C Nyal de Kaye - Posted - 09/13/2011:  16:10:45

Has anyone ever used a kangaroo skin on a banjo?

I am in the process of making another gourd banjo and wondered how it would go.

It is reputed to be very strong.

What about a goat skin?

Goats skins are "essential" (so they say)  on bodhrans so may be OK.

Any comments please?

beegee - Posted - 09/13/2011:  16:45:08

My only experience with kangaroo skin was that my old CCM Tackaberry hockey skates back in the 60's were made of kangaroo leather. It was supposedly, light and tough and would dry out well after wetting. If yo have a source for kangaroo(or wallaby?)skin that has been properly tanned, or I guess even kangaroo rawhide, try it and give us a full report. it may be the next "thing."

C Nyal de Kaye - Posted - 09/13/2011:  16:51:39

I'm going to give it a go BeeGee.

I tanned quite a few 'roo skins some years ago but always with the hair on.

Maybe someone has already done it - I'll watch and see.

Thanks for your comments BeeGee.

Banjolution - Posted - 09/13/2011:  17:11:14

I dont think you want to "tan" a hide at all when using it for a Banjo head. I've never used a raw animal hide for a head. I have "brain tanned" buckskin,and used eggs to tan small critter hides. I would think you would scrape the hide on both sides,rinse with water,and immediately stretch it over the pot. I have dreamed about trying a ground hog or possum,and instead of installing it right away after scraping,drying it staked to a piece of plywood,and try to sand the thickness to make it more uniform. With a sanding block maybe? Just my 2 cents . Good luck with the Roo. Let us know how it turns out!!

beegee - Posted - 09/13/2011:  17:31:13

They had an episode of Dirty Jobs where Mike Rowe went to the place where they make writing vellum and banjo heads. I don't remember the process, but it involved a lot of stretching and scraping the hide to a uniform thickness with no hair.

C Nyal de Kaye - Posted - 09/13/2011:  19:04:39

Thanks for the input Banjolution and BeeGee.

I did not know that they weren't tanned.

I have seen many episodes of Dirty Jobs but must have missed that one.

I understand the scraping as that is what you do when tanning.

Anyway, I'll see what I can discover and have a go.

Jonnycake White - Posted - 09/14/2011:  08:32:22

Absolutely you can't use tanned hide of any kind on a banjo - it has to be raw hide to shrink enough. Goat skin is often used, though calf skin is prefered as it is not quite as elastic. But I would bet any skin that is thin enough (but not too thin) would work more or less OK. You might want to see if you can get ahold of a book called Foxfire Volume 3 and read about the different skins used by Appalachian banjo makers. I don't know if it is available in Australia.

g3zdm - Posted - 09/14/2011:  08:38:14

I am surprised nobody came out with a comment about kangaroo skin helping to play with bounce

gansen - Posted - 09/14/2011:  09:18:48

I don't know about roo, I want one of those new fangled opposum skin appalachian banjo's. Hot dog that sounds more fun than a bag of badgers. As for skin heads, I've never made one for a banjo but I have made some nice drum heads before with deer skin. It's a lot of scraping and really hard to get a uniform thickness. I remember rubbing the hides down with rock salt at some point not that I remember the logic behind this. I can't see any reason Roo wouldn't work as well as any other skin head. Can't wait to see a completed Roojo

C Nyal de Kaye - Posted - 09/14/2011:  14:41:55

Thanks for your comments everyone.

Jonnycake - I have Vol 3 of Foxfire - in fact I have Vols 1 to 3.

Great info - good stories. I'd forgotten that it mentions skins so I'll look it up.

Thanks for the tip.

Al my 'roo skins are tanned and thus no good as several have pointed out.

I'll have to see if I can find a fresh one.

I'm not into hunting one just for a banjo head, so I am not sure just where to start.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted.

gansen - Posted - 09/14/2011:  15:12:12

I've heard of people doing worse for a banjo than hunting.

Big Joe - Posted - 09/14/2011:  17:20:12

I've used kangaroo hides for mandolin straps in the past. They make the best straps. They are very strong, but they have great elastic memory. I would think that would be a good thing in a banjo head. If it were to move from temp or humidity issues it would go back to where it started as it dried out. That would seem to be a desireable thing and lessen the amount of adjusting for a skin head. I'd like to see how it turns out.

