Fleshing Knife vs Fleshing Machine

[pdog]

New to fleshing and need help! Currently using a fleshing knife to flesh hides but many holes. Thinking about a fleshing machine. Does anyone use a fleshing machine for putting up their hides? Any suggestions?

[fishermann222]

What kind of fleshing knife are you using? Get yourself a Necker knife. If you are making lots of holes you are either going to fast, pushing too hard, nicks in your fleshing beam, or are angling the fleshing knife too much. If your hides are really greasy use sawdust, it helps take the fat off and you dont have to push at all. what kinds of hides are you ripping?

When you use your knife keep the angle low, if you angle it too high, you will tear everytime on thin skinned critters. A fleshing machine is more for finishing the fleshing job, this is what tanneries use to take the rest off before tanning. If you are putting up your critters to sell you dont need to use a fleshing machine at all. Just keep that angle on the knife down, and yes a $60 knife is ALOT better than the $10 ones. But there is a slight learning curve.

[pdog]

thanks for the feedback fisherman. The first hide i did was which fleshed very easily. Then i did a coon and a coyote and kept cutting thru.I use an english fleshing knife and keep it pretty much flat to the hide. I'm thinking maybe i'm trying togo to deep or something.not sure how clean i need to acually get the hide.

[fishermann222]

I have only fleshed fox, beaver and martin. But I have heard on a coon you NEED to get it all off. your knife most likely has a dull side and a sharp side. Use the dull side to "roll" the fat, once you get stuck, then use the sharp side to get started again, then switch to dull side. You will get the hang of it. Contact the minnesota trappers association and someone there will bea ble to help you out as well.

[pdog]

what do I do with these i furs practice on? can i still sell them if they have holes?

[fishermann222]

once you make a nick or a hole, STOP what you are doing and sew it shut. I have used lots of different things to sew, from thread to spider wire. some 2lb spiderwire seems to work great for me. sew the holes shut, then continue fleshing. You should also be doing this with your bullet holes, they allneed to be sewn shut, I know some people disagree with me on this (at least I think) but if you do not sew your holes shut, especially on fox, when you go to turn them over ont he stretcher from leather out to fur out, those areas with the small bullet holes are alot more susceptible(sp?) to being torn. Any person who is good at trapping, predator hunting, who puts up his or her fur, becomes a great sewer whether they like it or not.

My first year when I ripped a fox I threw it out. I had numerous trappers tell me I was crazy, they asked if I knew what needle was for. This was before i was married so I had a friends wife teach me how to sew