I thought I would share this tool I invented several years ago to help scrape beaver.
As some may know when I skin beaver I clean skin them,but do so fairly fast and leave a fair bit of fat and flesh on the hide.
I do this because I normally frostscrape these beaver so it is no problem.
But if the weather doesnt co operate for frostscraping then I have to board these beaver and scrape the extra stuff off with a paintscraper or stirrup type scraper.Some of the fat is tough to scrape off with the paintscraper so I invented a hide rake that easily scores up the fat and flesh and it is then very easily removed with the paint scraper.
I use a conventional 2 handed hide rake to strip the saddles off wolf otter,fisher etc,anytime I cannot frost scrape them,but that tool wouldnt work on a stretched beaver pelt.
So I invented this tool.I sharpen the teeth same way as sharpening a frostscraper,from the outside.Since it is only used for scoring and not shaving it rarely needs touched up with the file.I think I have only filed it once or twice since i started using it about 4 or 5 years ago.



I just run it several times from head to tail,and same from side to side then just clean up all the loose little bits of fat and flesh with the conventional beaver hide scraper,like a stirrup flesher or paint scraper.

This tool doesnt work on rough skinned beaver,only on rough clean skinned beaver.
A real time and effort saver.

Very cool. Now only if I could clean skin. Eric

Thanks for sharing Boco
What did you make that out of?

I bought it that way.Its for cleaning out punkins,I just sharpened the teeth.
Google "Pumpkin scooping tool"
Or "Jack-O- Ripper"

Single handle serrated fleshing tools have been available in the taxidermy industry for many years. Some refer to them as mammal fleshing tools. Here are some examples I found with a quick google search:


My son had one like the center one in the above when he decided to try tanning 30+ years ago.

Fish scaling tools would also work. Might have to dull the points a bit.

Yep any of those could work.
But more flimsy than the spoon design would make them less efficient.

If you really clean skin them, there are no extra steps. It is slower though.

Which way is more efficient? That I do not know. I just know when I'm done skinning they go directly to stretching and drying with no more processes.

I can skin them that clean if I want and do sometimes.Even so I still scrape out the liquid grease. However if I have 5 or 6 to skin I like to get them done quickly for frostscraping in winter.
The hide rake is handy when you dont have the weather to frostscrape roughclean pelts and have a few left to put up for the fur pick up.Only problem they dont dry overnight if they havent been frostscraped.
Either way a lot quicker and efficient for me.I can rough clean skin about 5 beaver an hour.

I have one of those old wooden handled paint scrappers. I removed the blade and filled a few notches In the blade. Works great on those fat spots you missed after most of the hide has dried.