Wood or wire?

[472x1B/A]

Just curious here and was wondering which you trappers use to put up your fur on for marketing. I started out using wire untill I found out how much more money I could make with wood strechers. So lets hear the do's don'ts and pros and cons of either. Thanks in advance.

[472x1B/A]

Hmmmmm Can't belive nobody has anything to comment about using wire or wood fur strechers.

[Bullshop Junior]

Ive always used wire. How does stretching them on wood make you more money?

[472x1B/A]

Well as it was explained to me, by people that's got way many more years experience than me or I dare say anybody here, world wide international fur buyers that buy fur for a living can tell just by looking at a hide if it was on a wire or wood stretcher.Wood stretchers cost more than wire stretchers, it takes more time and material for wood than wire. There reasoning behind this is if someone is willing to invest in wood stretchers they will take the time to put their fur up the right/correct way and should be compensated for it.

After I had been buying fur for 5-6 years, my wife and I drove up to the North Amercian Fur Auction center in Wisconsin. What an eye opener that was. We spent almost the whole day there. I learned all over how to skin, scrape, and put fur on 'WOOD' stretchers. I was told the only fur that major fur buyers don't care if it is on wood or wire is posssum and muskrats. My fur check intake per year, after that trip to Wis., increased by $500 to $1000.My wood stretcher and push pin investment took 1&1/2 fur season to recoup. I started with my first Ill. fur buyers liccense in 1991 and bought fur up untill the 2010 season when I broke my ankle and quit buying. Hope this can help in some way to answer some questions or doubts.

[trapper9260]

I put up my own fur and yes i am a trapper for a hobby.and I use both wire and wood. rats and possum and sometimes skunk i put on wire .i use to put the coon on wire and then it was explain to me to do on wire because you will have the coon longer and better for the fur.I made my own wooden stretchers.in the long run you will get your money back.I was sending my fur to NAFA and then did not trap because of I broke my hip and then did not trap for 5 years and i am now this year.But not doing it as much as i did in the past.

[w5pv]

The last hides I sold was in the late 80's and the buyer that I sold to wanted the hides salted and rolled up tight and frozen.This was mostly coon hides with some fox,mink,nutria,nothing else that I remember.We hunted coons at night with dogs and the other animals were what we happened upon in the woods coming or going.

[trapper9260]

w5py that buyer must be usen the furs for something else because on the market you use borax to help with stop the fur from going bad and also help them to dry better in the hard to dry places.The only time I used salt is if i where to tan my own skins.Also you salt the deer hides and cow hides most of the time before you sell them but that is all that would be salted for the market and buyers.

[dpunch]

I used to work on a mink ranch and everything was put on wood. Even after we sent out to large fleshing company it was still all wood.

[trapper9260]

They also now want the skins to be put up like you would of ranch mink on wood also and have the hind feet on the tail side.

[472x1B/A]

^^^^ There, that's what now brings good money. Somebody somewhere thought that putting mink hind legs on the 'board' might bring more money. Turned out it really does look a lot better. Yah can't do that with a wire stretcher. Anyway, with a good fleshed coon being put on a board you can stretch the heck out of the belly side, but not so much on the back. 'They' now want them kinda fluffy/bunched up on the back side with the tail no longer than what it would be on the bone. I've seen hide backs and tails stretched so tight the hide is really thin, this 'they' don't want.

[giericd]

i just trap for fun, and to keep the survival skills up but i made my own wire and wood strechers for coon/possum. i think the wire dries them better/quicker allowing more air circulation but noticed the wire would start to twist and bow as the pelt dried, not a big deal but there was obviously some shrinkage going on. I found the wire was easier to insert into the pelt and the nose of it seemed to fill out the animals nose/head better. the wood ones did not seem to be one size fits most like the wire infact it seemed to be harder to fit in the pelt, didnt fill out the nose area as well, didnt dry as fast, doesnt hang as easy, heavy compared to wire, and in the stretching over the board pulls out some fur. now like i said both my wires and boards were home made but since im not selling and worried about who pays more for which i prefer wire any day! i also noticed what you get on wood is the pelt comes off the board like a stiff crunchy nasty old tube sock, the wire seems to keep constant pressure stretching the pelt so it comes off more like a dried animal fur