Tanning knife

[czechsonofagun]

For cleaning deer hide I use my hunting knife and Gill Hibben throwers but I always end up sharpening them several times.

Anybody using better knife or build a tanning knife for this specific use?

Thanks!

 

[bigshovel]

I flesh out my capes while they are half frozen using an Alaska Knife Ulu and home made larger shorter radius type ulu's and draw knifes. I use two Buck Kalingas as well.

Brad

 

[czechsonofagun]

Ulu knife? Now that's a thought. I will try to grind something up. Thank you.

 

[bigshovel]

A saw horse is a usefull piece of equipment as well. Let's you work a small area clean and with ease.

Brad

 

[Egon]

Prokop, you must avail yourself of a supply of flint or chert and start napping. Sharpest cutting edge known!

 

[czechsonofagun]

Prokop, you must avail yourself of a supply of flint or chert and start napping. Sharpest cutting edge known!

Yeah, I was waiting for somebody to suggest that

 

[czechsonofagun]

I found this book Deerskins Into Buckskins in our local library. This guy suggests the tanning knife to be similar to draw knife, with two handles and either square or bevel rather dull edge.
I ground an old blade from Kubota MMM - hey, it makes it tractor related - and it works like a charm.
You put the skin hair down on an end of a log, stand in front of it, hold the skin with your sixpack (or a keg in my case) and use the knife to push the meat and fat from you. First the knife is heavier and second you use both hands - I tanned 4 deer skins this season and this was so easy I felt I am cheating
If you have any questions about tanning, check this book out, that guy done it all.

 

[Redbug]

I have always used a double handled tanning knife on a fleshing beam I made. Sometimes if the meat or layer is thin enough, it will tan and can be stripped off easier then. Especially if you are chrome tanning. Salting, (which you should be doing), will harden the meat up and make it easier to cut from the skin.

If you use chert...you have to wear a loin cloth...