before salting when i split the lips do i need to do any fleshing around the nose and lower lips or really just "slpitting the lips"
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I would go ahead and split the lips and shave or thin them down, do the nose and nostrils likewise, (salting as you go) then move to the eyes and do the eyelids, then turn the ears. Now you can nock off the red meat and fat from the rest of the cape. Lay it out and salt heavily, roll it up over night, shake out the next day and re-salt again, leaving it flat, but where it can drain any moisture out. after its dried out, (a couple of days usually) it's ready for the pickle bath.......
do u flesh it before salting or before putting it in the pickle bath
Fleshing (all red meat and excessive fat) should be done before salting. If you don't then the salt will not set the hair into it's epidermal roots. When salting I do not roll it up. I believe this traps bacteria that can haunt you later. I rather, salt heavily and place on something like an oven rack that is set on an incline so that any excessive liquids will run off. The next day shake off salt and salt heavily again. At this point you wait for the cape or hide to harden. This can sometimes take a few days so do be patient. At this point you send it to the tannery or begin your relaxing, pickling, etc. Lots more on this in the archives. Hope this helps. Peace- Jeff F.