Natural drum skins, hardwood shells and rope used in drum making and repairs across a range of traditional drums, including djembes, dunun, darbuka, conga, bongos, talking drums and more.
Our shells are made from medium and hardwood timbers, hand-carved across West Africa, including Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Ghana. They are suited to full drum builds as well as replacement work.
Skin choice plays a big role in how a drum responds and sounds. Our drum skin collection includes goat, calf, and cow skins sourced from Australia and West Africa along with durable synthetic options, for players and makers looking for consistency and resilience.
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Goat skin is thinner and more responsive. It gives sharper, cleaner slaps with less effort and more sensitivity to touch, so quiet notes and tone changes come through easily.
The highs are crisper with more bite, which helps your playing cut through an ensemble without needing brute force. It’s also lighter under the hands, making fast passages easier, especially for beginners.
Cow hide is thicker and denser. It offers more of an earthy tonal range, with a deeper, punchier bass and a solid thump.
Many advanced players prefer cow hide because it handles heavy playing and high tuning better, with more headroom before the sound breaks up. It’s also more durable and stable under frequent re-tuning.
Cow hide comes into its own at higher tension with a bigger, punchier sound. It takes more work to get crisp, bright slaps compared to goat skin, but delivers more power and durability.
Many drummers learn to replace skins themselves with the right materials and some patience. It takes practice to get the tension even across the head, but it’s a skill worth developing if you play regularly.
If you’d rather have it done professionally, we offer a reskin and repair service. We work on djembes, dunun, darbukas and many other traditional drums – if you’ve got it, we can reskin it!
We also handle tuning, rope replacement, and structural repairs.
Get in touch if you’d like to discuss what your drum needs.
To prepare a natural drum skin, soak it in water for an hour so (until pliable). The soaking time depends on the thickness of the hide.
Once softened, stretch the wet skin over the drum shell and secure it with rope, rings, or tacks, depending on your drum type.
As the skin dries, it tightens naturally. You’ll need to adjust and tune the tension once the skin is fully dry.
This process works for djembe skins, dunun heads, Bougarabous, and other traditional drum types.
Drum rope needs to be strong and hold tension without stretching over time. We offer pre-stretched nylon rope in 2.5mm, 4mm, 5mm, and 6mm thicknesses.
5mm-6mm rope is standard for most adult sized djembes. It has higher strength and abrasion resistance, holds up well under high tension, and is the safer choice for larger drums (13-15″+), cow hide heads, or heavy playing.
The trade-off is it’s harder to pull tight and takes up more space on the rings.
4mm rope is easier to pull by hand, creates a cleaner layout with less crowding on the rings, and works well for smaller djembes (10-12″) or goat skin heads. It gives a more incremental tuning feel, but has a lower strength margin and can wear faster under very high tension.
2.5mm polyester cord is designed for smaller drums or drums with less tension like kpanlogos and talking drums.
If you’re not sure which thickness suits your drum, get in touch and we can help you choose based on your shell size, skin type, and playing style.
We carry replacement drum skins including goat, cow, calf, kangaroo, yearling, and synthetic (vegan) options, along with ropes in multiple thicknesses and colours, metal rings, and hardwood shells for West African drums like djembes, dunun, and Bougarabous.
You can find materials for full reskins, rope replacements when yours has worn through or stretched out, new rings if the originals are damaged or corroded, and shells if you’re building from scratch.
All materials are suited to traditional construction methods.
We want you to love what you receive. If there’s an issue with your order, we’ll do our best to make it right. To request a return, please contact us within 7 days of receiving your order.
Items must be unused and in original condition.You can find the full details of our policy here, and you’re always welcome to reach out to our team with any questions.
We ship across Australia and internationally. Most orders are dispatched on the same day, so you can expect a quick turnaround.
Delivery to metro areas in Australia usually takes 2–5 business days, with regional areas taking a little longer. We also offer express shipping options if you need your order sooner.
For international orders, delivery times depend on your location and the shipping option you choose at checkout.You’ll receive tracking details once your order is on its way. You can find more information on shipping timeframes and options here, or feel free to contact us for help estimating delivery to your area.
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