Primitive Archer
Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Lee Slikkers on January 15, 2012, 11:13:34 am
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I have a couple old friends from my days as a Herp-manic and got a text from a friend who has something kinda cool & special for me...he had a 10ft Granite Burmese Python die and asked me if I wanted it. I told him to put the whole snake in the freezer and I'd take the whole ball of wax off his hands. I have lots of plans for all the various parts of this old girl...10ft of skin (obviously backing for sinewed bows, knife sheaths, possible bow quiver skin, etc) vertebra's for necklaces & knife handles, a very killer skull (I collect skulls and have nothing like this) etc, etc. I am going pic her up this week sometime but will have to wait until spring to really do anything with the carcass and parts since it's 12 degrees here today but oh what a gift! >:D
If some of you have never seen one of these Burmese morphs here is a cool pic of one...
(http://www.backwaterreptiles.com/images/pythons/granite-burmese-python-for-sale.jpg)
Enjoy~
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Nice!!!! That will look good on whatever you do with it. I have snakeskin envy. :-[
George
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Me too. Love the pattern will make a great looking bow. 8)
Katt
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That's a beauty there.
Cipriano
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Nice score :o
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Wow talk about perfect camo! great score
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Thats awsome I need to make some friends that have pet snakes!
Josh
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that would be a gorgeous backing
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What a cool lookin' snake! You see a lok of albinos, but I've never seen that morph.
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Thanks guys, I'll be sure to post up a pic of it when I pick it up and for sure when I get a chance to use some of it on a project or two. 8)
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That skin is cool. You should be able to get a few bows out of that one.
I wish I knew some snake people.
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Osage, depending on the girth (and the fact I prefer making shorty NA style bows) I hope to get quite a few bow skins worth out of her.
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God how I hate snakes..I couldn't imagine having a dead one in the freezer.. ::) ::) ::)
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Hopw about filling up more than 1/2 your freezer with one >:D
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I'm getting the heebbee jeebbees just thinking about it!! :-X :-X
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He is SWEETTTTTTTTTTTTT
I also collect skulls. No pythons I do have 3 rattler skulls copper heads,black snakes. So I just know he'll be nice. I'd have to put him on bows. I did pythons their wide enough to do at least 2 bows. Their thick be sure he's tacked down really well. When you scrape him down. When you get him thined down DRY SNAKE SKINS TEAR VERY EASY. I like to do my scraping when I skin them. Snake,birds are really small and lightly boned skulls. It's better if you use beatles to clean. But have skined but in the sun and slowely soked after a month in the sun. Soaked cleaned again a second time. I finished mine in 2 times.
I rap all my skulls in ace bandage and keep soaking it in sallon proxide it's stronger. Let it sun dry and I spray my in varafane. This puts a thin plastic coat on it. I will stay white and bright forever. I have some skulls 30 years old that look great.
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Thanks Crooketarrow!
I've skinned out a few smaller snakes, mostly local Hognose, etc and know 1st hand how wonderfully thin they can be...hopefully this larger Python will be a bit thicker than my last 2 Hognose (they were like tissue paper)
So for getting the flesh all cleaned off and removed from the skull & carcass you'd recommend just letting nature take it's course? So maybe gut it and put it out to let the ants & beetles do their work? When you say soaked, are you saying to occasionally rehydrate the flesh/bones to make sure the beetles and such keep doing their work right? I know if the tissue gets too dry and hard they stop their business. I've thought about making a hardware mesh type cage so I can keep the "gnawing" critters from getting into the bones and staking it out in the field/garden area where the sun and weather can do it's work...
I'd love to see any pics of your collection.
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Nice pattern on that python that really is a jackpot!
At 10" you dont have to worry that the skin will be thin,im actually willing to bet it will add structural support to a bow beside being beautiful.
Big boa and pythonskins feels like rawhide.
/Mikael
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If you start a dermestid beetle colony please make sure that you do it at least a mile from your home and preferably over 100 miles from mine. If they get in your home you can say goodbye to anything leather, feather, or animal based in any way-shape-or-form.
They are hell on high quality books, many are spine glued with a special hide glue. Dermestids are hell on taxidermy mounts. You will never know they are around until suddenly someone slams a door and all the hair falls off. All that's left of your monster mulie buck is a styrofoam, antlers, and two glass eyeballs looking at you with contempt and derision.
Other than that, they are cool.
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LOL, JW, I'm a falconer as you know so hawk chambers and beetles go hand in hand...never had a problem with em in the house and I have volumes of all the above mentions items. Lucky I guess~
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So THAT is why I am crazy about scrapping the mews every day!
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Thats sweet,beautiful snake,that will look sweet on a bow that's for sure. :)
Pappy
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never seen a pattern like that one. I have a thai cobra, burmese python about 12 footer, and a 12 foot reticulated python in my freezer. My wife isn't nuts about it and I should really put them on bows soon before she throws them out.
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Thanks Pappy & Guar...
Guar, how wide did the the 12' python end up being for you? Hoping to pick her up tonight...
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Well I managed to pick up this Python and here are a few pics...kinda wish he was a bit more bold in pattern but I can't really complain. Not sure he is a 10'er either but I'll use all of him I can...enjoy~
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-DxhmQvKsshc/TxxCEJ4E_tI/AAAAAAAAEBI/ecuu9RMy4hM/w617-h463-k/CIMG2491.JPG)
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-m7tlnR9A2_M/TxxCZNEgPFI/AAAAAAAAEBQ/dDF2pKuoHG4/w272-h204-n-k/CIMG2492.JPG)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DQSvEw4FvKc/TxxCuvogZ4I/AAAAAAAAEBc/oqlHwfKExXA/w272-h204-n-k/CIMG2493.JPG)
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I like him, Glad to see he is going to a good home!
Josh
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Hi Lee,
Sorry I missed your question. The big one (reticulated) I have in the freezer looks to be about 8" wide and the burmese python about 6". The belly scales wouldn't be so nice so I plan to cut it in two strips to try to get a nice pattern for about 4 bows or so. I've been on the look out for a short 6 to 7 footer as a fresh road kill that would have a tighter patterns.
(http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg15/bamboo_archer/burmesepython.jpg) Here is the burmese python next to a 5-6' Thai cobra. The cobra is a bit beat up but the python is really nice. Been thinking about using it on my next sinewed osage bow or two or three ;D