A wet tan is a fully tanned hide that is finished and shipped wet rather than dried, ready for a taxidermist to thaw and mount straight away.
How it works
Wet tanned hides follow the same procedure as the dry tanned hides. As in every case, all hides are pickled, shaved, tumbled and finished. The only difference between the two methods is that the wet tans are not dried a final time. Hides are finished and packaged wet, and they are sent out after being frozen for a week to ensure they stay wet in transit.
Ready to mount
For mounting purposes, these hides do not need to be rehydrated. Just thaw them out and you’re set to work. Wet tans are the usual choice when you want to mount soon after the hide arrives and skip the rehydrating step.
Because wet tans travel frozen, they are simplest to ship within Canada. If you are outside the country, talk to us before ordering a wet tan; see International Shipping.
Wet tan or dry tan?
- Wet tan: shipped frozen, thaw and mount. No rehydrating needed, but plan to use the hide soon after it arrives or keep it frozen.
- Dry tan: shipped dry, so it can be stored until you are ready. Rehydrate before mounting (see Rehydrating).
- Not sure which suits your project? Call us and we will talk it through with you.
Sending your hides
Prepare raw skins as described on our Prepping page and send them to us with your name, address and instructions. Each shipment is stamped with a work order number on arrival so your finished hides come back to you. Our Terms and Conditions apply to all work.
Questions? Call (204) 231-5595 or email info@internationalfur.ca.