Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
FLESHING OUT THE PELT
Fleshing is dirty work, but the sooner you get this job done, the
better.
1. Scrape the fl esh side with a heavy, very sharp knife to
remove the meat, tissue, fat, and grease. Make every effort
to remove as much of this stuff as you can without injuring
the skin or exposing the hair roots.
2. Scrape off all tough membranes and inner muscular fl eshy
coat. The cleaner you get the skin, the less chance you have
of bug damage or rot.
If for some reason you can't fl esh out the pelt the day you bring it
home, then salt it well (see below). You can scrape the salt and the
fl esh off the pelt later, though it's more pleasant work if you do it as
soon as possible. Also, if there's a lot of fat attached to the skin,
the salt can “melt” the fat into the hide, resulting in ruined patches
of skin.
Care of Pelts
Whether you're planning to tan your pelts at home or send them to a commer-
cial tanner, some care needs to be taken as soon as you bring them home.
Finding a comfortable position for working is one of the greater challenges
of this job. We attach a piece of 8-inch (20 cm) PVC pipe that is about 4 feet
long (1.2 m) between two sawhorses and work sitting on a kitchen stool.
The pipe provides a good contact surface to scrape against. The edges of the
hide may have to be done while you are lying on the ground, but with this
approach, at least you're not down on your knees, bent over, the whole time
you work.
If you are not going to tan the skin the day it comes off the sheep, you
should salt it heavily to preserve it for later tanning. As soon as you get the
pelt home, rub common pickling salt (don't use products that are labeled
“deicer”) into the fl esh side. Use 5 pounds (2.3 kg) or more of granular salt on
big skins and 2 pounds (0.9 kg) or more on lambs. Do a thorough job, being
sure to salt the edges well. Spread out the pelt to dry, fl esh-side up.
Salt draws the moisture out of the skin. If you are salting several hides,
stack them leather-side up and raised off the fl oor on boards after salting.
