Cutting the Half Hide
The half hide needs to be cut into pieces that will each be large enough for one drum head. We take the skin template and lay it out on the hide. If it is possible to get 3 heads from the skin, that is nice, but first inspect the hide to see if there are any defects that need to be avoided. It is better to go ahead and get only 2 heads if this is the case. We tape off the areas and then cut the hide with tin snips. It is a little hard to cut through the dry skin, but it is not necessary to wet it first.