Thought I'd throw in my .02 about prepping carp and snake skin for use. I've made some cool belts and stuff out of the skins.
Carp:
Once you acquire your carp, you have to remove the skin. Best to cut rectangles below the dorsal and above the white belly along the length of the fish, as they are the best looking sections and easiest to fit to whatever you're making. I use a spoon and cutting board type surface to scrape the remaining flesh off the skin. Get all of it if you can because it sucks having to go back and redo it later. Once the skin is fleshed I put it into an airtight container and cover it with Dawn dish soap to sit for about 4 days. Some people like to scale the fish before you pull the skin off, but I find it a little easier to do it after you pull the skin out of the soap. Run it under the sink and clean all the soap suds off while pulling the scales gently out of their pockets. Once the scales are gone and the soap is gone, all you have to do is apply the wet skin to whatever you are planning to put it on and let it dry. Some kind of clear coat finish would look great, but I don't have the know-how to give advice on that. Ideas are welcome.
Snakes:
Probably the easiest thing to skin and prep for wear. Cut down the belly from head to tail. Take hold of the skin and peel it head to tail away from the meat. If it's fresh this should be no problem. With the skin off, use a spoon and cuttingboard to scrape the flesh. The crucial areas are the belly and edges, the middle "pattern" part of the skin should have relatively little flesh to remove. Take the fleshed skin and drop it in an airtight container with rubbing alcohol. The alcohol should cover the skin entirely. Leave that for 2 days then rinse the skin and put it in a solution of 1 part rubbing alcohol, 1 part glycerine and soak for 3-4 days. The alcohol gets rid of smell and bacteria while the glycerine conditions the skin and makes it soft. Remove from the solution and lay it out to dry flesh side up.
I've used this method a few times and it works pretty well for me. Hope this helps.
