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Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: coonman220] #6599342
08/21/19 08:51 AM
08/21/19 08:51 AM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 10,375
mn north of blakely
S
Steven 49er Offline
trapper
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mn north of blakely
Originally Posted by coonman220
First of all some that reply on this post, know what this bur that I talking about on knife is, others are not knowledgeable of fleshing knifes. U are supposed to have a bur on the angled part of knife on edge blade that u can feel with fingernail, to protect from cut holes in pelt, u use good quality knife an run back edge of blade on the fleshing knife an do it a few times an turn the metal over an make a bur. I sharpen it before with the lil honing oil I had an put new bur on it, after i done, what I asking is when doing this, make a bur, the way u make the bur, it almost has to be dulling the knife edge


The guy sharpening the Caribou knife is doing it the proper way.


"Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon". Milton Friedman.
Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: coonman220] #6599346
08/21/19 08:55 AM
08/21/19 08:55 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,487
Rodney,Ohio
SNIPERBBB Offline
trapper
SNIPERBBB  Offline
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Rodney,Ohio
Originally Posted by coonman220
I never knew u needed the bur, until at nafa demo at nta convention 2 summers ago in Illinois, I asked an plainly show it to.me, he used a file to put bur on edge, say it fine if sharpen but to put bur on edge an if bresk off , to put a new one on. I took my knife to ita convention 2 yrs ago an person I pm an met, that was vendor, did it for me. I just still not totaly understand how keeps ftom cutting holes in pelt. An u would think it dulls the knife the way u put bur on


As long as you can keep the burr/foil edge on the correct side of the knife and you're using proper technique, the burr makes the knife sharper because you are presenting a thinner edge than you can ever make a knife if you take the burr off. The burr also keeps the knife from kicking into the house and causing a hole.

You have to realign the burr occasionally as it will roll under after a while. The rolling under causes the knife to feel dull.

Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: coonman220] #6599382
08/21/19 09:33 AM
08/21/19 09:33 AM
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 208
Hillman mi. Northern Lower Eas...
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rivercabin53 Offline
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Hillman mi. Northern Lower Eas...
great

Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: danny clifton] #6599411
08/21/19 10:01 AM
08/21/19 10:01 AM
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,635
Pottawatamie co. IA
LLtrapper Offline
"The Coon Combine"
LLtrapper  Offline
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Posts: 3,635
Pottawatamie co. IA
I use my steel or back of my meat cleaver. I have one of Lee S. and have never had to "grind" it. I touch mine up when it needs it. Really not that often but then I am not hitting fur or bone either. LLL


Isaiah 51:6 But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.
Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: LLtrapper] #6599416
08/21/19 10:06 AM
08/21/19 10:06 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,487
Rodney,Ohio
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Rodney,Ohio
Originally Posted by LLtrapper
I use my steel or back of my meat cleaver. I have one of Lee S. and have never had to "grind" it. I touch mine up when it needs it. Really not that often but then I am not hitting fur or bone either. LLL


Lee's knives have much better and harder metal than a necker.

Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: coonman220] #6599431
08/21/19 10:17 AM
08/21/19 10:17 AM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 13,039
Ky
J
jbyrd63 Offline
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Ky
grinder lol

Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: coonman220] #6599559
08/21/19 02:03 PM
08/21/19 02:03 PM
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,934
n.e, iowa
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coonman220 Offline OP
trapper
coonman220  Offline OP
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n.e, iowa
Ya it hard to get used new knifes, I have had this knife for very long time, I did screw up angle in it years back but took to professional an went over it. The bur I put on is not on in middle section of blade for aways, for some reason, it not turn out there but i always use the left side for slicing an right sometimes. But not much, never anywhere in middle, but the way u put bur on it. Ur pushing against edge hard an forming an roll metal over, I used a lil wd 40 when made bur. I would think make bur in push hard against edge knife would dull it,

Last edited by coonman220; 08/21/19 02:04 PM.
Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: coonman220] #6599603
08/21/19 04:12 PM
08/21/19 04:12 PM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 10,375
mn north of blakely
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Steven 49er Offline
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mn north of blakely
If you are pushing hard against your sharp side you knife is wrong or possibly the beam. By definition, sharpening a knife will give it a burr. The alignment of the burr is what's important. If the burr is rolled down it causes the knife to dig in or lift the pelt off the beam, if the burr is rolled up it gives it a dull feel. \When the burr or a better way to put it is the edge is in alignment with the cutting angle is the proper result. After us the edge tends to roll down creating the "burr" then it needs to be realigned so to speak. The way Mr. Howell demonstrates in the video is the proper technique to sharpen a single sided knife. Run your skinning knife or steel flat down the back side and then perpendicular down the edge, it's paramount whatever you are using to sharpen is harder than the fleshing knife.

I sharpen mine(a better term is realign) the same way.

Run my skinning knife flat down the back(my skinner is about as hard as they come) turning the burr that was created from use.
[Linked Image]

And than I run my knife perpendicular down the front. It seems counter intuitive but it's not.

[Linked Image]


If you paid attention to the sharpening demonstration he talks about wanting to be able to fleshing holing the knife on each side with two fingers. If it requires extra effort it's wrong. You should be able to cut with the whole length of your knife from right to left if you are right handed. If not either sharpen it or take it to someone who can. If you can't get it right or keep the edge it's the knife. IMHO neckers are too soft a steel, get a Caribou or one from Lee Steinmeyer.

