Crooked Toes Studios

01/09/2026

Episode 1 of
"How Many Animals Can We Fit In The Pickle?"
We have:
6 rabbits
1 cat
1 fox
1 sheep leg
1 hare

Pickling is the precursor step to tanning. It is an acid bath solution that removes certain proteins and kills any bacteria on the skin.

Here I am using only water, sunray rock salt and McKenzie's safety acid (or citric acid) to achieve a solution with a PH between 3 - 1.5ish that the hides will sit in for a few days before being neutralised in baking soda and water before being tanned in Lutan F.

Lutan F replaces those proteins I mentioned before and turns the raw skin into soft white leather!

Unlike my eucalyptus tan, this tan is a 3 step process specifically used for taxidermy to ensure that the mount is archival and will stand the test of time.

11/08/2026

One of the eucalypt tanned rabbits all oiled and broken!

The entire breaking process took about 4 hours from sopping wet straight out of the tan to the beautiful finished product.

This rabbit, as well as the many others I will be using were removed from local farms, protecting both our farmers livelihood and our environment. Using only water, bark and oil (and an insane amount of elbow grease) I was able to achieve this beautiful piece, ready to be made into a garment or a lining!

I hope to experiment with a few more vegetable tans, including walnut and pine to achieve different leather colours.

21/05/2026

Trying something new!

Bark tanning rabbit hides with redgum local bark and sap.
It's a very slow process but already seeing beautiful results after 4 days in the bark liquor.

02/09/2025

Unusual little rabbits foot done up for a hunting buddy's birthday.

This little guy was one of his first rabbits harvested and had an infection in the middle tow which caused the claw on said toe to grow amazingly sharp!

Mounted over a rotothane cast replica of the foot with a brass .410 sh***un shell end and eyelet.

22/07/2025

12/12/2023

Hey all!

Due to unforeseen circumstances I will not be taking on any new taxidermy or tanning commissions in the 2024 season.
I will aim to complete all current commissions by July 2024 (most likely before then)

I will still be open for bone cleaning or tusk mounts.

Cheers.

Smokey.

10/06/2023

Brought home my first blue ribbon in the Australian Taxidermy Championships! I'll now be competing in Open division instead of Novice.

25/04/2023

Gray squirrel ready for a touch of paint and a little base.

14/03/2020

Big Red went home today. Great to see a happy customer and see this big man reunited with his old friend!