fleshing

Okay I bought a Neckler 600 and made a beam out of pvc. I have fleshed 30 coon and I am still cutting holes, what's the secret? The up side I'm getting real good at sewing hides! I have watched the coon creek guy on u tube over and over , he makes it look easy. Another thing I went to pull my traps and wound up setting out more, Is this normal?

Are you using the dull side of your knife? You don’t want a sharp knife to flesh coon with except for that grissle above the tail maybe.
You could try putting a rag between your beam and the pelt also. It might help some, but I’ve never found it to be necessary with coon.

I start behind the ears with the sharp edge to get it going, then flip to the dull side. I'm wondering if I'm trying to take to much of the tissue off ? Should I just be taking the surface fat off?

Make sure you brush out any dried mud or cockle burrs before fleshing as they will cause holes. Also, watch the nipples and armpit areas.
I run the sharp side for most of the coon...but I am no expert as I have probably only put up a few hundred. Guys on here put up that many or more in a season and probably have better advice than me LOL

One thing that’s helped me was Skinning the animal warm if possible and fleshing the next day cold. The fat seems to stick to itself better for me and I use the dull side if my necker pretty much the entire time.

I started brushing them out and that does help. Just can't get the hang of it I guess. Trying to find a local that will show me a thing or two, but nobody fleshes them . They skin and sell. I like to tan and display as well as sale them. One funny thing I've noticed this year I have caught 20 boars and only 1 soul. Seems odd to me, is it?

Make sure you use a pushing motion and not dragging it to the side, stay on the top of the back only in the upper part with the sharp side

The angle is important also. If you wanna try a changeup, get one of the cheap knives from one of the suppliers, and grind a square(flat) edge on it. A square edge works really well for coon, and can be easily maintained.

I’m pretty sure Beav recommended that to me quite a few years back and it worked well for me until I got my Steinmeyer knife. I just use it for everything now.

I have used a Necker 600 for some time. For me it works best to have the sharp edge sharp enough so you don't need much pressure at all, this allows you to have a lot more control over the knife when cutting and it also allows you to keep the knife flatter on the pelt so you cut the grizzle but not the hide. When you flip it over to use the dull edge try to keep that as flat as you can also and push. You can tell by feel when you are cutting grizzle versus fat as you can feel a difference. Use the dull edge as much as you can. You can use a steel to keep the dull edge working well but not sharpened.
Also as stated above get everything out of the fur. Burrs etc. are easy to find, maybe not so easy to get out. I don't put many holes in coons but I don't do more than a 100-150 per year. If you catch coon on a water line and you rinse them there make sure you get all of those tiny stones out as they will almost always result in a hole even with the dull edge.

Bryce

Don't ever hold your blade In a vertical angle. Your knife blade should just about be flat weather your pushing fat or slicing gristle. And when using your Necker make sure the bevel Is up. And don't push fat or gristle like your shoveling snow. Use a sidewise slicing motion and don't over reach. Keep moving that hide up the beam so you have better control. You start over reaching you lose control of that knife.

What size Is your PVC beam? Is It split so It has flattened out a bit. Maybe the beam Is your problem.

I just did an otter tonight and did most of it with the dull side vertical with a necker 600. Used sharp side around head and tail area. What is the reason for not using it vertical ?

For what it's worth, I think most fleshing problems are the beam. For me PVC would be to round and cause me to use more pressure.

Dennis, do you too keep your fleshing knife blade vertical (perpendicular to the beam) when you flesh? Or do you keep it more flat and parallel to the face of the beam?

I've been trying for ten yeasr, seen countless demonstrations, and I still stink at fleshing. I don't cut many holes any more, but I leave too much fat.

Every time I see a demonstration the fat and flesh just shear right off of the hide and leave smooth, clean skin below it. My knife just slides right over the top of all that fat and grissle and man, I'm really bearing down and trying to dig that edge down under the fat. Still the blade just slips over the top of it and maybe squeegees out some liquid fat. But I just can't seem to get a blade underneath the fat unless I use the sharp, convex side of my fleshing knife - then I eventually cut holes.