That guy talks about fleshing beaver on average 3 to 4 minutes, unless you are doing it at those speeds and doing a 50 to a 100 a day. I suggest watching that video over and over and over and over and loose all preconceived notions you may have.

When I get old I'm going to teach myself to flesh over my knee like the Canadian.


"Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon". Milton Friedman.
Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: coonman220] #6599703
08/21/19 06:35 PM
08/21/19 06:35 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,073
Manitoba
N
Northof50 Offline
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Manitoba
Good write up 49 er
The Canadian is Jackey Worth from Alberta one of the important feature on knee fleshing he gives is " if you see blue coming up" ...you are going too deep and mom will have to patch your jeans. And you have to re-sharpen your knife as well.

The fleshing on the knee came in VOGUE when there was a limit on beaver you could trap Like zero- nill nothing- but at a months wage per pelt risk was worth it ?. You caught one and you prepared it on the spot and on the inside of your pants was a second layer the skin went into to advoid detection when you went by the Game wardens at the muskrat check stations on the big marshes in La Pas Area of Maintoba.

Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: coonman220] #6599846
08/21/19 09:34 PM
08/21/19 09:34 PM
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 605
North Dakota
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BFP Offline
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North Dakota
Very good information here boys, thanks.

Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: coonman220] #6599853
08/21/19 09:46 PM
08/21/19 09:46 PM
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,934
n.e, iowa
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coonman220 Offline OP
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Never had time to watch vid yet. Good information there, I used a Dexter triangle muskrat knife on back side to roll bur over like u did, that what was told to do but maybe used to small knife. An not heavy enough to get bur all way across, I don't think have ever used the whole surface of knife to scrape, either 1 side or other, usally left side

Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: coonman220] #6938516
07/22/20 12:41 PM
07/22/20 12:41 PM
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 22
ON
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I am going to have to learn the sharpening method shown there and once learned go back to my beam and try a beaver (and everything else should benefit)on it.
But in the interim I have done just 1 beaver over my knee to date and that was enough to convince me that it is the easiest and best way of fleshing a rough skinned beaver,not expecting to go back to the beam at this point really.
I also want to teach myself to clean skin beaver just to have the skill and then stack that up against the knee and the beam?

Thanks again for posting the vid and making it searchable to include beaver and caribou fleshing knife,I had seen it before but had issues finding it again.

Last edited by Racer55; 07/22/20 12:42 PM.
Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: coonman220] #6938570
07/22/20 01:34 PM
07/22/20 01:34 PM
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 2,279
PA
L
lumberjack391 Offline
trapper
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PA
I never knew there was such a science to sharpening a fleshing knife......

Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: coonman220] #6938579
07/22/20 01:44 PM
07/22/20 01:44 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 7,135
Wisconsin
M
Moosetrot Offline
trapper
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Wisconsin
Watching this great thread!

Moosetrot

Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: Steven 49er] #6938631
07/22/20 02:37 PM
07/22/20 02:37 PM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 16,224
Iowa
~ADC~ Offline
The Count
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Posts: 16,224
Iowa
Originally Posted by Steven 49er
If you are pushing hard against your sharp side you knife is wrong or possibly the beam. By definition, sharpening a knife will give it a burr. The alignment of the burr is what's important. If the burr is rolled down it causes the knife to dig in or lift the pelt off the beam, if the burr is rolled up it gives it a dull feel. \When the burr or a better way to put it is the edge is in alignment with the cutting angle is the proper result. After us the edge tends to roll down creating the "burr" then it needs to be realigned so to speak. The way Mr. Howell demonstrates in the video is the proper technique to sharpen a single sided knife. Run your skinning knife or steel flat down the back side and then perpendicular down the edge, it's paramount whatever you are using to sharpen is harder than the fleshing knife.

I sharpen mine(a better term is realign) the same way.

Run my skinning knife flat down the back(my skinner is about as hard as they come) turning the burr that was created from use.
[Linked Image]

And than I run my knife perpendicular down the front. It seems counter intuitive but it's not.

[Linked Image]


If you paid attention to the sharpening demonstration he talks about wanting to be able to fleshing holing the knife on each side with two fingers. If it requires extra effort it's wrong. You should be able to cut with the whole length of your knife from right to left if you are right handed. If not either sharpen it or take it to someone who can. If you can't get it right or keep the edge it's the knife. IMHO neckers are too soft a steel, get a Caribou or one from Lee Steinmeyer.

That guy talks about fleshing beaver on average 3 to 4 minutes, unless you are doing it at those speeds and doing a 50 to a 100 a day. I suggest watching that video over and over and over and over and loose all preconceived notions you may have.

When I get old I'm going to teach myself to flesh over my knee like the Canadian.



Very good post. Thanks for taking time to put it together. It should be of good help to lots of people.

Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: coonman220] #6938652
07/22/20 02:57 PM
07/22/20 02:57 PM
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 7,138
W NY
Turtledale Offline
trapper
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trapper

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Posts: 7,138
W NY
Obviously I've been doing sharpening wrong. Don't touch mine up much but will try what I've learned here and see if things are easier. There always seems to be a better way. Well at least I've managed for forty some years. Good thread.


NYSTA, NTA, FTA, life member Erie county trappers assn.,life member Catt.county trappers
Re: Sharpening fleshing knife question [Re: coonman220] #6938661
07/22/20 03:04 PM
07/22/20 03:04 PM
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,934
n.e, iowa
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coonman220 Offline OP
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n.e, iowa
That What I did like that. It still hard to understand what the bur does. An create it, would seem.like dulling knife , yes the metal on knecker is soft

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