You’re good, just funnin’ ya. lol

I have fleshed off the saddle while on a board, head to tail.
What I’ve found to be easier is to peel the saddle from the tail towards the head. Up around the armpit area, where most of the fat is usually located, I proceed pretty slow. I’ve torn a couple in this area pulling too hard.

I’ve also tanned several small rats and left the saddle on. They still soften as well as an XL with saddle removed.

No expert. Just what my experience has been. I have a fleshing machine and never use it on rats, but use it on everything else. Rats are tedious, but don’t require near as much effort as most hides.

Clean out your messages. Tried to send some info. Your full.
Has to do with the problem you probably don't have

the right way to do it is from the tail to the head. so as not to damage the hair follicles.

Guys! The translator's a little wrong, but I think you know what I'm talking about.

If you have any questions, write me. i've done a lot of fur.

Received and implemented, thank you for sharing.

Over thinking it. That don’t matter

For what it’s worth, peeling from tail to head was an idea I got from a guy that went to the Vietnam/Cambodia region about 8 years ago. He said, in a tannery he visited there, they were tanning North American muskrats and the women would have piles of rats on a table and they were peeling them from tail to head with their fingers. I tried it, and it’s easier for me to do it that way. He said they could peel a rat in 2-3 minutes. Takes me 10-15.

There seems to be a natural lip of sorts near the tail where the membrane starts. I’m not able to peel it back by hand but I dragged it outta the pickle and started shaving backwards with a scraper. Towards me. I can’t otherwise get the pelt to hold still on the board so I turned the whole assembly around. Def coming loose. As it was air drying while I was working on it I noticed that membrane everywhere was coming up like strips of old used chewing gum. I’m not sure if it was me working it backwards or If it was being in the pickle half a day so far that helped.

This has been very interesting. Thank you everyone who added comments and are trying to help.

It don’t matter if you are making a shield but you better not be thinking about making underwear out of them without taking the membrane off.

Now, muskrat underwear?!? That’s a novel idea!!!

Oh Nevermind, Savell says I’m already spoiled

When I do otter it’s fairly simple flesh then pickle then re flesh like an ocd maniak but don’t hit root hairs also if you don’t have a fleshing matchine use the sharp side of your knife with a slicing motion. I use a caribou knife keep it razor sharp with post fleshing knifes YouTube video on sharpening. Unfortunately it doesn’t work for neckers.for face and arm pits I use a razor blade not a box cutter but the flexible kind for single blade shaving razors