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I might have bit off more than I can chew… What is the best way to flesh a hog skin. I have been using a long thin knife to get a lot of the shield off, but there is still a LOT left and its very uneven. It goes so slow that I’m worried about slippage, I have salted the crap out of this thing. I’m tempted to put it back in the freezer until I find out a better way. I have a draw knife… aka fleshing knife… but I think its just a cheap version that I picked up because i cant get it to cut through anything. What am I doing wrong guys? I know you’ll have some answers for me…
Thanks, Dobber
cut squares in the shild and hit it with pressure washer
July 22, 2011
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Refreeze that sucker and send it to Jeremy Morgan. Thats what I do!:biggergrin:
I got a Sheffield fleshing knife from Head Quarters this past year and it has done a really good job on the hogs I have done this year but none of the hogs were over 300 lbs so the shields were not as thick as some are.
I have 2 that I wanna get done. Both were about 350lbs so their shields are almost 3 inches thick in some places. I have a pressure washer, but its broken right now… of course…. I wonder what kind of funny looks I’ll get when I take em to the car wash.
Get a Sheffield it will slice through the shield like butter
Go to harbor freight and buy a cheap multifunction tool with the knife attatchment. Get you a flat board lay the skin out as flat as possible and the knife will cut through it like hot knife through butter……I did four the other evening all over 300. It will take you about 30-45 minutes to flesh everything from the head down….DC
I fleshed 2 last night with my Sheffield and it took me about 30 mins a piece on them and they were pretty good size hogs I would guess them around 300 lbs
If the Sheffield is as good as you guys say it is then I’ll get over the sticker shock. I also have seen a lot of comments about fleshing machines. (I know they wont work very well on hogs) But, I’ve seen that if I’m going to actually take taxidermy seriously then I’ll eventually have to invest in a fleshing machine. Do you guys have any suggestions, and keep in mind that I’m on a limited budget and I do not have customers. I am JUST getting started and have only been doing tans and small mounts for friends and family.
Dobber
Dobber, a fleshing machine (shaver) will work real good for taking the shield off if you want to go that route. A good fleshing knife, like a Sheffield, is one of the best invesments you can make. After a lot of practice you can do a bunch of work with them in a hurry. A cheap fleshing knife that won’t take or hold an edge is a poor investment, it’s the same way if you are looking for a shaver, don’t let price be your determining factor!
