I sent two beaver and a coon in for tanning.I like the finished product except for the faces.Is there anything I can do during the fleshing process to make a softer finished hide?They are real stiff around the nose lips and ears.Any advice will be greatly apprieciated.Rancid
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It's not the fleshing that makes them stiff. It's the breaking of the hide that DIDN'T take place that makes them stiff. If you want them softer than they are, oil the facial skin with a good hand lotion. Then take a broom stick end and put it into a vise. Hold the face down over the stick and work the hide back and forth. As you'll see though, the eyes and lip areas are very tender and will easily tear. The ears also can't be broken very easily and they, too, will remain stiff. Just a fact of life you have to live with on animal faces.