Taxidermy tools, 1887-1990s

Taxidermy tools used between 1887 and the 1990s to mount animals for exhibits.

Tools include:

- One ear splitter. This tool had a reverse scissor action and was used to separate the skin of the ear pinnae from the cartilage so that the ear skin can be tanned properly. - Two skinning horns used to secure loose sections of the hide so that they can be scraped of flesh. - One skin-pulling pliers used for gripping and pulling skin. - One large furrier comb, a big-tooth comb used to preen fur on taxidermy mounts. - One wood chiseL. This tool could cut and shave rough surfaces, chop out corners and scrape off glue.  - Two small leather hole punchers one sharpening steel. The punchers were used for making holes in leather. - Two hide scrapers used to remove flesh from the skin. - Two fleshing knives and one large fleshing horn, both used for fleshing, re-scraping the flesh side of the skin, de-hairing, removing the grain (frizzing), scudding out liquids to flush unwanted moisture and loose material from inside the skin structure, moving the hide on the beam and trimming the edges of the skin. - Three gambrels, used to thread an animal's foot into the triangle and then hoist it up. - One stuffing tool - One small pointed probe.