Nope

Wow.

No, think I'll keep doing it the way I been doing it.

Absolutely....NO!

Been doing it similar to that for over 50 years. I start on the belly and then move to the back. Except I remove all the fat.

Do you not slide it over the beam?? Instead of laying it on top?

I do that with possum and muskrat. Muskrats because I prefer to do everything on one beam and one knife. This also gives fine cushion to the skin so you don't tear or expose hair roots as easily.

No, I don't slide over the beam. I have 2 screws in the front of my beam that I put the eye holes over and scrape with it laying on top of the board. It's the way I was taught back in 1974, been doing it ever since. I've tried the other way and just can't make it work as fast or efficient. I've done thousands of coon.

Nope,
I slide it over the beam.

Done it both ways with most all critters, but like the beam slid inside, I have a finer fleshing job done that way and better control of how hard to push where needed.
To each his own, if works for you fine.

Buddy made a beam out of municipal size water pipe the plastic pipe was cut and sanded in 3 different sizes from mink to beavers. A slot at the base held any one of the beam options in place so it was a rapid change system.

I was cringing waiting to “pop” and see a hole!

Exactly what I was thinking

I used to do my mink and rats like that and never had any issues. Not much fat or scraping to do on those though.

I don't think that coon was scraped clean in the neck area.

Tell em Beav, you've seen me hard at work.. lol.

Next possum I flesh I'll it that way so that maybe it will still have some hair on it when I'm done.

When I was buying fur My buddy Cobb came to Oregon for a week and help out and I can tell you that his way of fleshing worked out as good as you can do. But It wasn't something I could do.

If you keep your knife flat to the hide you won't have any problem with exposing the roots. I could take a picture of the 35 grinners I have, and you won't see any hair roots. But D Cobbs way will also work.