Using Snake Skins

[Recurve50 LBS]

I recently got a new job working with a guy that has several pet snakes, Boas or Pythons. He has showed me several pictures of them and they do have beautiful markings on them.

I've seen pictures posted here on Trad Gang of folks with snake skins on their bows.

Now for my question. Can you use the skin that the snake has shed or do you have to kill the snake in order to get the skin?

My new friend at work has several shed skins that he says are over 6 feet long. So I got this idea and decided to post my question here.

[joekeith]

Shed skins won't work...

[Recurve50 LBS]

Darn I was hoping they would. Thank you.

[Pat B]

Shed skins will work! They are not as strong by any stretch of the imagination but for decoration they do work. I have seen a few bows with shed skins on them and I have a black snake shed I plan to use on a bow.
 I am going to water the TBIII glue down a bit, coat the limb and carefully lay the skin down, removing the wrinkles and air bubbles and let it dry before I clean up the edges. You will have to be very careful when using them because they are quite thin and fragile.     Pat

[bbassi]

nope, sorry. But hey, if one dies you could be in skins for several years!    

[WINDTALKER]

I can't say I've ever skinned a bow but I do breed snakes and don't think I'd try it, all the sheds that come off my pythons are fragile like tissue paper. Although talk to your buddy if he's anything like the rest of us reptile hobbyist he probably won't mind ya skinning one if it should die. I know I skin mine when I lose a hatchling, and if my 8' redtail strikes at me one more time I'll have to skin him too. (aggresive snakes are like agrresive dogs I won't tolerate them)

[Eric Krewson]

I used some copperhead skins that were so old one fell apart when I put it in water. I dyed the back of the bow to give them some color because they were faded white. I had to push the broken pieces together to get them on the bow but they came out just fine for backing. Here is the worst part of the broken skin.



I suspect a shed skin could be used but it would have to be treated like my rotten copperhead skin.

[Pat B]

You have to be very delicate with them. You don't get the colorful pattern like you do with the skin itself but you do get a nice effect from just the scales. I guess you could add color to the bows back first but I thought just the shed looks good.
  I've backed a few bows with animal print(leopard, zebra, tiger) tissue paper. It is more fragile than the shed skins I have and especially after it has been wet. It can be done with a bit of care.           Pat

[jake reich]

Great how-to in tb mag in the most recent issue on snaking a bow. Helped me out!