Just purchased a two in one fleshing knife so I could start tanning capes instead of D.P. I will keep it dull (per Geo's respected opinion in the archives). What I got going on is the hide's sliding all over while I'm trying to work the knife. And yes it is on a fleshing beam. Is there a specific technique or tool for aleviating this . Archives didn't cover this as far as I could see. I really cant afford a fleshing machine(going out of the world backwards getting all my tax. supplies) and won't leave a post to get a FREE one. Hope I haven't enduced another force feeding or pissing people off forum. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanx,Jeff
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You will find that you will want the rounded side very sharp except the very ends for about 1/2 inch. When you want to slice something you flip your knife around and do it. Then use the dull inside to push the easy stuff off. It should be contoured to your beam somewhat. Put pressure on the hide with your belly or waist or wherever your beam meets your body and use enough force to keep it from sliding down, then apply all the pressure strait down the length of the beam.. Try to work only the top foot and a half while fleshing and keep moving the hide around so you dont work one place to hard on the hair side. I find fast short strokes work better than longer ones.
Cause I'm a dumb farmboy who knows you don't sharpen anything that you don't want it cut something. The idea is to FLESH the hide, not shave it. Guarantee, you'll never cut the hide if it's dull, but you'll never cut the hide with a sharp one if you're GOOD. (I was never good.) You choose now. As for the slippin'&slidin', I use a ViseGrip 6 inch wood clamp with the rubber grommet covers. I work a section at a time and then rearrange the hide, reclamp, and start again.
My beam is at an angle about 35 degrees and anchored in the corner at the bottom. I lean on the top end of it and pin the hide down with my body and flesh the first 1' or so at a time, as Brad mentioned. My fleshing stroke is then angled downward to let gravity assist the process. I use a straight metal draw knife that is somewhat sharp and it works fine. Just fleshed a fisher last night using the same technique, but took it quite a bit slower than I would a deer. Deer flesh pretty easy. My beam is a log of peeled aspen about 4.5 feet long, 6 inch in diameter. I have a Quebec Lite fleshing machine, but use it for shaving hides after pickling, I can flesh a deer cape on the beam a lot faster to get the meat and fat off. Shaving gets the hide thinner before tanning.
My old Neckar fleshing knife is two-sided, the dull edge used for fat removal, but the sharp side (well sharpened) is for meat and saddles. I seldom use it on capes anymore. I can flesh one on my QL in 10-15 minutes, do a better job and it is sooooo much easier on my bad back and neck. Now the beam and nice is for really fatty hides (bear - coon - etc.)
My beam is also angled and I push against the beam with my rib cage, just below my chest (same starting pt for doing CPR).
For my 10 year old son, he is a lot like George (too short) so we use a grip clamp to hold his hides in place for fleshing. They work fine.
Thanx again for your time and great tips. Will try a little bit of everything and see what works for me.