The one time I fleshed a coon and it looked like it does for other people is when I left a skinned coon outside the shop in the icy air for a few minutes before fleshing. The pelt was just slightly frosty and a bit stiff. Boy, the fat just peeled right off, that time! I could hear a nice ripping noise as the partially frozen fat just sheared off nice and clean. I wish it was always well below freezing when I was fleshing pelts, that technique sure produced a nice result.

Overall, I do find that fleshing works better if done the day after skinner or even better, after the pelt has been in the freezer and later thawed out for fleshing.

A big ole coon has it all. Tuff gristle on neck and tail, and buttery soft on the belly. Slow down, watch the nipples. Chill the hides if needed, less mess. Slow down

I'm no expert on different beams but not sure about PVC for the beginner? Why not spend $30 and get a good wood beam? I think it'd be easier?

I have struggled at times too. I do not do coons however. I was handed a wooden fleshing beam and it really works well with cats and canines and I'm sure most else tho I don't target much else. I have lengths of pvc here from other uses, up to 12" diameter and I can tell you I would never attempt to use it. Maybe others are using a bigger diameter? I am sure I am not as skilled fleshing as the guys who use pvc.
My beam has a much gentler curve so I can use it.

I took my wood beam and wrapped it with the neoprene they use for lining shower stalls before tiling, you can buy it at Menards, Home Depot etc by the foot off a roll. I pulled it tight and wrapped my beam. It's less than an 1/8 inch thick and gave it just enough forgiveness. Be careful not to run off the hide at the bottom edge too much. Works for the Sunday flesher I am.

Due to schedule I gave the beam set up to a guy who doesn't trap anymore but does great put ups, he does my stuff with it and even with his learned talent uses the beam that way.

Osky

Here is a video I put on youtube a few seasons ago. Notice the angle. Brush every hide good, do them while they are cool and the fat has set up, use the sharp side only on the neck and remember that every coon has tits that can tear to include boars....LLL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBaUYttVNvk

LOL yeah

S. A. Where are you at in Illinois? I am on I74 about 30 miles from the Mississippi river. If you are over this way, stop by and we will flesh a few of yours to get you started.

Larry's arms are the size of tree trunks this year.

I had the same problem when I switched to a pvc. I KNOW TONS USE the PVC beam seen it in action. But I went back to a wood beam and ended that problem. Also I started rolling them up and freezing them. Then on rainy day or if I didn't have any traps set for a few days throw them in the bottom of fridge to thaw them out and fat will roll off LOTS easier.

Kart I'd say my angle is about the same as Larry's. If anything I have very little angle to my knife. Of course my fleshing side is very dull and only use the sharp side to trim with. But I also lay the coon on the board so I have the bottom side of the hide as a cushion. I'm also a firm believer that especially new folks starting out have to sharp of a knife.

I've used a pvc beam for 4 years with no problems. I'm thinking the angle of the blade is likely the culprit. Also don't over reach, keep your working area close as you'll lose control otherwise. I totally agree on fleshing while cold or almost to the point of being frozen.

I can't hardly see the knife in that video. It's moving too fast and is usually hidden by a blue sweatshirt sleeve. Looks like you have it down pretty good though. When I flesh an animal it never even looks close to that. And I've been trying everything I can think of for the past ten years.

I don't see how you guys go over the arm holes like that.

You need to cut those front legs off short then you can just blow right over them.
The knife needs to be just about flat to the hide for the best results. The more vertical It gets Is when It starts digging Into the hide.

Hey trapper friends, Thanks for tips! I let my hide get really cold, then I held my fleshing knife almost flat. I just had one nick and I caused that by going to fast. To answer questions my beam is 8" pvc, I live 20 miles north of Cairo IL I trap what is known has big creek which feeds into the lower cache wetlands. To date this season I have caught 9 possum, 23 coon , 1 muskrat, 4 otters. Again Thanks

You getting the burrs out they work like a cutting board if you leave them in the fur, keep moving around don't overdo it in 1 spot for too long make sure you have a beam that fits the knife or your maybe just riding the edges.

make sure you dull side is dull, some come with some sharpness to them. also burs, dirt, clumps of fur and of course the nipples. pvc is all ive ever used

You're not wanting to take any tissue off. Just SCRAPING the fat (and misc meat) off of the hide.

I got my Steinmeyer knife. I just use it for everything now.

Same here. Great Knife