FLYMPH FORUM

I recently purchased a new kit muskrat skin from Blue Ribbon Flies and when it came in, there was a mothball in the bag with the skin. I decided that I wanted to examine the skin very carefully and remove some of the naphthalene smell. I washed the skin twice with warm water and a little dawn dish washing liquid soap. The first time I washed the skin, I could tell that quite a bit of dirt was coming off in the water. I rinced it out, repeatedly squeezing out all the water, resaturating the hair and hide, squeezing it out, until the water ran clean. I then washed it a second time, just to be sure, repeating the rinse process.

After squeezing the hide, to remove as much of the water as I could, I then rubbed it with a bath towel and used a hair dryer to completely dry out the fur and the hide.

Freshly washed kit muskrat hide:

Partially blow-dried hide. I used a comb to help unmatt the fur, as I blow dried the hide.


The skin-side of the hide was also dried. You could tell the skin dried out, when you dragged you finger nail across the hide. It sounded sort of like scraping the crisp outside of a fresh loaf of italian bread.

That dark strip down the center of the hide is the back region of the muskrat, and is where most of the guard hairs are located. This section of the hide makes beautiful zonker strips.

Close up of the belly and side of the muskrat skin. The fur has a beautiful coloration similar to honey-dun.

One of the beautiful things about the kit muskrat skin is the guard hairs are extremely fine and glassy.

Gorgeous pelt! Hope to see some patterns from it in the near future.

Fantastic-looking dubbing material there. Thanks, Ray, for sharing your source and the prep process.

I have it's kid brother, Ray. It is nice to pat them now and then...

I also have a skin from the wild hamster, Cricetus cricetus, but I prefer the muskrat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_hamster

I have been thinking about ordering one to add to my collection. I think I have two whole skins now.
You did a beautiful job. You most likely could get you hairdressers lic now.

That was a gorgeous pelt alright! You did a great job cleaning it up!

You did a beautiful job. You most likely could get you hairdresser's license now.

Yes. I'm reminded of the 1970s campaign, "The Dry Look".

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HEY swellcat! I used to wear my hair that way!

"I also have a skin from the wild hamster, Cricetus cricetus" DD - GREAT! ANOTHER thing to watch out for when walking thru the woods to the stream.

Ray - great job on that pelt, and thanks for the pics.

chase creek, Howdy;

chase creek wrote:HEY swellcat! I used to wear my hair that way!

I used to hair too!!!

hank