hide

[stew]

anyone had a hide preserved on made into leather or anthing like that ?
just thinking if theres any cash to be erned from the skin
do the skin colour alter with hair colour or not
once saw a bulls prick made into a riding crop

[Lynn]

Our hide will be here on Monday from Exeter hide & skin. It cost £30 to buy it back from the abbatoir, then about £150 to have it turned into a hair on hide rug (costs may not make it viable). We had to have a special licence to take it away from the abbatoir as it is classed as animal waste. We were only allowed to take it from the abbatoir to another licenced premises, which involved us having to drive the skin from Kent to Exeter. Hopefully it was worth it, will find out on Monday

[marcus]

Skins are sent abroad for tretment, they must be skinned correctly, if you send in one with a small unseen cut and it tears going through the machine you still have to pay £150.
unlikely to be viable with small single colour dexter hides, people want colour and pattern.

[groubearfarm]

I have taken a number of hides down to Exeter Skin & Hide, (not all Dexter) and yes they will check it when you take it in for any cuts or imperfections and I have had some excellent results as well as some which have come back with small bald patches. If your product is good (and perhaps not black) I think there is definately a market. We recently sold a Ruby hide which was too big for most people so Dexters are often a good size for modern houses. If the hides are a good quality they are financially worth doing - but as with everything - know your market. Fiona