What do you wolf guys prefer, wood boards w/belly board or the adjustable width stretchers? I usually prefer wood boards for everything, thought it might be easier to build an adjustable one because they are so big.
Thanks

Gibb did a good write up how to make folding ones so you can put them away and transport more easier. Maybe he will chime in.

Two piece adjustable for me

Adjustable ones for me too I can’t imagine wrestling a solid board and wedge around for big wolf

Difficult enough with a 2-piece adjustable width. Like O-man, I just cannot imagine working with a solid board.

Pete

I have both kinds,I like the split board best,easier to work with.But have no problems with a solid board.
Trick to using a solid board is to use Three 1 inch dowells for your keys.One in the belly and two up the back,right up to the eye holes.
Then when you turn fur out you can blow air with a fan up inside for optimum drying.I pin the tail to a marten board and lift it off the solid board to allow air circulation up inside the back which is the last to dry normally.
I do the same with the split board when I turn fur out.
I use 3 keys on my cats also.

2-piece adjustable for both coyote and wolf for me. Much easier to deal with drying pelts than solid boards.

I saw an old trappers wolf boards that had a CAM around the eye area of his split boards.
90#+ got the full CAM position smaller 70 # ones was a 1/2 cam position and smaller was full retracted
Widths would change from 0 to 2 1/2 inches
He was a machinist but when the war broke out, he moved into the woods to live because of the experiences in WW1. A week after he died they burnt his cabin and contents...shame

When I was in high school, we had a great woodshop, and the teacher let me make stretchers to my hearts content. I wasn't putting up 50 coyotes a year, but I built 50 stretchers!
All made out of 1"×4" pine, bandsawed to perfection, planed to 5/8" thickness, adjustable with a leather scrap on the nose for a hinge.
Made a 1"×3" bottom cleat with a fixed screw and nut on one end, and a bolt and wingnut for the other board that slid along the cleat's slot.

I find everyone's comments on how much harder to handle a solid board would interesting. I've never used a split stretcher on a wolf, and my experience stretching and drying wolf pelts is admittedly very limited. Most wolves here are sold for taxidermy as green pelts. But the couple I've done have been on a solid board. My problems handling were due to the length of the board in a low ceiling fur shed; something that wouldn't have been alleviated by using a split board.
Why exactly would a split board be easier to handle? I'm asking not to be argumentative, but because I would like to know. I personally far prefer solid boards for cats and coyotes because I find them much easier to work with, but do use some split stretchers at times either for very small cats or when putting up a bunch of fur at a time and don't have a properly sized solid stretcher because they are all already in use. Also split stretchers do potentially allow more airflow which will aid in speed of drying, Boco's recommendation of using slip sticks up the back is well taken and something I will remember next time I stretch a wolf.

I use split boards, adjustable in width with a cross piece at the base. Setting the width is done by pinning through holes on one side with the other side bolted together. I have a center board that pins into the crossing board that I pin the tail and center 2/3 of the skirt to.

I like that I don’t have to use a belly wedge with these boards and once dried the hide slips off easily once the board is brought back narrow.

Split stretchers do allow more airflow re drying and allow easier pelt removal. No need for spacing wedges.