# Snakeskin pen blanks



## jennera (Aug 4, 2017)

Rebecca recently made a pen with a rattlesnake skin cast in acrylic.  Now she has had a request for another one.

Any recommendations for the best place to buy snakeskin blanks?  The last ones we purchased from ebay and they worked well but only long enough for a mini pen or ProX Art Deco.

Thanks!

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## KenV (Aug 4, 2017)

Don Ward aka Its_virgil makes jim dandy ones.


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## magpens (Aug 4, 2017)

There are often a few available here. . Currently there are some.

https://www.exoticblanks.com/Fantastic-Feathers/


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## jennera (Aug 5, 2017)

Thanks!  I will check on both of those leads.  

She has specifically asked for rat snake and a Texas one if possible.  She is a good friend so I want to make it happen if we can.  Something about a rat snake is what brought her and her husband together.  She is a vet tech and he is a biologist so I need to hear the entire story.  The pen will be a gift to her husband.

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## its_virgil (Aug 5, 2017)

I doubt you will find rat snake blanks...maybe you can. I only make blanks from two species of rattlesnakes so I would not have skins from any non-venomous snakes.
Do a good turn daily!
Don



jennera said:


> Thanks!  I will check on both of those leads.
> 
> She has specifically asked for rat snake and a Texas one if possible.  She is a good friend so I want to make it happen if we can.  Something about a rat snake is what brought her and her husband together.  She is a vet tech and he is a biologist so I need to hear the entire story.  The pen will be a gift to her husband.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk


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## eharri446 (Aug 5, 2017)

I know that you can order the tanned skins online from various suppliers. The problem then would be to get the skin cast into a turn able blank.


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## Monty (Aug 5, 2017)

What pen kit is she planning on using? I have what I think is a Texas Rat snake skin. It was run over on a country road. Once I skinned it, it looked like it had too many small tears to make a blank for a pen for me to sell. I'll look in my shop tomorrow and see how much I have.
BTW, where in Texas are you? I'm Pearland just south of Houston.


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## KB8JXO (Aug 5, 2017)

Wood N Whimsies has them in stock also.


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## jennera (Aug 6, 2017)

Monty said:


> What pen kit is she planning on using? I have what I think is a Texas Rat snake skin. It was run over on a country road. Once I skinned it, it looked like it had too many small tears to make a blank for a pen for me to sell. I'll look in my shop tomorrow and see how much I have.
> BTW, where in Texas are you? I'm Pearland just south of Houston.


We are close to Dallas.  

She is not sure yet on what kit will be used.  The ones we have been looking at would need a 3 to 3.5 inch blank. We havent invested yet in the equipment needed to cast blanks though my husband is interested in learning how to do that.

Thanks!

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## jennera (Aug 6, 2017)

KB8JXO said:


> Wood N Whimsies has them in stock also.


I will check out Wood N Whimsies.  I havent looked there yet.

Ed and Dawn at Exotics have a menu selection for rat snake blanks but no inventory right now.   

Thanks!

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## Monty (Aug 6, 2017)

This is what I have that I believe is a Texas Rat snake. Only problem is it's only about 1-1'8" wide which sorta limits the casting to a smaller barrel pen. Let me know if you want me to cast a piece for you.


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## jennera (Aug 7, 2017)

Monty said:


> This is what I have that I believe is a Texas Rat snake. Only problem is it's only about 1-1'8" wide which sorta limits the casting to a smaller barrel pen. Let me know if you want me to cast a piece for you.




Yes!  We are interested!  Do you think it will need to be a 7 mm kit?  

Thank you!
Jennifer


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## Monty (Aug 7, 2017)

jennera said:


> Monty said:
> 
> 
> > This is what I have that I believe is a Texas Rat snake. Only problem is it's only about 1-1'8" wide which sorta limits the casting to a smaller barrel pen. Let me know if you want me to cast a piece for you.
> ...


If I'm careful, I can get it on a 3/8" tube, but the ventral scales will be showing on one side.


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## jennera (Aug 7, 2017)

I'll ask if she has a preference.


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## jennera (Aug 7, 2017)

Monty said:


> jennera said:
> 
> 
> > Monty said:
> ...



Ok, definitely 3/8" as she would like a 30 cal bolt action bullet cartridge pen.  Would you be able to get 2 blanks out of the skin?  Rebecca is still learning with the acrylics and resins so it might be good if we have a back up blank too.  

Thanks so much!
Jennifer


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## ed4copies (Aug 7, 2017)

Cast one blank with no skin on it, just for a practice blank, using the same clear resin you will use for the snake.


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## Monty (Aug 8, 2017)

Jennifer,
I should be able to get 2 blanks.
PM sent.


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## jennera (Aug 17, 2017)

Woohoo!  We have one friend who is thrilled to be getting 1 or 2 of these pens to give her husband for their anniversary!

Thank you, Mannie for providing the rat snake pen blanks!  Her husband is going to love them!  They met because he was bringing rat snakes to the vet clinic where she worked to have them anesthetized so a radio tracking chip could be implanted.  Some of their first dates were the two of them catching rat snakes to be tagged for a wildlife study.


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## magpens (Aug 17, 2017)

What a sneaky way to get to know each other !!!!


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## NVSB4 (Aug 18, 2017)

Great looking blanks and pens.


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## seamus7227 (Aug 18, 2017)

Monty said:


> This is what I have that I believe is a Texas Rat snake. Only problem is it's only about 1-1'8" wide which sorta limits the casting to a smaller barrel pen. Let me know if you want me to cast a piece for you.


That's a bull snake

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## jennera (Aug 18, 2017)

seamus7227 said:


> Monty said:
> 
> 
> > This is what I have that I believe is a Texas Rat snake. Only problem is it's only about 1-1'8" wide which sorta limits the casting to a smaller barrel pen. Let me know if you want me to cast a piece for you.
> ...


Snake ID photo from the What kind of snake is it North Texas facebook group...

I think her husband will like them whatever snake it is.  She was willing to buy rattlesnake pens if that was a I could find.   [emoji4] 





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## Monty (Aug 18, 2017)

seamus7227 said:


> Monty said:
> 
> 
> > This is what I have that I believe is a Texas Rat snake. Only problem is it's only about 1-1'8" wide which sorta limits the casting to a smaller barrel pen. Let me know if you want me to cast a piece for you.
> ...


Actually it's a FORD snake.....*F*ound *O*n *R*oad *D*ead.


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## seamus7227 (Aug 18, 2017)

That's wild! Our rat snakes are almost black out here and only the juveniles snakes are like this. Good snag by the way. And thanks for the picture correction! 

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## jennera (Aug 18, 2017)

Monty said:


> seamus7227 said:
> 
> 
> > Monty said:
> ...


My friend was happy to hear it was a FORD snake.  Before she would agree to the pens, she asked how you happened to have a rat snake skin in your possession!  [emoji1] 

Jennifer

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