# Snakes



## JR Parks (Aug 8, 2022)

I have been working on some snake pens. Trying to get all four poisonous Texas snakes. As you can see 3 out of 4 so far. Hard to get a coral snake big enough for the Atrax kit.
L to R are western D back, copperhead, young cotton mouth, and a hopefully big enough coral snake.





western diamondback rattler



copperhead




cottonmouth

Reactions: Like 1 | EyeCandy! 6 | Way Cool 12 | Creative 1


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## Tony (Aug 8, 2022)

Those are sweet Jim!!!

Reactions: Agree 2


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## trc65 (Aug 8, 2022)

What a cool project! Awesome looking pens!


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## Nature Man (Aug 8, 2022)

Exceptionally unique and dramatic! Chuck


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## B Rogers (Aug 8, 2022)

Those are really cool. Do you make your own blanks? I bet it’s tough to get skin adhered to the brass tubes without wrinkles or seams. Great job, they all look awesome.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## T. Ben (Aug 8, 2022)

Those are awesome!!


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## William Tanner (Aug 8, 2022)

Awesome project and phenomenal idea. Did you capture the snakes?


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## Gdurfey (Aug 8, 2022)

awesome. That copperhead is striking!!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Karl_TN (Aug 8, 2022)

These are all cool, but can’t wait to see the coral snake is turned into a pen. What’s the story behind that snake? Do you do anything special to the skin so they’ll wrap around the pen tube?


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## Mike Hill (Aug 8, 2022)

I am without many words - those are awesome. I've wanted a coral for hat band for some time now. About given up - so am collecting materials that ordinarily go into a Tup's Indispensable and weave one. Ask @DLJeffs - he'll know!!


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## JR Parks (Aug 8, 2022)

Gdurfey said:


> awesome. That copperhead is striking!!


And the picture does it little justice. It sunlight the copper shading on the edges of the light colored diamonds just sparkles.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## JR Parks (Aug 8, 2022)

William Tanner said:


> Awesome project and phenomenal idea. Did you capture the snakes?


Snakes were all mine. A variety of “assistants” help cast.


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## Greenacres2 (Aug 8, 2022)

Awesome pens Jim, and an even better quest!! I have to agree on the Copperhead, that one shows really well. Good luck on the Coral--longer the barrels the more you can show!! Love it!!

I've only sold a few hundred pens, probably less than 1/4 of what i've made, and less than i've given away. Bur...the two Western Diamondbacks i've make were both on Jr. Gents and are still the 2 best prices i've gotten. Less than 7 months until retiring...then maybe we'll do a few shows so i can make more!!

Reactions: +Karma 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Aug 8, 2022)

Those are all gorgeous!!! My favorite is the copperhead

Reactions: Agree 2


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## JR Parks (Aug 8, 2022)

Karl_TN said:


> These are all cool, but can’t wait to see the coral snake is turned into a pen. What’s the story behind that snake? Do you do anything special to the skin so they’ll wrap around the pen tube?


An incredible relatable story. We live in central Texas so we do have rocks and coral snakes like rocks but I have never seen at our house in 30 years. I was turning working on a bowl; I kinda take a break stretch and look outside. Through a 8 inch hole in my wood collection ( 8 inch hole might be exaggerating as Tony could attest) I see the mesmerizing movement of the red, yellow, black going across the driveway and then disappears. The first problem is my shovels are where this guy is coming from so that’s out - I casually pick up my pipe wrench and take two giant steps just a he comes into view and calmly drop it on his head. A shame but he could have easily slid into the garage! 
I have had various “helpers” on wrapping and the casting. One used pinking shears to hid the seam. Another just overlapped (carefully) the edges to create the seam. 
I plan to wrap this guy and use the new uv curing concoction. Jim

Reactions: Like 3


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## Steve in VA (Aug 8, 2022)

Those are all fantastic Jim!


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Aug 8, 2022)

Had a guy have to kill a rattler at his barn. Already moved it twice and kept coming back so sayanora. Told him him if he had to kill another one, I want it to tan the hide for the same thing.


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## JR Parks (Aug 8, 2022)

When we have to I just have folks cut heads off (and bury) put them in a plastic bag and freeze them. That seems to be a big task for some and overwhelming for most. Just sick a while back when a guy down the street killed a hognose. Sent me a pic asking what kind - gorgeous skin and he trashed it. Some folks-

Reactions: Sincere 1


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## Tom Smart (Aug 8, 2022)

Those are all great, but I’m partial to the young cotton mouth. Haven’t seen one of those before. The western diamond back blanks I’ve had in the past have been kind plain, the markings not distinct. I do hope that coral snake skin works out. That could jump into first place really quickly.


