12/30/2023 0 Comments Tannery hides draw![]() There is a type of knife that is very thin and flexes to conform to the curve of the beam, but I have never had a chance to examine, let alone use one. Tools as narrow as 1 inch can be fine too depending on material and use. A full width knife however is fine as well, but if I designed one from scratch it would probably be under 3 inches wide.Īnother favorite tool I have was forged out of a wagon leaf spring and is about 3/16 inch thick and 1.5” wide, which makes for a durable, versatile tool of a good weight. ![]() More relevant though, is that the concave curve, which is the main working edge, has been worn back closer to the handles, making it more stable to use when pushing very hard. My two favorite tools currently are a shortened traditional cupped knife that is worn down quite a lot to about 2.5 inches wide. Though still very usable, extremely wide tools can be less stable when it is required to push very hard as is sometimes necessary when graining (frizzing) un-limed buckskins or fleshing very difficult skins. Width: A versatile knife for the home tanner would probably be anywhere from 1.5 to 3 inches wide. Newer ones are often sharpened on the back as well and many are fairly flexible compared to older ones I’ve seen. This type is good for home tanners with a surprising number of models and brands available new. Other tools are narrower and usually thicker, sometimes with only one working edge. The option is to let go of the tool with one or both hands to readjust the skin on the beam as each area is worked over, which is much slower. You can do this maneuver on small skins without cutting teeth in the back of the tool, and I do, but on large heavy hides, I can see why they would make this modification. I have also read of tanners filing teeth into the back of the knife so it can be used to pull skins up the beam to reposition them for scraping without using the hands. The back edge is sometimes kept very sharp and can be used for tough spots, gaining access under tough membranes, or as a sharp slicing knife for trimming the skin during fleshing. These traditional, wide, dished knives are very nice to use, though if I were designing one from scratch for home tanners who are doing many different types of skins and tasks, I would probably make it considerably narrower than they usually are and no wider than 3 inches. Professional tanners who worked hides day in and day out would probably be able to get away with doing things that the rest of us can’t, such as using sharper tools at lower angles. The concavity also means that the tool can be used flat on the hide without rubbing on it, which I suspect might be part of the impetus for the design, although I have rarely used them that way. ![]() The concavity of the underside seems to offer some geometric advantage in scraping. The compound curves of the cup and the arc combine to strengthen the tool, allowing it to be fairly thin, and yet still very rigid. The classic European style of tanning knife that is most common is wide, curved and dished. Styles: Nearly all traditional styles seem to be curved. It is not just the working edge though, but also the space between the handles, which allows for comfortable work. ![]() I would not recommend working edges much smaller than about 10 inches, and then only out of necessity. Wider beams require wider knives and/or the edge of the tool may need to protrude out in front the handles. With such a length, the tanner can comfortably do all manner of work from very large hides, down to fur skins. A working edge up to 12 inches and down to 10” with 4.5 inch handles is also fine. I think the ideal length for home tanners working a variety of skins on narrower beams is about 20” long in total with 11” working edge and 4.5” handles. The strong, experienced men using these tools, combined with the large area of contact formed between the gently curved edge of the tool and the wide beam, would make for very efficient and quick work. These long knives were often used on very wide beams with shallow curves. 16 inches is a typical working edge length. Samples I have range from 3 to 3-3/8 inch wide. Length: The typical professional tanners knife of the European style is quite long and not really best suited to the home tanner. You can always upgrade later if you want to. The amateur tanner can get by with tools that are much less than ideal, so there is no need to overthink the problem too much, or find the perfect tool just to get started. Keep in mind that most new models are designed by and for fur trappers, most of whom do not do a lot of general tanning work. The focus here will be on the home tanner working on beams about 8 to 12 inches wide.
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