My fleshing knife isn't an expensive one, but it IS sharp! It is not shave your legs sharp,but will definitely cut you. How sharp should it be to do a good job on a pelt?

Your fleshing knife does not need to be be any sharper then a standard table knife to do a good job pushing excess meat and fat off a pelt. Sharpness only makes it easier to do the job provided you are carefull and do not cut the pelt in the process of fleshing.

I only need to use the sharp side on the neck area for the coons. Everything else easily pushes off with the dull side.

Even beaver? I've only done 1, but I couldn't seem to cut through that back fat...maybe I just need more practice. Thanks for the replies!

Beaver you need the sharp side for down the centre of the back and the tail area. Then the rest on the sides should push right off.

the sharp side of your fleshing knife need to be razor sharp. Yo need to also know which side of the curl on the sharp edge is up. Sharpening a fleshing knife is different than sharpening a regular knife. There are some good videos on doing it as well as the recommended equipment used to do it by some of the top knife makers. I'm sure Mr. Lee Steinmeyer could give you some pointers as he makes in my opinion the best fleshing knife out there.

WHY??

I have read this, I always am mindful of the side I last run the steel on. I think my knife is sharp enough, I just need more experience. When I get after it too hard, I slice right through the hide, just a matter of feel I spose.

John, keep the beaver hide tight, if a wrinkle is in front of the knife it will cut it, also experiment with your knife angle some people like it real flat I tip mine up some.i also move the knife left or right as I slice down.

Yes and YOU DO NOT want to slice the meat and fat off, you want push it off.

Thanks guys! I have a couple in the freezer that I'm gonna experiment with before long, I appreciate your advice!

When you use the sharp side of the knife you DO use a slicing motion, when doing the back and towards the tail on a beaver. On the sides of the beaver you can use the dull side and push. I also use the sharp side on coon and skunk necks

The smaller beaver I have found you can push the flesh off without much of a problem. The bigger beaver you need the sharp side down the middle of the back to remove the membrane, agreed that hide needs to be tight while shaving the flesh off. Other critters I can usually use the dull side to push.

You definitely need the sharp side on a coons neck, down to about the front legs. I use a slicing motion, back and forth with the sharp side. Rest will push off with the dull side. Coyotes will just need the dull side.

I'm thinkin I just need some experience. I absolutely appreciate all you guys chiming in! Keep it coming, I feel like (hope anyway) that you're helping more than just me!

I have 3 i use one very sharp...one in the middle and one on the dull side

My post will shave the hair off your arms, if that helps.

It does!

Find what works for you and then stick with it. Grabbing a fleshing tool you aren't used to or someone else's is a good way to get in a lot of sewing practice. I grew up using an axe to flesh with, it's what my dad and grandpa always used. I switched over to a fleshing knife a few years ago and it was a bit of a learning curve. Mine is fairly sharp but not a razor by any means, I prefer to push the flesh and fat off with it rather than cut. I don't flesh beaver per se, I clean skin with a razor sharp knife and then scrape them with an ice cream spoon to pull the milky fat out. on a big beaver I may have a little bit left around the tail I need to skin off after I put it on the board, if I am in a hurry skinning. I just use a skinning knife for that after it is tacked out partway so it is snug. A small beaver you can get away with not skinning as clean because it will scrape, a bigger beaver won't scrape on the back or around the tail. I've rough skinned beaver when I had to pack them a long ways or had a lot stacked up to skin, but I certainly don't like to. Personally I find it easier to tack out a rough skinned beaver and skin off the flesh with a very sharp skinning knife than to flesh it on a beam. Of course if I did them on a beam regularly I'm sure I would get better and faster at it.

Thea's not a beaver out there that I can't flesh on a beam In less then 15 min. And when I'm done there Is no touch up that needs to be done. Well I do trim the edges of the leg holes before nailing them shut.
On a average of about 10min to rough skin one.
And I do the fleshing with one of those useless Neckers. And If I had a good knife I could probably cut that time In half. LOL