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## DLJeffs (Aug 8, 2022)

Ditto all the positive comments. Beautiful nature based pens. I also favor the copperhead. There are other beautiful snakes too - corn snakes, gopher snakes, bull snakes. I'm not advocating a commercial pen making operation using snake hides but a few snakes, even roadkills wouldn't hurt. Also, in case you've heard the little ditty "Red on black, friend of Jack; red on yellow, kill a fellow" it isn't 100% reliable, so treat even false corals as venomous until proven otherwise. The good news is they have small fangs in the very back of their mouths and pretty much have to chew on you to envenomate you. Plus, being small snakes, they need to grab you on a small fold of skin or someplace to get a good bite. Corals are pretty reclusive and hard to find in most locations.

@Mike Hill - you'll need to find yourself a goat with long hair around his wanger. The Tups Indispensible requires urine stained goat hair, kind of an orangish-pinkish color. I think the originator was just having some fun with the hoity toity fly tyers. But it turned out that color was a really good match for the pale morning dun (PMD) mayfly so it caught on.


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## Wildthings (Aug 8, 2022)

Those are very nice


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## Nature Man (Aug 9, 2022)

Wildthings said:


> Those are very nice


Kind of, sort of, but not really, like taxidermy? Chuck

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Mike Hill (Aug 9, 2022)

I can't find enough of the stuff for Art Flick's Henderickson - that's why I decided on the Tup's. Easier for me to get the leg fluff from a Golden Eagle for one of the Eagle Series. Love reading about the materials on the old flies and have collected a few of the old books. I think the Tup's style material goes back to the early 1800's. In looking back at some early accounts, goat raisers, supposedly, used to tie sponges/rags soaked in dye onto the ram's "junk" so they could tell which ram --- uhhhh ----- hooked up with which ewe. That way they knew which ram "tupped" which ewe. In trying to tie with some of it, I found it hard to dub and spin, so had to add some light filmy stuff in to make it easier.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Gdurfey (Aug 9, 2022)

Mike Hill said:


> I can't find enough of the stuff for Art Flick's Henderickson - that's why I decided on the Tup's. Easier for me to get the leg fluff from a Golden Eagle for one of the Eagle Series. Love reading about the materials on the old flies. I think the Tup's style material goes back to the early 1800's. In looking back at some early accounts, goat raisers, supposedly, used to tie sponges/rags soaked in dye onto the ram's "junk" so they could tell which ram --- uhhhh ----- hooked up with which ewe. Supposedly where the original colors came from


informative.......like I need more junk running around my brain that my wife will complain about when I forget something important....to her.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 1


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## Mike Hill (Aug 9, 2022)

Gdurfey said:


> informative.......like I need more junk running around my brain that my wife will complain about when I forget something important....to her.


Thank you Garry @Gdurfey ! That means I am just "full of junk" ------ and not full of that other stuff!!!!

Reactions: Funny 2


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## ironman123 (Aug 10, 2022)

@JR Parks Mr. Jim those are great looking pens. Good luck with the coral snake.


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## rdabpenman (Aug 11, 2022)

Lookin great!!  
Les


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## NCWoodArt (Dec 23, 2022)

Would love to talk if you are in a position to sell some snakeskin blanks. I am a fan of all snakeskin pens and currently only have a few available for sale


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## Byron Barker (Dec 23, 2022)

JR Parks said:


> I have been working on some snake pens. Trying to get all four poisonous Texas snakes. As you can see 3 out of 4 so far. Hard to get a coral snake big enough for the Atrax kit.
> L to R are western D back, copperhead, young cotton mouth, and a hopefully big enough coral snake.
> 
> View attachment 230052
> ...


If you ever want to do a trade, let me know. I like using snake skins on the bows I make from time to time. Would love some copperheads, coral or cottonmouths. Got some interesting woods from here in Taiwan to trade .


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## Wildthings (Dec 24, 2022)

DLJeffs said:


> Ditto all the positive comments. Beautiful nature based pens. I also favor the copperhead. There are other beautiful snakes too - corn snakes, gopher snakes, bull snakes. I'm not advocating a commercial pen making operation using snake hides but a few snakes, even roadkills wouldn't hurt. *Also, in case you've heard the little ditty "Red on black, friend of Jack; red on yellow, kill a fellow"* it isn't 100% reliable, so treat even false corals as venomous until proven otherwise. The good news is they have small fangs in the very back of their mouths and pretty much have to chew on you to envenomate you. Plus, being small snakes, they need to grab you on a small fold of skin or someplace to get a good bite. Corals are pretty reclusive and hard to find in most locations.
> 
> @Mike Hill - you'll need to find yourself a goat with long hair around his wanger. The Tups Indispensible requires urine stained goat hair, kind of an orangish-pinkish color. I think the originator was just having some fun with the hoity toity fly tyers. But it turned out that color was a really good match for the pale morning dun (PMD) mayfly so it caught on.


I've always used the ditty "Red touch black, poison lack; red touch yellow, kill a fellow" (yeah yeah I know it ain't poison) And you are correct, it's not 100% accurate


Nature Man said:


> Kind of, sort of, but not really, like taxidermy? Chuck


Yep kind sorta. I've mounted quite a lot of snakes and tanned hundreds of skins. Lots of them for making pens. The latest ones were rattle snakes and copperheads for my knife making buddy. They went into sheathes.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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