Turning An Old Lawnmower Blade Into A Useful Fleshing Knife?
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I have a pretty long list of skills that I am interested in learning. It just takes so much time to get to all of them! Recently, I've decided to tackle hide tanning. I still have the salted hide from my first deer stored away, just waiting until I figure out how to turn it into fine leather.
Of course, I've already watched hours of video about the process, so I think I have a basic knowledge of the chemistry involved and a general plan for how I want to proceed. Now, I just need to put together the tools and resources that I'll need to carry out the plan.
One of the tools that I'll need is going to be a fleshing knife. A fleshing knife is a blade used to scrape the fat, muscle, and hair off of a hide to prepare it for the tanning process. The goal is to remove the tissues that would easily rot, leaving behind the collagen that has been reinforced by a tanning solution through the magic of chemistry. A fleshing knife need not be super sharp, as it is more of a scraping tool than a cutting tool. I've looked at lots of pictures of fleshing knives online, and it doesn't appear that it takes a whole lot of precision to make one. Since the edge isn't specifically designed for cutting, it doesn't necessarily hurt if it ends of a little bit wavy. As such, I feel somewhat confident that I can make one for myself using stuff I have laying around the homestead.
In this video, I'm going to try to turn an old lawnmower blade into a useable fleshing tool.
You've got a pretty good start on your project.
I personally use a drawing knife that's a little on the dull side. Works like a champ.
How dull should the blade be? I'm thinking I may need to blunt mine a little bit; especially since I've never tanned before.
After wasting time and money a couple of times, I decided to get smarter about it. Instead of chasing random listings, I started looking for suppliers that specialize in outdoor power equipment (OPE). That’s how I stumbled onto UDCParts, and honestly, it’s been a game-changer for me when it comes to blades.
What’s different about UDCParts https://udcparts.com/ is that it’s not just a generic store that happens to carry mower stuff. It’s built specifically around mower parts. That means you can search by your mower’s make and model — John Deere, Toro, Husqvarna, Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, and so on — and it’ll show you blades that are actually made for your machine. No guessing games, no “maybe it’ll fit” situations.