TXhookey - Posted - 09/15/2011:  06:25:48

I always wondered why there are no kangaroo heads, I was suspecting it may be availability or lack of tradition.  I have a pair of kangaroo boots and work gloves that have outlived at least 3 other pairs of each.  I would wear out a pair or 2 of gloves every year and a pair of boots a year.  I have yet to wear out my gloves, which are 3 years old, and my boots that are 8 years old.  Walking 20 miles of corn stob fields while pheasant hunting with wet boots will tear leather boots quick, but kangaroo just has a few scuffs.

I also noticed that a much thinner kangaroo will outperform a thicker leather and remains more subtle. 

Please post a follow up, I'd like to hear how it goes, we can get kangaroo here in the states from David Morgan, but these are tanned.

I wished I would have kept all of the salt and alum cured possum and coon skins I had as a kid.  Would have come in handy now.

Tombo17 - Posted - 09/15/2011:  09:01:05

At least it comes with a handy-dandy pouch for storing stuff.

mobyj - Posted - 09/15/2011:  14:19:05

I have a friend who makes plaited stock whips and bull whips from roo hide.(they are really beautiful creations and do they crack!).  The hide he uses is veg tanned. He reckons that hides tanned with what now seems to be the pretty standard chrome alum tan are just not  as good.. Maybe this would apply to a roo banjo head too. Just a thought. Raw roo hide? Alas we have a bit of road-kill of this around!

Banjolution - Posted - 09/18/2011:  13:58:10

"Im not into hunting one just for a banjo head, so I am not sure just where to start."

The side of the road! Seriously, road killed animals can be found sometimes fresh enough to eat much less harvest of the skin for a head!

Good luck!

C Nyal de Kaye - Posted - 09/18/2011:  16:34:52

You're right Banjosolution. I'll keep my eyes open as there are plenty about.

mike gregory - Posted - 09/19/2011:  04:36:02

RE: Roadkill.

When I'm giving my cookie-tin banjo building class, I tell the kids that possum hide can be found alongside of the freeway, and that "FREEWAY" is just a shorthand way of saying

"Free way to get a nice possum hide for a banjo head but on a really really warm day do you really really WANT to?"

I suppose the same goes for marsupials from Down Under, although deliberately running one over might be considered kangarudeness.

And remember, since it's Australia, and not the U.S., the dead critters will be found on the OTHER side of the road.

C Nyal de Kaye - Posted - 09/19/2011:  16:10:15

Mike, you would have to nuts to "deliberately run over one" as it would wreck your car. or worse.

You don't hit a kangaroo with impunity!

... "the dead critters will be found on the OTHER side of the road." In fact you might find them in the front seat!

But getting a hide that way is not a bad idea. I'm looking.

Brian T - Posted - 09/19/2011:  17:22:13

Mike: a kangaroo is about as soft as a felt-covered telephone pole.
On university field-collecting trips, one of my tasks was to sample the road kill.
My oh my but some were about to gag a maggot.
Yes, we collected some fields, too.

sport - Posted - 01/25/2012:  00:25:23

In all seriousness, thank you for the post on kangeroo as I am interested in alternative skins. I have purchased two "shammys" or chamois leather from a street vender for 9 euros, and have made three banjo skins out of this- what a deal! From the color, the animal must be an antelope. It is soft, but thicker than vellum, and does tear or puncture from being remounted several times and continues to stretch with time - but I love the sound.
Fr Kevin

Disco Kid - Posted - 01/25/2012:  04:16:15

They make the best soccer cleats. Dont know about a head though.

blockader - Posted - 01/25/2012:  09:52:05

if you get a green hide PM and i will detail exactly how to make it into rawhide. i do this with goats pretty often and keep meaning to get someone to come out and photograph the process so i can make a tutorial for BHO. i haven't used any hides for banjo heads yet but plan on doing that too. there is already info on here concerning mounting hide heads.

-justin

C Nyal de Kaye - Posted - 01/25/2012:  11:59:50

Thanks for your comments folks, and the offer of help Justin.

I haven't got a skin yet.

I am looking for a fresh roadkill but all that I've seen recently have been too far gone to use.

I appreciate your comments boys.

blockader - Posted - 01/25/2012:  12:19:29

good and fresh is def the way to go. i take it right off the animal, lay it out FLAT hair side down until i get the carcass quartered and cooling, and then it goes straight into the bucking solution. flat is important so it can start cooling to limit bacteria growth. also, when you are skinning try and pull the hide off and use your knife as little as possible. though it is knife marks on the hide that show up on romeros heads when he stains them and folks seem to like that. i assume it is hot/summer down there right now. maybe wait til winter if you're gettin a roadkill.

Hotrodtruck - Posted - 01/25/2012:  12:21:44

The question is: Does kangaroo skin give you more "bounce" in your playing??

Mike