10/08/08 05:58 PM

L
Lil' Bit
Unregistered
Lil' Bit
Unregistered
L



I'd worry about that akwolfer44 for a few reasons:

1: Reminds me of the old trappers who used to take their beaver pelts and load them up with mud, then when they dried, would brush out some of it, but since they got paid by the pound on beaver pelts, it added considerably to their pocketbooks.

2: As a result of unscrupulous furhandling practices, prices went down per pound.

3: This would lead me to believe that if you scammed your fur buyers, they would be less apt to be as generous when buying from you in the future. They may scrutinize your furs more closely, be more picky about small holes and what not, and as a result you make less in the long run.

I feel it's better to be honest from the get go with your fur. If you have early coon, just get used to the fact that it's an early coon. If you don't want early coon, hold off until they prime up.

Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: ] #922128
10/08/08 06:47 PM
10/08/08 06:47 PM
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,060
Mount Pleasant, MI
T
Tony Dutmers Offline
trapper
Tony Dutmers  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,060
Mount Pleasant, MI
gotta agree with you there Lil' Bit. Be honest to the fur buyer up front and he'll treat you farely now and for years to come.


I'M THE MAD TRAPPER THAT NIGHTMARES ON RAT RIVER ARE MADE OF

Set simple & set often...you'll catch fur. Common sense on the traplines goes a long way.
Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: Tony Dutmers] #922339
10/08/08 08:40 PM
10/08/08 08:40 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,286
Northeastern Michigan
DannelBoone Offline
trapper
DannelBoone  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,286
Northeastern Michigan
Im with Mark on that Note never use salt on a pelt your going to try to sell to s fur buyer . I would say your wasting your time as well as the fur buyer's so either leave to dry and get what you can no Doctoring or tricking : ) lol


Im WATCHIN YOU & !!LOCKED & LOADED !!

http://wildcatchtrapping.proboards.com
Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: DannelBoone] #923104
10/09/08 10:37 AM
10/09/08 10:37 AM
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 155
South Central Pa
S
Spur Offline
trapper
Spur  Offline
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S

Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 155
South Central Pa
The 'blue'you see is actually blood that is trapped in the hide.When new fur is growing the hide is infused with rich blood to nurish the developing fur.After the fur is finished growing the blood leaves the hide and the hide turns a lighter color again.The hide will be 'blue' twice a year,once in the fall and again in the spring when the new summer fur comes in.

Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: Spur] #923181
10/09/08 11:27 AM
10/09/08 11:27 AM
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 530
East-Central WI
B
BBLWI 2 Offline
trapper
BBLWI 2  Offline
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 530
East-Central WI
It is interesting to read all the little tricks that many use to doctor the leather to try and make buyers believe the fur is better. If we think the leather is the key to what they want they would be buying cow hides and not fur bearers.

Over the years we read all sorts of ways to open, skin, cut, stretch, board and what to do with the leather but I have not heard much said about what guys do to docter or trick with the fur. Maybe it is just the fact that you can't change the fur much and we can do all sorts of small things to try and change what is the core of the issue.

Bryce

Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: BBLWI 2] #923198
10/09/08 11:36 AM
10/09/08 11:36 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,220
SE, Michigan
Zeak Offline
trapper
Zeak  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,220
SE, Michigan
Fur wise all I do is rub some borax into the fur and blow it out with a compressor. Cleans up the grease on coon hides and makes them look great.

Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: BBLWI 2] #923205
10/09/08 11:41 AM
10/09/08 11:41 AM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,178
SW,MN
trapper34 Offline
trapper
trapper34  Offline
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,178
SW,MN
Size & color of fur are going to main points when selling,not the leather side. My 2 pennys.


A new G-PA on 8-19-11.
www.toplotstretcherco.com
Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: trapper34] #923213
10/09/08 11:46 AM
10/09/08 11:46 AM

L
Lil' Bit
Unregistered
Lil' Bit
Unregistered
L



BBLWI -- I did read in some old issues of Hunter Trader Trapper that beaver trappers in gold-rich areas would find more luster to their beaver pelts when saturated with the silty waters of the streams (possibly gold or false gold?). Of course, that really didn't matter much as they were done on weight then for the felting industry.

Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: ] #923287
10/09/08 12:32 PM
10/09/08 12:32 PM
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 530
East-Central WI
B
BBLWI 2 Offline
trapper
BBLWI 2  Offline
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B

Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 530
East-Central WI
If you want to sell into the 1820s flat beaver top hat beaver market be my guest.

All I do is make sure I get the fat off and grizzle and not over scrape the leather. I also use sawdust to get rid of the grease and let the fur stand better. I suck the dust and saw dust out with a dry vac. I then rub the fur with a degreassing solution and a rag. I actully wipe the dry pelts with some grease right before shipping to add some shine to the fur and restore some of the removed lanolin and or fat.

If color is important and clarity one needs to be able to show the good qualities that those pelts have.
I seem to get a lot of larger older male coons that get that more brownish look to their fur and a bit of mineral oil etc. helps to add some brightness to those good pelts with lower clarity ratings.
Bryce

Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: ] #923361
10/09/08 01:23 PM
10/09/08 01:23 PM
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 9,780
St. Cloud, MN
trapperkeck Offline
trapper
trapperkeck  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 9,780
St. Cloud, MN
PA Skinner, borax is much better for your purposes..


"The voice of reason!"
Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: ] #925219
10/10/08 02:28 PM
10/10/08 02:28 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,808
Logan County KY
M
mark Offline
trapper
mark  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,808
Logan County KY
AK, I knew Dean and Ada, I don't know your friend, and I know what I know. Dean wouldn't have bought salted hides unless at a great discount. I saw it too many times at his place in Fairbanks.
Taxidermy is different than the fur market and it is acceptable there for sure. The same thing goes for Cervids etc.
At one time it was even acceptable in our trade but that was before freezers.


A "half truth" is still a whole lie.
Re: Blue hides??/ [Re: ] #925528
10/10/08 06:27 PM
10/10/08 06:27 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,808
Logan County KY
M
mark Offline
trapper
mark  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,808
Logan County KY
What it has to do with it is that salt is not acceptable, I don't care how well it works. Unless of course you are selling to the taxidermy trade. I can't speak for Dean, but I know I saw him turn down a lot of fur or downgrade the heck out of it because it had salt on it. On to other things.
Whick direction out of Delta are you trapping, I spent quite a bit of time down that way in the late 80's.


A "half truth" is still a whole lie.
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