An easier way to peel ear cartilage?

Make sure they are fully rehydrated and go slow. Others use bondo and don't remove it.

 

The McKenzie website used to have a video on removing cartilage. I don't know if it's still there, but if not, let us know.

 

THIS MAY HELP

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=TAXIDERMY+REMOVE+EAR+CARTLAGE​

 

If the ear is rehydrated properly but still tearing as you peal the cartilage off, I take a single edge razor blade and cut the cartilage off by a thinning motion. I guess if you are not good at thinning you could cut holes with the razor blade. If one ear starts tearing the other one almost always tears too, never figured that one out.
I have a pool cue stick i tapered down at the end and shove up in ear also. I never used one of those skife knives but maybe they would work

 

I use a small set of needle nose pliers to start and hold cartilage. Use your thumb under as you pull with pliers. It will start to rip when you see the hairs start pulling through. Stop and start again from above tear working from top down. Sometimes you just have to skive the cartilage off if its to hard.

 

This is the way that works best for me. I begin with a sharp scalpel blade on the upper (thicker) edge of the cartilage and carefully start separating the cartilage and skin with the scalpel. You only need to get it separated about 1/2" in, and I do this most of the length of the ear (this takes only a minute once you get the hang of it). Then, carefully begin to peel the skin from the cartilage, working across the ear. I then work upwards to the tip, around the tip, and then down to the inner ear. Also, peeling cartilage from skin always tears holes for me, but peeling skin from cartilage rarely tears holes or pulls the fine hairs through, so peel skin from cartilage, not the other way. Hope this helps.

 

I slice the cartilage in half mid ear, and peel in both directions, one direction toward the ear base, the other toward the tip of the ear. Some ears peel easy, others are booger-bears!

 

why would you want to remove the cartilage?

 

DUH ?​

 

DUH yourself that is out dated method

 

Can you post up a better method ? I’ve done removal and bondo. Always open to new methods.

 

byrdman, why are you so damned caustic? There's NOTHING "outdated" about removing cartilage. In fact, any OTHER METHOD is outdated. I've been around long enough to be an expert on "outdated".

 

I too slice the cartilage across at mid-ear. Once you start removing the cartilage on the tip end, take notice as you are peeling it. If you are noticing the skin start to get thinner and/or hairs staying on the cartilage, take your scalpel and cut the skin right above that spot on the cartilage, I usually take a tool kind of like the one in the video and push the skin off cartilage instead of peeling it if the skin seems thin. Be careful around any damaged areas on the inside of the ear, as they are prone to rip very easily if you don't take you time.

 

George maybe not outdated but definetly unessecary

 

Sent pictures of my last cartilage removal:
Ear#1 - Slice carefully across the ear.

Ear#2 - Folder the ear to help break the cartilage, expose the thin ear skin.

Ear#3 - Start peeling back the cartilage with your fingernail or I use a rounded dull screwdriver the start the cartilage.


Ear#4 - Peel the cartilage slowly to the top of the ear.

Ear#5 - Peel the cartilage slowly to the bottom of the ear.

Ear#6 - Completed ear..

 

If you are wet tanning, remove the cartilage after tanning. the skin will be a little tougher after tanning. I've done it both ways.

 

Pull small rip small.

 

Byrdman
What's your non outdated method ? Ear liner epoxied over cartilage?