Fur Handling Forum


No Profanity *** No Flaming *** No Advertising *** No Anti Trappers *** No Politics
No Non-Target Catches *** No Links to Anti-trapping Sites *** No Avoiding Profanity Filter


Home~Trap Talk~ADC Forum~Trap Shed~Wilderness Trapping~International Trappers~Fur Handling

Auction Forum~Trapper Tips~Links~Gallery~Basic Sets~Convention Calendar~Chat~ Trap Collecting Forum

Trapper's Humor~Strictly Trapping~Fur Buyers Directory~Mugshots~Fur Sale Directory~Wildcrafting

Trapper's Tales~Words From The Past~Legends~Archives~Kids Forum~Lure Formulators Forum


~Dobbins' Catalog~

>
pcsoutdoors
(Please support PCS Outdoors, our sponsor for the Fur Handling Forum Page)


Print Thread
Hop To
Page 2 of 3 1 2 3
Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: payotetrapper] #6454078
02/07/19 07:14 PM
02/07/19 07:14 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,261
james bay frontierOnt.
B
Boco Offline
trapper
Boco  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,261
james bay frontierOnt.
I just use stones and a leather strop.
A wet wheel to thin the blade originally, and a fine stone and a strop to keep razor sharp.
That's all you need.No need for expensive gimmicky stuff that wears away your blades.

Last edited by Boco; 02/07/19 07:16 PM.

Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: Boco] #6454151
02/07/19 08:21 PM
02/07/19 08:21 PM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Posco Offline
trapper
Posco  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Originally Posted by Boco
I just use stones and a leather strop.
A wet wheel to thin the blade originally, and a fine stone and a strop to keep razor sharp.
That's all you need.No need for expensive gimmicky stuff that wears away your blades.


I see some guys use those cutlery steels to sharpen their beaver knives but the only thing they do for me is to destroy my knife edge. I use stones and have strops as well but I was looking for something a little less involved while in the throws of fleshing. I don't like gimmicks, either.

Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: payotetrapper] #6454162
02/07/19 08:27 PM
02/07/19 08:27 PM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Posco Offline
trapper
Posco  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
I don't have a problem keeping razors razor sharp.

[Linked Image]

Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: payotetrapper] #6454173
02/07/19 08:36 PM
02/07/19 08:36 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,261
james bay frontierOnt.
B
Boco Offline
trapper
Boco  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,261
james bay frontierOnt.
Once you learn how to thin the blade,it just takes a few licks on the strop to get that razor edge back.Once the blade is thin all it takes is a few strokes on a fine stone to get it back strop ready again.


Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: Posco] #6454180
02/07/19 08:39 PM
02/07/19 08:39 PM
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,545
NC, Orange Co.
QuietButDeadly Offline
trapper
QuietButDeadly  Offline
trapper

Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,545
NC, Orange Co.
Originally Posted by Posco
Originally Posted by Boco
I just use stones and a leather strop.
A wet wheel to thin the blade originally, and a fine stone and a strop to keep razor sharp.
That's all you need.No need for expensive gimmicky stuff that wears away your blades.


I see some guys use those cutlery steels to sharpen their beaver knives but the only thing they do for me is to destroy my knife edge. I use stones and have strops as well but I was looking for something a little less involved while in the throws of fleshing. I don't like gimmicks, either.


If using a steel is making your knife dull, you have one or two problems......1) poor quality steel; 2) Poor technique using the steel. Probably a combination of the two with the quality of the knife thrown in as #3.

I touched up my fleshing knife with a stone and strop after I finished up last season. Have not touched it with anything but a steel since.

Hundreds of thousands of butchers keep their knives working with a steel. It only takes a few seconds to straighten up the edge and right back to work.


Life Member: NCTA, VTA, NTA, TTFHA, MFTI
Member: FTA NRA NWTF
Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: Posco] #6454205
02/07/19 08:57 PM
02/07/19 08:57 PM
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 371
North, MS
T
TrapperCarl78 Offline
trapper
TrapperCarl78  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 371
North, MS
Originally Posted by Posco
What are you guys using to sharpen your beaver knives? The peeler type. Any recommendations on specific steel and/or stones would be appreciated.

I got a FDick steel from Horn on here. Been a game changer for touch ups while skinning.


TC
Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: payotetrapper] #6454227
02/07/19 09:06 PM
02/07/19 09:06 PM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Posco Offline
trapper
Posco  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
It may be the chintzy steel I have, the only one I could find locally has striations along its length. I went back to my stone out of frustration. It works fine but is time-consuming.

Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: TrapperCarl78] #6454228
02/07/19 09:06 PM
02/07/19 09:06 PM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Posco Offline
trapper
Posco  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Originally Posted by TrapperCarl78
Originally Posted by Posco
What are you guys using to sharpen your beaver knives? The peeler type. Any recommendations on specific steel and/or stones would be appreciated.

I got a FDick steel from Horn on here. Been a game changer for touch ups while skinning.


Can you point me to it?

Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: QuietButDeadly] #6454241
02/07/19 09:18 PM
02/07/19 09:18 PM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Posco Offline
trapper
Posco  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Originally Posted by QuietButDeadly
If using a steel is making your knife dull, you have one or two problems......1) poor quality steel; 2) Poor technique using the steel.


Both likely suspects. I've watched videos of guys fleshing beaver and four to six passes on a steel and they're back in action.

Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: payotetrapper] #6454259
02/07/19 09:33 PM
02/07/19 09:33 PM
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,545
NC, Orange Co.
QuietButDeadly Offline
trapper
QuietButDeadly  Offline
trapper

Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 6,545
NC, Orange Co.
Google F. Dick Steels

I use the 10" Packinghouse smooth polished steel and the 10" Fine Cut Round steel.

A little study on using steels will show that the better quality knives are better served using the smooth polished steels. Cheaper made lower quality knives, use the fine or regular cut steel.


Life Member: NCTA, VTA, NTA, TTFHA, MFTI
Member: FTA NRA NWTF
Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: QuietButDeadly] #6454368
02/07/19 10:41 PM
02/07/19 10:41 PM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Posco Offline
trapper
Posco  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Originally Posted by QuietButDeadly
Google F. Dick Steels

I use the 10" Packinghouse smooth polished steel and the 10" Fine Cut Round steel.

A little study on using steels will show that the better quality knives are better served using the smooth polished steels. Cheaper made lower quality knives, use the fine or regular cut steel.


Thank you, I'll do just that.

Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: payotetrapper] #6454736
02/08/19 11:25 AM
02/08/19 11:25 AM
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 695
Ontario
S
Saskfly Offline
trapper
Saskfly  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 695
Ontario
Check out the beaver handling video on you tube under North American Wild Fur Shippers Council. Think it was titled the fur shed. Had great advice on sharpening knifes and fleshers, plus good all round videos.

Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: Saskfly] #6454862
02/08/19 01:18 PM
02/08/19 01:18 PM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Posco Offline
trapper
Posco  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Originally Posted by Saskfly
Check out the beaver handling video on you tube under North American Wild Fur Shippers Council. Think it was titled the fur shed. Had great advice on sharpening knifes and fleshers, plus good all round videos.


Will do. Thanks.

Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: payotetrapper] #6454923
02/08/19 02:14 PM
02/08/19 02:14 PM
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 371
North, MS
T
TrapperCarl78 Offline
trapper
TrapperCarl78  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 371
North, MS
Send Horn a PM he can hook you up. He also sells reworked Victorinox knives too. Fair Prices.


TC
Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: payotetrapper] #6455354
02/08/19 10:05 PM
02/08/19 10:05 PM
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,369
N.C MO
T
TONY.F Offline
trapper
TONY.F  Offline
trapper
T

Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 4,369
N.C MO
cheap crappy knives I use a fine file and steel. My victornox a diamond hone and steel. My favorite skinning knife is a old metal pearing knife cheap metal that sharpens fast but hair dulls it fast, Two strokes on a medium cut steel it will shave again.


LIVE LIFE LIKE THEIR IS NO TOMMORROW
Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: The Beav] #6458697
02/12/19 12:17 AM
02/12/19 12:17 AM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Posco Offline
trapper
Posco  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Originally Posted by The Beav
The learning curve between clean skinning and beam fleshing Is pretty high.
I could never get the hang of clean skinning way to slow and tedious. And If you can't keep a knife sharp your bound to fail at It.
Those that can do It are true artists but It's not for every one.



I've got one I fleshed over my knee boarded right now and I'm quite pleased with the way it came out. I'm back to the stones for sharpening until I get a quality steel. I've got a larger beaver in the garage I need to get thawed for round two. I'll post up some pics with the finished product when I'm done.

Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: payotetrapper] #6459698
02/12/19 09:51 PM
02/12/19 09:51 PM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Posco Offline
trapper
Posco  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Finding quality stones is no easy task nowadays. Found this just in case anyone is interested.

https://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/Hard-Translucent-Arkansas-Stone-in-Wooden-Box-P283C96.aspx

Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: payotetrapper] #6459782
02/12/19 10:48 PM
02/12/19 10:48 PM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,261
james bay frontierOnt.
B
Boco Offline
trapper
Boco  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,261
james bay frontierOnt.
Thanks for the link Posco.
Can never have enough stones.People don't realize you need to dress the stones regularly also to keep them in top shape.


Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: Boco] #6459873
02/13/19 12:10 AM
02/13/19 12:10 AM
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Posco Offline
trapper
Posco  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 11,194
Maine, Aroostook
Originally Posted by Boco
Thanks for the link Posco.
Can never have enough stones.People don't realize you need to dress the stones regularly also to keep them in top shape.


You know your stuff. I enjoy sharpening knives, it's a form of therapy for me. I'm never quite satisfied with an edge.

I pulled another frozen beaver out of the garage today and am hoping I can peel the hide off it tomorrow morning to have another go at fleshing over my knee. I'll let you know how I make out with it.

Re: Fleshing beaver [Re: payotetrapper] #6459879
02/13/19 12:15 AM
02/13/19 12:15 AM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,261
james bay frontierOnt.
B
Boco Offline
trapper
Boco  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,261
james bay frontierOnt.
Fleshing over the knee is not much of a learning curve.It comes quite natural.After two or three you will have it down pat.The bigger ones are way easier to do that way than the smaller ones.
Smaller beaver that have been rough skinned can be easily scraped clean on the board with a one hand scraper.Just have to be careful not to rip it out at the nails around the more tender parts.

Last edited by Boco; 02/13/19 12:17 AM.

Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Page 2 of 3 1 2 3
Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.1