De skinning a hare's head....Advice required

[Traditionalist]

"Neats foot oil" from a saddlers is very good and doesn't smell too much,used it on my falcons leather jesses when I was into falconry,much better than the red grease(the name of which escapes me just now)CHo-ko-line or something like that

There's a general problem with using oil or grease on materials, it will get on your hands and make a mess. If you have oily or greasy fingers it will make some flies look like a dog's breakfast!  I have never found a real  need to use anything like this, although I have tried it. It is more trouble than it is worth.

If you have stiff skins, capes, etc, ( this is very common after hot dyeing), then it doesn't really matter as for most things you don't need the skin anyway, and the material is still easy to use. For larger skins cut into manageable pieces for use. For stuff like "Zonkers"  and the like you need flexible skin. The only way to get this is by using tanned skins. Tanning is a much more complicated and work intensive operation than curing and may also damage many materials. So if you want to make zonker strips and similar then I would suggest you buy tanned skins. Tanned rabbit skins are still cheap and easily available. You just have to look around.

I have had quite a few from this guy over the years, really good quality and cheap enough;

http://stores.ebay.com/Native-Sun-Products/About-our-RABBIT-PELTS.html

http://stores.ebay.com/Native-Sun-Products/Hides-Fur-Pelts-Tails-/_i.html?_fsub=3&_sid=165770655&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

Stuff like this is also excellent for zonkers, big hairy pike flies, hair "hackles" etc;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Coyote-Fur-Pelt-Scrap-pcs-Tanned-Clean-Fluffy-4-oz-Trim-Fly-tying-material-/360451472113?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53ec94faf1

TL
MC