Deer Skin

[wintrrwolf]

So someone gave me a deer skin, I tacked it on a pallet and salted it, it needs scraping bad! What is the best tool to use? I don't want to accidently cut it.

[Barn Yarns]

a fleshing knife.
What are you going to do with it?

[wintrrwolf]

not sure it is a really nice size and the fur on it is wonderful, not sure what to do about the tail it was left on as well...maybe a rug?

[Barn Yarns]

if the bone is still in it, either cut it off our cut it out. when you are ready to flesh it, it might be easier to put it on a 2x6 sized piece of wood.... set on a angle. some folks will stretch it in a frame. just work small areas at a time. Tandy has a solution that you can use to tan it and keep the hair on. I have some but havent used it yet.

[big rockpile]

I made two Rugs after time the Hair will come off.

big rockpile

[Badger]

I tanned a deer skin about 15 years ago using Tannit from Tandy leather and it hasn't lost any hair yet. The fleshing takes forever. I made a fleshing beam by placing a 2x6 against a saw horse. I could sit on the 2x6 and peel and scrape away. The fleshing is the most important part of the tanning process.

[Oldcountryboy]

Originally Posted by big rockpile

I made two Rugs after time the Hair will come off.

big rockpile

Deer hair is hollow. Therefore it breaks off easy. Big Rock, your hides might have been tanned right, but if it was laying on back of a sofa, recliner, or walked on, the hair will break off and appear to be shedding somewhat.


Wintrwolf, you can use a big metal spoon to scrape the flesh/fat off. I use a antique drawknife and a homemade fleshing beam. The drawknife should be a bit on the dull side so you don't make slices through the skin. It usually takes me about 20 to 30 minutes to scrape one hide with practice. A big spoon might take a while. But it will do if you don't have a drawknife around.