How I got the membrane off one muskrat was beyond me, cause I cannot get the other to budge tonight. Yesterday it came off almost in one peace and I could see a big difference. A girl on YouTube was saying how the membrane won’t separate from the skin unless it is partially dry…she salts her hides and then used a medium grit round stone to get it off and it looked like little strips of paper.

I got the membrane off the grey fox in sort of a similar manner way after the pickle and tan solution and the breaking process by putting it on a board and using the hog scraper

Another user recommended taking off the membrane AFTER the pickle.

If anyone can explain the science of the membrane to me I’d appreciate it.
No clue how I got one so clean last night and I’m cussing the other one now

You need beer and a campfire, and that’ll solve all your problems and the worlds, as for a round grit stone go to a welding shop and get a wore out bench grinder wheel.

You can always just chew it off.

Are you sure its on their.

Pretty sure. I can tell towards the bottom of the pelt near the tail end that there is extra that should come off


It’s the top one, see the difference?

Buy a fleshing machine. That’s how you get that all off.

Are you trying to remove the saddle or the membrane tissue on top of the saddle?

Perhaps I need further clarification…..I thought that saddle was the meat on the back part of the pelt? What came off before looked like meat but very thin and it has membrane on top of it. So I guess both?

Wire wheel on a bench grinder. Break the wheel in good on piece of steel 1st. Takes some getting used to, but cheapest and fastest way I know of. Fleshing machines are pricey.

irst of all, the skin should be soaked, to the state of steamy skin. 1 liter of water 15 grams of salt. then we lay the skin on a board, and shift the membrane from the tail to the head. one muskrat skin takes me 5-6 minutes.

Try a metal file cleaning brush to remove it. Don't push it too deeply.

I do mine a little different than the method your using
Rehydrate in plain water until easy to turn fur out and snap them dry as possible
Salt the leather side and roll them up and cover with a wet cloth for 24 hours
After 24 hours I turn them fur in and remove the salt with a few snaps
I now put it on the fleshing beam and use the dull side of my fleshing knife to remove anything that has loosened up
After a once over I turn it fur out and repeat the salting process and the removal of the salt
This time on the beam I use the sharp side of my knife and remove all the membrane, this part requires patience persistent and practice
Then it's time to degrease and move on to the pickle

Just how I do it because as said, fleshing machines are expensive
But doing it this way will make you much better at doing your put ups and show you the spots to be gentle with when doing put ups and during the tanning process

That's what I use for rats and some others and that's the best way I've found. Pickle 2 to 3 days than use fire wheel.

I've found it isn't that big of a deal. The tanning solution penetrates and tans the hide. As long as you get most off it comes out fine. But then again I'm not using BOCOs method either.

Boco’s method is the least labor intense method I’ve used.

KOSOI’s method is what I do. The saddle peals much easier from tail to head.

That's what I was wondering. Are you trying to pull it off sideways? It will be easier to remove scraping it from the head to the tail while on a board.

No I just laid them like that for comparison

Probably wishing I’d of left well enough alone right about now. lol

I’m sorry! I’m just trying to do it right. Maybe I am overthinking it!