When selling beaver into the fur market, how critical is the put up? I put my beavers up in the oval shape and they look like those in the Black Beaver thread. I have seen pictures of beaver that have been put up with a very scalloped appearance. Is the scalloped beaver downgraded in price or does it matter?

Some of the pictures of the scalloped beaver that I have seen may only have had 15 or 20 nails used in total on them.

To me, the scalloped appearance looks hideous in comparison to the nice oval shape. But if there is no penalty from the buyers, then putting them up scalloped would be much quicker.

I would assume a fur buyer would measure to the narrowest width and length - you'd potentially lose size.

For the hatter market some buyers go by weight so it wouldn't matter. At FHA it is still by size, so like Eagle says you will mostly likely lose a size.

If they go by weight,leave the saddles on and put 8 nails.

I've seen graded lots of beaver at auction houses that contained beautifully put up beaver in the same lot as beavers with put up with 16 nails and an ugly finish.
Of course being in the same Lot they all brought the same price.
However, if you have any pride in your work you will put them up nicely.

Just a test

But did those beaver bring down the price of the "nicer looking" ones in the lot?

I put up all my beaver to the best of my ability and take pride in my put up

^^^^
Probably not when 99% of the skins were acceptable.

as Pop once told me when I was putting up coons "Do it right or don't do it at all!"

FYI I didn't put clothespins on the bottom of the pelt on the wire stretcher to keep it to length better and he saw it and well expressed his opinion.

I would and do put up beaver fully and evenly. If bothers ME when my fur doesn't look right and is not at its absolute best!



Pop on the right circa 1960's

Back in the day beaver were measured length and width. Those scallopes would be where they would be measured , at a buck an inch it would add up. Now a days not so much.

No,the crappy handle beaver never realized their true value,they would have been in a different lot if handled properly.
Like was said you will lose a size if not enough nails cause scalloping around the skirt-same as scallops on the skirt of a coon-measurements are taken from the shortest point on the skirt.

And with beaver if the fur is greasy or caked with blood or mud,they cannot be evaluated properly by the grader so he will err on the side of caution and toss those in a lower grade.That lower grade could easily have some nicely handled pelts in it albeit a lower quality,or dmg grade.

The old saying holds-"you cannot make a 10 dollar pelt into a 40 dollar pelt by good handling but you can easily make a 40 dollar pelt into a 10 dollar pelt by poor handling".

Like this? I put mine up this way when I send em out to get tanned. For the commercial fur market, youll lose a size if scalloped too much

Does FHA use the scanner like NAFA did or do they hand measure?

Sniperboy what did you skin that with dynamite.?

Uhhh…
No

No
A weedeater

You must have coloured outside the lines as a kid.

Its skinned with the no hole method. Its obviously not cleaned up.

I like scallops.

I was going to guess it was with a chainsaw.