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Post by mustelameister on Feb 20, 2012 22:27:24 GMT -6
Still putting up winter 'rats, was fartin' around and dropped my single handle scraper over the side of the workbench so pulled out a drawer and produced a spare. Got on the next 'rat and commenced to scraping and thought maybe the scraper was greased up. Wiped it clean and got back on this big 'rat and noticed it just wasn't pulling the fat off like it should. Walked around and picked up the first scraper and looked at it, then looked at the spare. Hmmm . . . they aren't the same. Old scraper on the right, new one on the left:  The new ones got this bigger curve in 'em and when sitting at the 'rat beam and scraping down to the slop bucket there isn't enough edge on 'em at that angle to do squat!  So . . . what's up with that?  I can see now why some fellas get these single handle scrapers and claim they can't pull squat off the 'rat. A fella could grind that edge so you've got something going there, but this ain't rocket science, as the Beav would say . . . |
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Post by thebeav2 on Feb 20, 2012 23:30:33 GMT -6
I have one just like that style but mine has no curve at all.
Better get those rats done for the May sale and you can laugh all the way to the bank " I HOPE"
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Post by thebeav2 on Feb 20, 2012 23:33:57 GMT -6
Or you could open your vise and let the square part of the flesher lay on the vise jaws and give It a good rap with your BFH and straighten It out
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Post by RdFx on Feb 21, 2012 6:25:45 GMT -6
Beav, did you have to get up to piss? You sure are up early-late..? ;>)
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Post by thebeav2 on Feb 21, 2012 8:41:44 GMT -6
I don't have that problem RdFox well at least not yet. Nope was out In the fur shed putting up fur. The Necker got so hot I had to throw It In a bucket of water to cool It down so I thought with a little down time I would come In and look at all the money I made and stir the pot a bit.  Why were you up? Late night at the bar.  |
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Post by trappnman on Feb 21, 2012 9:33:46 GMT -6
still using same butter knife I started with 50 years ago- can't beat it for rats/mink in my opinion.
lori likes that type though
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Post by mtcbrlatrap on Feb 21, 2012 12:45:06 GMT -6
I have had one like Mike's for over 25 years now. I don't want to break that one. I set on a 5 gallon pail with the rats on a long narrow beam bungee strapped to my wall mounted coon beam. I hold the scraper by the blade and never use the handle. Works very well for me. I like pushing my fleshing tools and not pulling them I feel I have better control that way. I use it for mink too.
If I had the 2nd one Mike has I would grind it down and then smooth it off to be like his original one.
Bryce
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Post by trappnman on Feb 21, 2012 12:48:13 GMT -6
so if holding by blade- handle is pointing down?
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Post by thorsmightyhammer on Feb 21, 2012 17:10:20 GMT -6
 This is what i like to use to flesh rats and mink with. Does a good job cleaning up coon and beaver after they are stretched as well. |
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Post by bblwi on Feb 21, 2012 17:10:34 GMT -6
No I hold the scraper by the blade on the top with my fingers over the end of the handle that is attached to the scrapper. The handle is just straight out away form me and never touches any of the pelt. Been doing it that way for 25 plus years.
Bryce
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Post by bblwi on Feb 21, 2012 17:12:07 GMT -6
No I hold the scraper by the blade on the top with my fingers over the end of the handle that is attached to the scrapper. The handle is just straight out away form me and never touches any of the pelt. Been doing it that way for 25 plus years.
Bryce
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Post by trappnman on Feb 21, 2012 17:14:10 GMT -6
never heard of doing it like that bryce-
steven- that does indeed look like it would work great- how wide is it?
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Post by bblwi on Feb 21, 2012 17:47:03 GMT -6
Well when one thinks about it I am probably the only left handed over weight, short Norweigian with vertigo that traps in the whole state so it does not surprise me that others are not doing it. A rare minority indeed but no affirmative action that I am aware of. LOL
Bryce
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Post by RdFx on Feb 21, 2012 18:27:50 GMT -6
Beav i just came up from basement from putting up bvr..... and then took a piss as had beer during fleshing . Then i got on putter and discovered this in depth instruction on rat and mink fleshers.... Used an old table spoon for many years untill i found a scraper like Muskrat likes.. and i do to and has to be 50 some years old...
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Post by juliocamaro on Feb 21, 2012 20:28:04 GMT -6
This is what i like to use to flesh rats and mink with. Does a good job cleaning up coon and beaver after they are stretched as well. Best scrapper for all kind of skins to me too. A1 for beaver on board. (ZEF).  |
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Post by thorsmightyhammer on Feb 21, 2012 22:57:05 GMT -6
Width, flat out guess here but I'd say 4 inches.
They are not cheap, 40 50 bucks and can be hard to find as they are a canadian product.
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Post by calvin on Feb 22, 2012 9:07:48 GMT -6
I started using the hand held scrapers this year. Saves me time and they look better in the end...but I took a file to mine after a few rats.
Stevens looks nice. I/ll have to keep my eyes open for one of those. Maybe they/ll show up at a convention?
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Post by thorsmightyhammer on Feb 22, 2012 12:48:09 GMT -6
Calvin I bought mine from Phil Patchin from Saskatchewan at an MTA convention about 10 years ago.
If he is there he will be set up with the NAFA guys doing fur demos probably.
he wasnt at the MN convention last year but I would not be surprised to see him at this years convention because I have talked to him at shows several times since.
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Post by musher on Feb 22, 2012 16:49:37 GMT -6
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Post by Gasconade on Feb 22, 2012 18:59:58 GMT -6
Steven, you just had to put a picture of that Zeph knife up to break my heart. I shouldn't tell it on myself but maybe somebody can get a laugh or a lesson out of it. I haven't been able to trap much for several years and let's just say the fur shed went to heck in a hand basket. Well some neighbor kids talked me into finishing some fur for them. So I got busy cleaning the shed and burning some accumulated junk and feed sacks. When coon hides are dry I like to take that one handed Zeph and touch them up. I couldn't find it and wondered where I the heck I'd put it. A few days later my Uncle asked me what kind of metal blade was in the ash pile. Bingo, it must have got put in a sack after some previous fur auction. The blade is still in pretty good shape it just has a couple of nicks where it must have got hotter. But that pretty handle got turned to charcoal. Brilliance strikes again.
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