First year handling fur here. Started boarding my K9's (fur out) after rubbing the hide with borax. Seems to work great. Can't figure our why someone would mess with turning fur when it's easy to use Borax.

Is there a drawback for furbuyers, or something I'm missing?

Thanks.

Takes alot longer to dry.

TexA hit it dead on...flesh 'em clean and good air circulation is the key...

I use borax on water heads only from the ears to the nose...

My buyer buys about 2 million bucks of fur every season.When he buys the whole carcuss .....after skinning and fleshing he uses borax to dry up the grease.

every buyer i talked too is good with it,thats why i started using it and will never look back
Yes you still have to clean the hide up...d`oh

i did not think you need to flesh red fox,other than pulling a little meat and exess loose fat of with fingers or pliars and take out ear cartilidge

If there is fat under the saddle, it has to come off.

I do like to use borax, however the guy that has been tanning my fur doesnt like fur that has borax. He said it has a tendency to disrupt the tanning process cuz the pelt is too dry. I still use it and he still complains, LOL

I have copied this from my post in the Wilderness Trapping section:

I would like to add some constructive criticism here if I may.

Over the years I have made it a point to question the relevant people in the fur industry relative to fur handling. This includes trappers, fur graders, tanners, furriers, and brokers (buyers). Having worked with career fur graders as well as pre-grading and some grading myself I think I have a good understanding of pelt handling. Not to mention the numerous (1000's) of fur bearers I have put up myself.

It is fine to wash your furs with a mild soap but they should never be then placed on the drying form fur side out. Nor should furs for the fur market be treated with salt, borax. or any other chemical which may pre tans the leather. Except for perhaps the ears,lips or paws. The exception being animals for taxidermy purposes.

Ranch fur foxes are put on boards fur out. They use special boards with grooving cut up the sides and on the flat of the boards. They then have air tubes hooked to each board to ensure proper drying. There is a good chance of the sides becoming tainted and hair slip in the tanning process where trapper furs are boarded only fur out.

All fur should be boarded leather out then turned after proper drying and placed back on the board for a few days. Except furs that are handled fur in of course.

In my 10 years of working in with NAFA (then Dominion Soudack /HBC/Trappers International) I had opportunity to chat with many many fur brokers and tanners about fur handling. They really frown on the use of salt or borax on furs used for fur manufacturing as it will sometimes produce a different tanned product from their formulas. They want uniformity in each batch.

I am only passing this on from what I have learned and been told over the years and not trying to put any ones methods down.