I had posted this awhile back on another site... It's just the simple way i came up with to cut my own rabbit strips from a whole hide. I have seen the cutter that cuts multiple strips at a time, but so far i am not in that big of a rush and don't mind spending the extra time. I also like this way because i end up cutting some very thin and some wider 'magnum' size strips for different things. I have only found white & gray at my craft shop, but it is cheap!
All i do is staple one end of the hide to a piece of 2x10 lumber, hide side up. Stretch it as much as you can to the opposite end and staple that side. Do the same process for the sides.
Once it is stretched tight and tacked down on the board, i use a T square to make straight lines with a pencil. I use a box cutter knife and just follow the lines but have wondered if a carpet knife may work better, not sure - yet to try it that way. The outside edges i keep and cut by hand with scissors for odds & ends ties. I also have a bag of just loose fur for dubbing on some flies i do, there is pretty much no waste.
End result:
All i do is staple one end of the hide to a piece of 2x10 lumber, hide side up. Stretch it as much as you can to the opposite end and staple that side. Do the same process for the sides.
Once it is stretched tight and tacked down on the board, i use a T square to make straight lines with a pencil. I use a box cutter knife and just follow the lines but have wondered if a carpet knife may work better, not sure - yet to try it that way. The outside edges i keep and cut by hand with scissors for odds & ends ties. I also have a bag of just loose fur for dubbing on some flies i do, there is pretty much no waste.
End result:
Today, I purchased two skins from a large craft warehouse in Greenwood, IN. One is a greyish-black color and the other white. These cost $4.75 apiece. A nice price.