Welcome To



Bucks County Fur Products

Custom Tanning of Sheep, Goat & Deer



We do not accept anything other than Sheep, Goat & Deer



About



We are a family owned and operated business of just 2 family employees. Established in 1954, we have been responsible for providing outstanding custom tanning ever since. We produce the softest, most supple leather along with the cleanest, most beautiful wool as a product of our tanning process without the use of bleaches or dyes. Sheep are processed to be washable!



The KEY TO A GREAT OUTCOME ALL DEPENDS ON YOU!





Hides from animals that are healthy, well cared for, clean, butchered properly and prepared per our instructions will have the best outcome.





INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING HIDES FOR SHIPMENT



DO NOT FREEZE HIDES IN A FREEZER! THIS WILL MOST OFTEN LEAD TO WOOL LOSS!



Butchering:

Talk with your butcher! Let them know you will be having the hide tanned so they can do their best. Pulling the hide off the animal is best as it leaves clean leather without cuts or fat left on the hide.

Cuts around the edges will get trimmed off. Do not send hides that have large holes. A few small holes will not be a problem but they will be there in the final result and will cause your hide to be more likely to tear in processing.

They should not leave the hide in a clump on the floor. They should hang the fresh pelt over something, skin side up in a cool area, out of direct sunlight, until you can pick them up same day and salt.


Removing Fat:

Remove any fat or meat clumps before salting! Be careful not to cut into the membrane of the hide or you will see those cuts/nicks in the final result. Thick fat/meat clumps left on the hide will cause wool loss. Occasionally a hide may have a genetic defect causing a layer of fat to form between the layers of skin.


Cleaning & Checking:

Remove feces clumps, but do not excessively wet the wool. Mold or bacteria can grow, decreasing chances of best outcome.

Check for extremely matted/felted wool. We may not be able to process if excessively matted/felted.


Salting:

Give hide time to cool down-but not too long! Hides can go bad in as little as an hour!

Spread the hide out flat, leather side up in a protected area. Do NOT put in direct sun-this will burn the leather.

Cover hide with a thin layer of fine granulated salt. DO NOT USE ROCK SALT! Use 1-2 lbs on small hides, up to 5 lbs on larger hides. Gently rub into hide and be sure to get the edges. Use just enough salt to completely cover the hide- you should just barely be able to see through to the leather. Too much salt will draw moisture from the air, rather than out of the hide. If moisture puddles up on hide, remove and re-salt. Putting hides on a pallet on a incline will help drain moisture.

Drying time will vary depending on temp and humidity. Average is about 2 weeks.

Do NOT send hides until they are COMPLETELY dry! Once dry, they are well preserved and ready to ship!






shipping:



Shake off excess salt. Put dried hides into bag or lined box. Include our form (click on button below). You must include our form in each box with every shipment! We will email you confirmation when we receive your shipment.

Ship to:

Bucks County Fur Products

220 1/2 N. Ambler St

Quakertown, PA 18951


***PLEASE remember the 1/2 in 220 1/2...our neighbor does not want your hides!***


***You do NOT need to supply payment info on our form. We will email you the invoice when processing is complete, and you can pay right from there. Once we receive payment, we will ship your hides.


Shipping Form

pricing:



SHEEP:

$10 - $17 Per Sq Ft (depending on wool length & thickness)

*Minimum charge $20

*ALL sheep are combed & processed as washable


GOAT:

$8 - $9 per sq ft


ANGORA:

$13 - $14 per sq ft


DEER (Hair on only):

$8 per sq ft


CLEANING & RE-COMBING OF ALREADY TANNED HIDES:

$20 per hide


Prices are subject to change without notice.






common problems and their solutions:



WOOL STAINING:

While our process does not yellow or discolor the wool, there are many factors which can result in wool staining.

Feces, corn diet, marker paint, mud, clay & blood can all stain fibers.

Clean conditions help alleviate this problem

You can lightly rinse the wool after harvest but be sure to not soak the wool as this can lead to mold or bacteria growth.


BUG DAMAGE:

It is important to get as much fat off the skin as possible before salting! There are beetle larva present in the wool of many sheep which may hatch in your pelt and eat the fat attached. Unfortunately, the beetles begin their feast from the wool side of the pelt resulting in holes where they've eaten through. Many times you won't detect the bugs before shipping to the tanner.


WOOL LOSS:

It is common for some breeds to lose their longer wool in processing, leaving their shorter undercoat.

Fat left on hide will result in bald spots where the fat was.

Freezing of hides will result in wool loss.

Not preparing/salting hides soon enough after harvest can cause wool loss



Washing Instructions: (For sheep only)



Sheep are processed to be washable, however, we highly recommend for best results, you send them back to us for cleaning


*Do not use laundry detergents! Most detergents are designed to remove oils...you do not want to remove the oil in the leather. This will result of hardening of pelt. Never use hot water or heat!


Leather Therapy has great products available on Amazon for washing wool & leather


Hand Washing:

Put the skin in the tub and hold it under the water until the skin is thoroughly saturated with water. Gently churn the skin to get the soap moving around the fibers and let soak for 5-10 minutes then rinse. Gently squeeze out excess water.


Machine Washing:

Set to gentle cycle. Once thoroughly soaked, allow machine to churn briefly. The more churning, the more the wool will mat. Let soak for 5-10 minutes. Spin cycle briefly to remove excess water. Rinse if necessary. Dry. Never tumble dry-this will mat the wool more.


Line Dry and stretch to shape while damp. Brush with soft wire brush.


WE DO NOT GUARANTEE PELTS THROUGH WASHING



All tanning at customer's risk!





IN VIEW OF THE MANY FACTORS WHICH HAVE A VERY DEFINITE EFFECT OF THE FINAL RESULTS, WE ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY OR GUARANTEE TO THE RESULTS OF ANY HIDE SENT TO US FOR PROCESSING.

WE WILL DISCARD ANY HIDE THAT IS RECEIVED ROTTEN.

WE WILL RETURN ANY HIDE THAT IS TOO LARGE, TOO MATTED, HAS TOO MANY HOLES, HAS WOOL LENGTH GREATER THAN 7", HAS EXCESSIVE WOOL THICKNESS, OR DEEMED UNSUITABLE FOR TANNING.

WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WOOL SLIPS OR TORN HIDES.



Contact Us



Call us at 215-536-6614, or use the contact form below.










Send



Bucks County Fur Products



220 1/2 N. Ambler St
PO Box 204
Quakertown, PA 18951
215-536-6614
Buckscofur@comcast.net