I was wondering if anyone has purchased a new Raw Hide fleshing machine recently? I’m debating between the Raw Hide and S&S. If I get the Raw Hide I will still have to buy the electric motor which I’m not sure how much that will cost. With the S&S it will come with the motor. The Raw Hide is $1,900 then I have to buy the motor and the S&S runs about the same price but is a complete unit with the motor. If someone has used both of these units please share the pros and cons of each. I have researched on taxidermy.net and everyone really likes the Raw Hide.

I have the S&S and like it.

The Rawhide has a cult following because it's a name that has been around longer than most. It's a copy of the Reliable that was a mainstay machine in the high production dressing facilities until the late 1900's and worked well for that system. If you find the Fur Dresser model it has good guards that are fairly easy to adjust to a wide range of setting. The belt tensioning system is primitive, the open belt design creates a situation where shavings get into the pulley or wrap on the belt fairly regularly creating a loud thumping and vibrating until you turn off the machine and remove the shaving. The hub rides on a 1/2" shaft with sealed bearings. Most will be fairly quiet at first but tend to get loud with hard use. The eventual fix is to use a center punch to dimple the inside of the hub to keep the bearing in place, so it doesn't rotate or vibrate in the hub. To change a blade, you need to un-belt the motor, not really difficult since the tensioning system is nothing more than the weight of the motor hanging on the belt, let the motor hang down, pull the belt up off the hub then down over the frame, loosen the jamb nuts on each side of the shaft, lift the whole hub/blade assembly out of the frame, remove four flat head machine screws, take the pinch plate off, take the blade off, put the new blade on and reverse the process to reassemble.

The men that originally designed and built the S&S were top notch machinist's, they did a lot of work for the auto industry. Their skill was evident in the machine, but it was over engineered and too time consuming to make. Their price back when they first started was in the $2500.00 range which put them out of the market for the most part. The only real weak point of their design was they tried to make it so "safe" that it became a hinderance for production, basically the guard system and adjustments, they were not user-friendly back then and still aren't by the looks of it. I don't know what the new owner has done to bring the price point down, maybe nothing but they are willing to work for less money?

So, between the two machines would I pay the same price for the Rawhide then still need to spend another $300.00 for a motor, switch and wiring, plus do the labor? Not a snowballs chance.

Excellent reviews.

Thanks

Have you looked at the Dakota line fleshing machine

I would say the Dakota's are "entry level" but they're not. They are the bottom of the market and, if you put a lot of hours on a machine, you'll eventually realize you would have been better off spending a little more at the start. The regular Dakota machines have basically the same arbor setup as the Rawhide, only the motor is bolted solid, which means you pretty much need to disassemble the bulk of the machine to change a blade. The majority of them are loud from the start, you may get lucky and get a quiet one. The depth guards and adjustment system is one of, if not the worst on the market. Typically, you hear people that run them commenting on how they avoid changing a blade because it's a 20-30 minute job by the time you get the new blade on and guards adjusted. You still have the open belt issue so cleaning out shavings is a common occurrence.

The Dakota Pro model fixes the open belt problem, and the blade is easier to change, but that's pretty much where the advantages stop. The bearing and spindle design could have been stronger, and the guard adjustment is a train wreck with all the little thumb wheels and set screws, terribly over-engineered. Like the regular line, the guard length and radius were very poorly thought out.

On a side note for anyone interested. If you are thinking of a shaver, don't even look at the "small" bade machines. The 7" blade machine was marketed as a detail shaver, obviously because the 12" blade machine vibrated so much that many people were having trouble shaving thin areas. A smooth running 12" machine will do everything you want if it runs smooth, the detail plus much wider shavings when you are shaving "square footage".

Great post and information! Thank you!

I'd say you definitely know your fleshing machines Mr. Daniels, thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge here.

I've been operating them since 1984, year around as a business since 1990, I have a little bit of scar tissue on the finger tips to show for it.

I am purchasing one of the Capemasters from a friend of mine..... I am hoping it performs as well as its reputation.

I am purchasing one of the Capemasters from a friend of mine..... I am hoping it performs as well as its reputation. [/quote]

If you have any questions or problems with it let me know. Who are you getting it from, and do you know the history of it?

Anyone run the Quebec Fleshing Machine? If so, opinions on it?

Just got an S & S. Large size. Never used one before. Easy fast set up other then the making of the table for it. Quiet and smooth. Just practicing slight shaving on some low value nutria hides. Working ok. Doing faces not hard Just repeat passes. Was not difficult to adjust for a real thin shave.
Like it but only time and practice will tell me if I did a good thing.
Ted

If it's cheap enough, and you can make parts if needed, buy it. The Lite model with the plastic hood did not hold up, but it wasn't meant for hard use. They have not been made for awhile, guards are not user friendly at all.

You'll be fine with it, there's a long learning curve!

Keith thank you for the review. With what you stated above I will probably just get the S&S. I will call S&S and chat with them. I always like talking to the people that sell the items I’m looking for. Thanks again.