Cross cut zonder strips

[Fatman]

deleted

 

[Pepop]

NOW YOU TELL ME!! Sounds like a pretty good deal though. I'm fixed for now although I'm seeing my Chartreuse Crosscut going fast. I've got $33 tied upin this...

 

[Shoemoo]

My local fly shop sells those packages for $2.50 each.

The price is OK if you don't have a local source, but not a deal IMHO.

 

[Bo_G]

At my local shop (45 minutes away) they are $3 per and not that good of a selection of colors. Looks great to me!

 

[plateboater]

pepop.....where did you place the order?

 

[Fatman]

deleted

 

[Pepop]

pepop.....where did you place the order?

Those came from 3 supplier's, Crazy Angler for some of the straight Zonker's, J. Stockard Fly Fishing for some crosscut & straight, and Some from Skip_48's ebay store. J.Stockard has all of them & a real good selection. They also have Magnum Zonker's & Micro Zonker's.

 

[plateboater]

Thanks Pepop.....FM let us know on your order if you get the best deal!!

 

[Fatman]

I got caught trying to order it last night!!!!!!!LOL I was told I had to WAIT a bit, since I just did the bulk buy. I can cut natural, red, beige red (fox), some gray (muskrat), have some mink ones I got in a swap box and the ones I got in the order from Grandpa Bobs(*(*&

I do need to figure out how to thin the back leather a bit so they are so thick, one of the guys I work with is a taxidermist (mostly deer) and I'm gonna see if he can show me how to do it.

 

[Shoemoo]

Easiest way to thin them if they are already cut into zonkers is to hold the strip between your middle finger and index finger and index finger and thumb. Draw the strip tight over your index finger so the hide part is facing up, like so:



Then you can carefully trim the hide with your tying scissors. Goes fastest if you cut with the scissors parallel to the hide strip. Trim one side of the strip, then trim the other side, then the middle. Advance the strip, and wash, rinse, repeat.

 

[Fatman]

Shoe mine are still skins and large pieces, I'll try your method on some I have cut. Hoping the guy in my office has a good idea!!!

 

[Pepop]

Using the #4 & #2 sickle's on 1/8 & 1/16oz jigs, I'm thankful for the thickness but after tying on a 1/48oz, #10 for the jig swap, I can see how the zonker's from the factory might be a bit much. You could close the hook-gap pretty easily if not careful. Great tip Shoe.

 

[Shoemoo]

Quality pelts are the key. After the length and fullness of the hair, the thickness of the hide is my most important criteria. I've left packages on the pegs for hides that were too thick. One of the reasons I don't like buying rabbit sight unseen.

I don't use crosscuts if the hook is smaller than size 4. For jigs with really small hooks, I prefer to trim the hair off the hide or use one or two very small zonker pieces.

 

[Fatman]

Pepop I've found at least with the one's I've bought that the hair is long enough that you can tie in a little higher on the hook shank which helps prevent jamming up the gap.

 

[Pepop]

Ran some tap water over this one just to see what kind of gap was left. This is a #4 - 1/16oz which is the smallest I tie/use as a rule.

Even though the fur is still "puffed up" a bit, it looks like there is sufficient gap to hook a crappie.

 

[Fatman]

Finally talked to my guy here at work and he actually has a special cutting blade for some machine he's got. Bends a pelt around a metal rod and just goes back and forth against the blade thins it right out, said it takes a bit of getting used to.

For Home - he says to secure the pelt wet just a bit of the think part (not the whole pelt) of the leather and use an exacto knife or a razor blade scraper - take it slow and easy and it should come right off.

I'll give it a try tonight.

Pepop - looked on ebay and couldn't find Skip_48's, do you have a direct link??

 

[Shoemoo]

On a #4 sickle hook it's not a problem, since the sickles have a wider gap. Might be an issue on aberdeen hooks, though.

 

[Fatman]

These are some I tied the other night on LedHeds tiny football jigs - #6 sickles and the crosscut worked fine and theres plenty of gap space

 

[Pepop]

Finally talked to my guy here at work and he actually has a special cutting blade for some machine he's got. Bends a pelt around a metal rod and just goes back and forth against the blade thins it right out, said it takes a bit of getting used to.

For Home - he says to secure the pelt wet just a bit of the think part (not the whole pelt) of the leather and use an exacto knife or a razor blade scraper - take it slow and easy and it should come right off.

I'll give it a try tonight.

Pepop - looked on ebay and couldn't find Skip_48's, do you have a direct link??

Sorry Doug, not Skip_48. It's Tim White (Fishhunter775 Tackle)
http://stores.ebay.com/Fishhunter775-Tackle?_rdc=1

 

[Fatman]

Thanks buddy!!