Can You Glue Snake Scales on a Handbag?

Snakeskin handbags sometimes require maintenance and repair.

Snake's scales are made of keratin; so are your hair and fingernails. Unless keratin is protected, it quickly dries out, becomes opaque and can split, curl and flake off. Once off, it cannot be glued back on. A snake sheds its skin periodically, revealing new, clear scales that show the colors of the skin underneath. If your snakeskin handbag has shed some of its individual scales or patches of them, repair and reconditioning may save it.

Snakeskin Leather

Snake skin is usually made into snakeskin leather and part of that process is descaling. However, classic or antique items may have scales still in place.

Removing Scales

If your snakeskin handbag has shed too many scales, the rest should probably be removed. If you want to try this yourself, ordinary duct tape will remove them. The descaled snakeskin should then be protected with a leather glaze.

Professional Repair

If you take your scale-shedding snakeskin handbag to a professional restorer, the price may be high -- 2010 costs are estimate $100 to $200 for a small bag.

References

• Anapsid: Reptile Skin Basics; Melissa Kaplan,12/18/2009
• Pet Monologues: Snake Scales
• Bag Vanity: Snakeskin Designer Purses
• Tropical Leather: Processing the Snakeskin Leather
• Traditional Bow hunters of Minnesota: Snake Skin Bow Backing; Limbcracker, 08/05/2009

Resources

• Vanguard News Network Forum: Snakeskin Tanning, 01/19/2004
• Northoast Knives Tutorials: Embellishing Your Leather Sheath
• UMassAmherst: Matural Resources and Environmental Conservation; Snakes of Massachusetts