Getting into the hobby and now looking at how to handle the fur after skinning. Getting bobcats and maybe some raccoons.

Wire vs wood stretchers? Looking at the duke #6
Fleshing beam? Make or buy one?
Fleshing knife type? Small single hand or a two handed knife?

And fur storage? Open air or burlap/ sheet bagged preferred. I’ll be using the basement/ unfinished room in the house as it’s cool and dry. Out in North AZ so not much humidity here.

Thanks to all the other posts near to this topic.

Az 2020

Wood boards as they provide the ability to pin out a square butt and the tail as well as providing overall better consistency in shape and fur density thus giving a better overall appearance.

Make your own fleshing beam out of a 2X6 cut out in the shape of a large fox board with edges curved. This size and shaped beam will accommodate all pelts larger than mink, marten, muskrat, etc which are easily fleshed on their own shaping boards using a small pelt (stirrup) fleshing tool. Also build it to fit your height angling up to your solar plexus.




Open air fur storage.

I see. Thank you for the ideas and the direction to go.

if possible i would say start off with the raccoons not the bobcats for some practice, you feel alot less sad if you mess up a 3 dollar raccoon then a nice bobcat

Wood for both cats and coons.
Most cats don't need much fleshing cant say about AZ raccoon. Buy a good fleshing knife off the bat and learn to use it.
Storage in a dark cool rodent free closet or shed will do just fine.

Good series of posts in the fur handling archives on cat put up.