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There are two main ways to flesh out a hide. One is the wet scrape method. The other is the dry scrape method. I use both
depending on what type of hide I am working, the weather and what sort of mood I am in. Thin, delicate hides I usually wet
scrape to avoid cutting holes. Heavier skins I wet scrape first to remove as much of the meat and fat as possible then dry
scrape to thin down the tough spots to a more workable thickness. Things like beaver, raccoon and large bucks I tend to let
dry out.
Wet scrape, obviously, is done while the hide is damp and pliable. This can be a fresh skin or one that has been dried
and then re-hydrated. A tool with a dull edge is used to push the meat, fat and connective tissues off of the hide.
Dry scrape lets the hide dry out completely and uses a sharp edged tool to shave off the flesh. It also thins down thick
hides for a more even product. It is easier to get the connective tissues off or at least broken up, but there is also some
risk of cutting the hide if the tool slips.
Wet scrape is good in warm, humid weather where the skin might not dry fast enough to avoid the flesh tainting. You can
also go right from scraping to dehairing to tanning without letting the hide dry at all until the final breaking process.
Using a dull tool, put the hide over a fleshing beam and push the meat and fat off until you get down to the actual hide.
Some spots scrape better than others. The neck, back and legs are hardest. The sides and belly flesh out fairly easy but are
very thin. Be careful not to tear these areas by exerting too much pressure.
For a dry scrape, remove all the large chunks of meat and fat, then lace the hide on a stretching frame. This is nothing
more than four poles or 2x4s made into a large frame. It has to be big enough to allow a good amount of space all the way
around the hide. Use a nail or the tip of a knife to poke holes about 1" apart around the edge of the hide. Tie one end
of a rope to the frame. Put the other end through a hole in the hide, wrap it around the frame, then go through the next hole.
Do this until the entire hide is sewn onto the frame. Pull the rope to take up the slack. The hide should be tight everywhere.
Stand the frame up in a place that has good air circulation. Let the hide dry. Then use a sharp scraper to chisel away the
dried flesh. Don't chop through the hide or the ropes.
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