How to Make a Hide Scraping Tool

Removing flesh from an animal hide is a critical part of the hide tanning process. People have been making hide scrapers for thousands of years. Although modern taxidermists and commercial fur handlers use mechanized equipment to flesh hides, for people just looking to tan one hide, the process has changed little. You can make a hide scraping tool by knapping antler, bone, stone or glass. Whichever medium you choose, the process works essentially the same.

Things You'll Need

  • Antler, bone, stone, glass or other solid material
  • Deer antler point
  • Thick leather
  • Leather gloves
  • Safety glasses
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place a piece of leather on your knee.

    • 2

      Hold the material to be knapped in your non-dominant hand and place it on the leather on your knee.

    • 3

      Grasp the antler knapping tool in your dominant hand.

    • 4

      Place the antler knapping tool along the edge of the material to be knapped.

    • 5

      Press inward toward the center of the material and downward to pop off a flake of material and create a beveled edge. The flake should come off in a long, straight piece.

    • 6

      Place the antler next to the area where the flake was removed and repeat the process.

    • 7

      Remove flakes from all along the top edge.

    • 8

      Flip the scraper upside down and knap the other side to create a bladed edge.

    • 9

      Go back over the edges once you have removed large flakes from the top and bottom to refine the size of the flakes and leave a more uniform edge.