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Offline Lee Lobbestael

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pike skin backing
« on: January 25, 2015, 10:18:40 am »
I went ice fishing yesterday and decided to try to back a bow with some northern pike skin. I skinned and fleshed it and then scrubbed it with soap and water to remove oil. Where do I go from here? I have never backed a bow with fish skin and i'm not sure how to prepare it. Has anyone on here tried pike skin before? I hope it look good
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Offline Pat B

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Re: pike skin backing
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2015, 10:24:33 am »
Do it just like a snake skin or rawhide.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline half eye

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Re: pike skin backing
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2015, 10:43:35 am »
Lee,
    You should be aware that pike skin is going to dry in shades of grey. It will not even remotely look like the beautiful iridescent green/gold of the fresh fish. That's how come the taxidermy folks have to completely paint over fish mounts.
    Cant say how many times I tried to avoid the grey thing. I believe it would be very beautiful, but trying to paint the beauty back in wont ever be quite the same. Hey but it just one old mans opinion.
rich
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Offline bubby

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Re: pike skin backing
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2015, 01:20:25 pm »
I wonder if a good soak in glycerin will maintain the color, i tan snakeskins in it and it really brings out the color
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Offline wizardgoat

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Re: pike skin backing
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2015, 01:56:14 pm »
Tack the skins to a board and let them dry. Tack them nice and straight
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Offline Lee Lobbestael

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Re: pike skin backing
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2015, 03:35:00 pm »
Huh yeah I kinda thought in the back of my head that they would lose their color. Oh well I'll dry em and see what happens. Maybe they will still look cool
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Offline dbb

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Re: pike skin backing
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2015, 06:39:56 pm »
I tried a dozen times last summer but it seems much of the color is in the scales themselves.
The best one was just a dull drab olive.
Too bad really, those green and gold colors would look great on a bow.
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It's better to ask and look like a fool than not to ask and remain one...

Offline JoJoDapyro

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Re: pike skin backing
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2015, 07:11:34 pm »
Dye the back of the bow green first, It should at least make it look a bit better.
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If you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got.
27 inch draw, right handed. Bow building and Knapping.

Offline chamookman

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Re: pike skin backing
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2015, 05:49:12 am »
Had a student try this one time. He rinsed the Pike skins with Aesetone (scaled) and then tacked out on a board to dry. When dry, He put them on a Osage stave - just like You would a snake skin. Don't remember what He used for a finish, but the colors came out pretty close to the natural hue. He named the Bow the "Fish Stick"  ;). Bob
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"May the Gods give Us the strength to draw the string to the cheek, the arrow to the barb and loose the flying shaft, so long as life may last." Saxon Pope - 1923.
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