# I want to make a hat band out of snake.



## Harley45

I want to make a hat band about 1-1 1/2" wide out of snake skin. Any ideal how to go about doing this?
Thanks in advance.


----------



## Razor Blade

skin it first  , then streach it out on a board , and use a 50 % mixture of glyscerin and rubbing alcohol. I would brush it on ,one coat a day, maybe 4-5 coats. Let it dry. I think thats about it. If i am wrong , someone will correct me. 

 Scott


----------



## godogs57

I get better results with denatured alchohol....you can get it at any hardware store or Wally World....works great. I skin it, and staple it to a big board, stretched out upside down (flesh side up). I sprinkle the denatured alcohol on the skin 2-3 times a day for about 4-5 days...it will be cured at that time. I then cut the skin off the board, cutting around the staples, so all you have is skin with no staple holes in it. I then turn it right side up and take a stiff brush and brush off the scales ( brass bristle brush works great if you can find one). The skin, now being dry, will shed the covering over the scales. That is why you want to brush em off. 

The hide will now be ready to use. Fold it, etc, into your hatband and you can spray it with any type of lacquer to make it shiny.

I've done about 300+ skins that way...

Good Luck!


----------



## jbrooker

Good info guy I just have a few more questions-

godogs57- what if one were wanting to leave the scales on just for looks is it possible with your method.

when you say sprinkle is one to cover entire skin like misting or after sprinkle should one brush it on for coverage?

Thanks for any and all help


----------



## Harley45

I 've already skinned the snake, and cured the skin, but I have not took off any scales, and was planning on leaveing them on if it wont hurt anything. I guess my question is how do I make the hat band? Just fold the skin? Do I use any kind of glue?
This is a first for me.
Thanks


----------



## gatorbob

I tried making a hat band out of a snake and I do not recommend it. Darn thing bit me in the ear.


----------



## godogs57

jbrooker said:


> Good info guy I just have a few more questions-
> 
> godogs57- what if one were wanting to leave the scales on just for looks is it possible with your method.
> 
> when you say sprinkle is one to cover entire skin like misting or after sprinkle should one brush it on for coverage?
> 
> Thanks for any and all help



Maybe I could have worded it better. The scales are still on the snake...what you are removing/brushing off is the covering over the scales. This is the covering that the snake sheds off periodically. Know what I am referring to? When the hide cures, that thin, relatively clear, film that sheds off will tend to separate from the actual scales (which will never come off). That's what you take off the cured skin.

When I get my denatured alcohol, it will open it up and hold my finger over the opening so when I pour it on the skin, it just sprinkles.....it does not pour. I make sure the entire skin is soaked each time (2-3 x per day). It dries quickly, but just keep it up for 4-5 days and it will be fine then. Denatured alcohol is just alcohol with the water removed, just pure alcohol. Yep, regular rubbing alcohol does have water in it...and you don't need that on your skin. No need to brush it on...just sprinkle.


----------



## godogs57

Harley45 said:


> I 've already skinned the snake, and cured the skin, but I have not took off any scales, and was planning on leaveing them on if it wont hurt anything. I guess my question is how do I make the hat band? Just fold the skin? Do I use any kind of glue?
> This is a first for me.
> Thanks



Just need to decide how wide you want the band...inch? inch and a half? Get a strip of leather the width you want and glue the snake skin to that strip of leather. Wrap it around the leather and the "joint" where the leather meets will be on the inside of the hat band and not visible. I use leather contact cement. Too difficult? Any shoe shop can get you fixed up...they have leather and glue, etc...You can also go buy an el cheapo leather belt and cut it to size and use that to glue on to...


----------



## jbrooker

thanks for the input godogs57. I hear what you are saying now.
thanks-  jbrooker


----------



## Harley45

godogs57 said:


> Maybe I could have worded it better. The scales are still on the snake...what you are removing/brushing off is the covering over the scales. This is the covering that the snake sheds off periodically. Know what I am referring to? When the hide cures, that thin, relatively clear, film that sheds off will tend to separate from the actual scales (which will never come off). That's what you take off the cured skin.
> 
> When I get my denatured alcohol, it will open it up and hold my finger over the opening so when I pour it on the skin, it just sprinkles.....it does not pour. I make sure the entire skin is soaked each time (2-3 x per day). It dries quickly, but just keep it up for 4-5 days and it will be fine then. Denatured alcohol is just alcohol with the water removed, just pure alcohol. Yep, regular rubbing alcohol does have water in it...and you don't need that on your skin. No need to brush it on...just sprinkle.



Thanks for the help, I will definately give this a try.

Thanks
Harley


----------



## Anvil Head

You can do the same with one good soak in cheap antifreeze. The antifreeze has the addition of glycerin which keeps the skin more pliable. Make sure you scrape of the fat and viscara on the flesh side before hand.
When you center the leather strap for the backing make sure you eyeball the best looking part of the pattern, usually closer to the tail
and make it longer than you think you'll need (hat bands aren't all that wide or long unless you have a really big head).


----------



## godogs57

Another point: The smaller rattlesnakes, 2-3' long, tend to make the prettiest belts and hatbands. Why? Their pattern is obviously smaller and more noticeable than a big-patterned six footer. Also, timber/canebrake rattlers make a beautiful belt, but a diamondback sometimes will not look too awfully good because of the size of the diamonds. About 3-4' is as big as you want for a belt for that reason. Copperheads will make some God-awful beautiful hatbands...their color, when tanned just "pop". Only the rare copperhead is long enough for a belt.


----------



## Razor Blade

We killed a 30 inch to 3 foot copperhead at our bow shoot range last week. As luck would go it was killed with a bushhog, not with something else smaller. That would have been a nice one.

scott


----------



## Anvil Head

Throw your fedora under the bush hog.....then everything will fit!

Or you can just do a faux snakeskin band tooled in the leather itself and leave your legless friends alone to eat vermin like they are intended.


----------



## joe sangster

Dave Cole ,(DC Knives) a prominent deceased knifemaker of Fla . gave me his tanning recipe several yrs ago which consisted of equal parts of glycerin , denatured alcohol , & acetone .  I don't know if it works any better that the other methods given above but Dave used a heck of a lot of it as he was noted for his snakeskin insert sheathes. I have used it for several yrs & it has worked well for me .  BTW , does anyone know if neatfoots oil has a deliterious effect on snakeskin (other than drowning)


----------



## Anvil Head

Doc by "drowning", are you referring to putting on the skin while it's still being worn? Might take a lot.
I figure you mean darkening or discoloring the pattern. Never know it not to darken any leather, but never tried it on snake.


----------



## godogs57

Dr. Joe, I have used neatsfoot oil before and did not like it. It darkened the skin, and it always seemed to be "gummy"....after that it was a no-go for me.


----------



## joe sangster

Thanks , Hank !  Now I don't have to try it .


----------



## Harley45

Here is a picture of 1 of the 2 hat bands I made.
Thanks for the Help


----------



## godogs57

There ya go...great job.


----------



## joe sangster

Nice !~


----------



## wvdawg

Looks great!


----------

