I'm trying to flesh my first beaver, having a few issues. I'm not sure if I've fleshed it down far enough or do I need to get it down more. Right now everything is getting so soft I had to put it back in the freezer to stiffin it up some. I know I need to do the head more, but I can't really cut very well with everything so much like jello. I tried to get as good of closeups as I could of the leather, if I go further, you can see where some nicks are starting... The depth of the nicks I'm thinking is too far, or is that where I need to be? Any advice to make this easier?






If there's any questions about the pics, ask, and I'll be checking this post and answer what I can.

Yes you need to keep scraping more
Keep At ER!

I try to clean skinn as I go. Takes longer but less much less scrap time....

Is your fleshing knife good and sharp?

Are you on a beam or using one of those triangle fleshers on a board?



I had problems until I switched to a very sharp fleshing knife (Post) and since then they are still hard (because I'm still learning) but look better when I'm done.

you need to use a sharp fleshing knife.Fleshing beaver with my necker is how I leaned how to use the sharp edge. I was in the same stage as you, I just said it's now or never, and just started using the sharp edge.

Looks to me like a wonderful start on a fine beaver. Me thinks you are making it to hard to do. Go around the pelt and look and feel it over, identify all the areas that are soft and easy to flesh, make sure all those are clean, that will be easy. Next look clost where you have cut into it and made the dent like areas, thats how all of it needs to look, in other words where you got a little of it off, it needs to be all smooth and all gone right down to the leather. Scraping is fine for the soft stuff, but all that gristle needs to be sliced off with a sharp fleshing knife, start where it is clean to the leather and just keep going on a strip a few inches wode until you get on to it, when you reach across the pelt to cleaned area start over again with another strip, once you get a clean strip down to the leather across the pelt it will get much easier and you will think its a piece of cake. Any decent fleshing knife will work, it just has to have a sharp even edge, and slice dont scrape, slice dont cut little spots, slice, slice it down in a strip and you will have it, the soft rubbery problem you are having will be defeated by keeping the pelt fairly tight on the beam and the sharp knife sliceing routine as the very stuff that giving you fits is going to be rolling ahead of your blade. once you get on to it a bit the feel along of the leather will guide you and the look of what is rolling ahead of the blade.

The gristle is whats giving you problems, thats why your nicking it.
Your knife needs to be sharper and you need a better hold on the pelt, other than that it's a learned art, with out seeing how it's done.

I have the time thats whay I clean skin every beaver I get or comes to me.

If you had some badgers and case skinned them, when you flesh them it's a pretty quick way to learn how to use a real sharp knife. Then moving ato a beaver is a snap, jsut holding them is tough for me. Another reason for me to clean skin them.

Looks like there is a little fat near the tail section, very job good though.

With the face I use a beaver knife and a slicing motion to get it clean, its not critical to have the face totally clean if you go at it too much its easy to cut. You can remove the lips too, instead of trying to flesh them, it can be done but if its your first it will look cleaner and be easier with the lips off.
Once its boarded you can go over it gently with a beaver knife and scrape or cut off any little globs of fat/gristle.

When I fleshed my first I was very critical and kept going, I eventually cut the hide and made a mess. If I would have stopped it would have been fine. As others have said sharp good steel makes the job easier. Just get a feel for the angle and pressure.

For me, seeing the fat and gristle on the hide took time to learn. The rump and sides of the face are tricky but if you take your time on the first few and get a feeling for the knife , you get the nack pretty quick.

When fleshing beaver its important to finish an area before moving to another, you can get lost otherwise. I start behind the ears and work staright down to the rump, then I do each leg, then the belly fat and finish with the face. When I am done I don't have to go back its done, save a quick scraping once its boarded.

Once you think you have got it done nail it or hoop it and see how it dries. The areas you didn't do well will really show. Areas you thought you should have taken more off may dry just fine. Learn from it and go forward.

Wipe it down every day or so beacause no matter how good a job you do there may be a little grease come off the hide as it dries.

I think those nicks probably won't show once its dried.
goodluck

My fleshing beam is a vertical mounted oak beam, angled back slightly. The fleshing knife is a necker 600, brand new really. I've only used it so far on a couple possum and a couple coon. I was mainly worried about taking it too far and messing the pelt up, but if I still have room to take it down further I will. Possum, I'll do the slicing, I know what you're refering to because that was the only way any of it would come off the back. I'll work on it again this afternoon. Also, I'll post more pics when I'm done. On last question... Where should I cut across the face when removing the nose? Or does that stay? Lips?

The nose comes off with the lips and whiskers. Make the cut while looking at the flesh side. The fat and tissue of the lips looks different than the rest of the face. Just stretch it out and start from oneside and make a straight cut across, You can see the nose from the flesh side so cut just behind it. The swath that comes of will be about an inch or so wide, and should travel just behind the nose and whiskeers.. Keep a little tension on the hide and the knife cuts through easier and cleaner .

yup i clean skin all my beaver.i scraped 1 one time and learned to close skin much faster.

I like the upper body workout! LOL

it looks nice just keep scapin!