How to Cure an Alligator Hide at Home
Alligators are often harvested for their valuable skin, due to the fact that there is a huge market for the shoes, boots, wallets, purses, vests and jackets that are created from these large reptiles. The skins of many of the alligators harvested each year in the United States are shipped overseas for tanning. Yet, before the skins can be shipped elsewhere, they must be properly preserved. The preservation process includes curing the alligator hide. Curing this reptile's hide is something that can easily be done by an individual at home, if one so desires.
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Things You'll Need
- Alligator hide
- Blunt knife or paint scraper
- Fine-grain mixing salt or table salt
- 1-inch rubber bands or string
- Cool, dry location
- Clean, 50-gallon plastic container with secure lid
- 50 pounds of salt
- 1 pint of bleach
Instructions
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Salting and Storing
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1
Scrape any remaining fat or meat off of the underside of the alligator hide after skinning. Use a blunt knife or a paint scraper to avoid punching holes in the hide.
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2
Sprinkle fine-grain mixing salt or table salt one-half to an inch thick on the underside of the hide.
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3
Thoroughly rub the salt into the skin. Ensure that you get salt into all the creases, including the flaps and the tail.
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4
Roll the hide tightly, and secure it with rubber bands or string.
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5
Store the hide in a cool and dry location, away from heat and moisture, for three to five days.
Unroll the hide, and repeat steps 2 to 4. Roll the hide up, secure it with one-inch rubber bands, and store it in a cool dry place until shipping time.
Brine Method
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6
Scrape any remaining fat or meat off of the underside of the alligator hide after skinning. Use a blunt knife or a paint scraper to avoid punching holes in the hide.
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7
Sprinkle fine-grain mixing salt or table salt an inch thick on the underside of the hide. Roll up the hide, and secure it tightly with rubber bands.
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8
Fill a clean, 50-gallon plastic container with 25 gallons of water, then mix 50 pounds of salt and a pint of bleach into the water.
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9
Completely submerge the rolled and secured alligator hide into the brine solution. Rotate the hide as you submerge it to eliminate any air pockets.
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10
Cover the bucket with a secure lid, and leave the hide in the solution until sold or ready to be shipped.
Upon removal from the solution, resalt the hide, as in step 2.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Do not freeze the hide or store it in a freezer.
The brine method may result in a more supple and attractive hide. Many times, hide buyers and graders prefer hides that have been cured in this manner.
Be sure to dispose of the brine solution properly. It is harmful to live plants and aquatic life.
