This is definitely a newbie question. I received my crate of trophies from South Africa yesterday and am ecstatic to be able to get them on the wall. I received some skins however and I dont know the best way to get the creases out of them wherr they were folded. I assume it is something easy but just looking for some direction. Any helpful ideas?
Working with leather and hair on hides I sometimes get hides with creases. This is what I do.
One way......Most often just unfold them, lay out on smooth flat surface, either stack hides directly on top each other starting with smaller hides on bottom, or place a piece of cardboard the size or larger than the between each of the hides, rotate every 2 or 3 days...bottom hide to top...until all hides are flat.
Second way....weather permitting....hang hides on clothes line with wooden clothes pins....insuring...not to....fold hide as normally done when hanging clothes out to dry.
Then....loosely....roll hides up let set a day or two, unroll hides, wrinkles, light creases should be out. Heavier creases may require placing a flat weighted object on the cardboard to help flatten the hide.
Unless you know how the hide was tanned/processed,...I would not recommend dampening or lightly wetting the hide (skin side) to relax the hide, without warm dry air to dry the hide, the hide could mold. Same goes for using a steam iron set on low medium heat to press the crease out.
I have no experience with using a hair dryer (skin side) set at low or medium heat.
Hope this helps
