Thinning Zonker Hide

[Divad]

I’ve become addicted to the moal leech lately catching a few head. Even tried substituting a dubbing looped rabbit but keeping the hide on the crosscut is too valuable for durability.

In hopes to keep weight down from the hide, what’s the best way to thin zonker strips?

I’ve been pulling taught and shaving with a pair of scissors: edge, edge, then middle hump. But this is tedious and feel as though there exists a better option.

Sometimes I get lucky and the bunny I get has a thin skin but it’s hard to find packs of easily upset rabbit.

 

[Crazywednesday]

I know there is something called a leather splitter, but it's used with hair of. It thins leather

 

[Tom Butler]

Weaver Skife Knife
They have several tool for use to thin the hide.

 

[Divad]

Weaver Skife Knife
They have several tool for use to thin the hide.

A $10 tool! That’s worth so much more to me right now ordering one when I get home tonight

 

[Norm Frechette]

scraping the hide with a razor blade?

 

[Dr. Magill]

How’s this project coming along?

 

[Divad]

Still waiting for the tool to arrive

Was thinking the Stonfo blade holder for DEs would be nice but without a guide I’d be worried of popping through and cutting it. Only thing I’m wondering about the leather working tool is if the gap is too big. I’m only asking to shave a mm or 1.5mm of hide.

If the leather skife doesn’t work I’m going to try a dremel. Stationary mount it and toss on a small sanding wheel to see if I can pull the leather across evenly.

 

[Dr. Magill]

I wish I could remember where I saw this but I saw a video of a guy tying a MOAL on a string but the bunny was in a loop- removed from the hide
Lots of glue. Casting a large wet MOAL can suck

 

[Divad]

I wish I could remember where I saw this but I saw a video of a guy tying a MOAL on a string but the bunny was in a loop- removed from the hide
Lots of glue. Casting a large wet MOAL can suck

I already have experimented a lot with that and my conclusion is you end up shortening the fur, the hair doesn’t ride as plump in the water as with hide on which is big since my moals are usually winter flies. And if you hit cutties the looped version is ruined much faster.

That hide is worth it, but you’re right most is too thick. And the pours are larger on the inside of the rabbit, trapping more water.

 

[Divad]

I’m committed to figuring out a mass produced way of thinning this just makes it faster for my smaller batches.

Really think the sanding method has merit

 

[Dr. Magill]

You might look at squirrel
Hair might be shorter
What are you casting with?

 

[Divad]

I do make squirrel moals! Mostly for East of the cascades, summer or MT though, and then I drop the doubled up 20lb backing for single on snell to hooks.

Bunny moves more and yeah longer as you said. I’m on a 7wt 12’6”. No problem with the trimmed bunny moals 3-4” long. Gets noticeably uglier when it’s thick hide though. And rod weight is already enough for the fish so don’t want to go up just to throw something I could trim

Edit: also some of the colors of bunny are mouth watering, then on top of it when two tone crosscut is wrapped the look is phenomenal. I’d bite it