Best equipment for hide working

[KaumoHunter]

Is it known whether the surface that I use to beat the hide on (trunk/table/bench) makes a difference to the quality of the fur? And if it does, then does the quality of the furniture play a role? E.g. should I use only the best boards to construct the table?

[JP_Finn]

In my experience: no. The work surface doesn’t affect the hideworking outcome.
I’m suspecting that knife and beater quality modifiers do affect the outcome.
I.e. with low-mid range Hideworking, I don’t seem to get quality drop using fine club as beater, when tanning away from cabin, using a rock or decent club occasionally does degrade the quality. If I carry a fine club or craft additional fine club for remote shelters, the quality doesn’t seem to drop either.

[Tom H]

There are 3 things I believe affect the quality of the work. The skill level in Hideworking is key, the quality of the knife is important, and fatigue, either from weight carried or exertion.

 For best results, get Hideworking skill up. My grandmasters routinely work skins while traveling, using just a tree and a rock, and maintain Fine quality furs. This, even when I don't strip down to reduce the burden malus. The fastest way to improve the skill is by trapping the plentiful birds in the Unreal World.

 Knife quality helps to make up for lower Hideworking skill but, by itself, it's not the decisive factor, just the leading factor. And, if the hide is of fine quality, or better, don't work it until fully rested. 'Lively' is NOT good enough. Get to 'Vigorous' before you start and improve the odds.

 I doubt that table vs tree trunk is a factor because the game doesn't quantify the table's value. It doesn't care if you used Perfect boards or inferior boards. It's still just a table.

I think the beater quality may make a difference but there's no way I can prove that. I always keep making clubs until I get a Fine club. Then I trade for the first GrandMasterwork Mace I see and use that as the beater.

I've seen Grandmasterwork furs as treasure. I've never made one, nor skinned one at that level. It may be impossible for the player to achieve such results, despite arranging all the factors to maximum advantage. It's indicative in that Superior skins often don't get finished successfully, despite maximized conditions and factors.

[PALU]

I've never considered the level of rest as a possible factor (not to be confused with fatigue, which definitely is a factor). I'm not sure I will either, because time is working against that, i.e. if you sleep you risk delaying the processing to the next day at which time the skin may have degraded in quality just through time. However, it's worth keeping an eye out for a connection between rest and result.

[Tom H]

I've never considered the level of rest as a possible factor (not to be confused with fatigue, which definitely is a factor). I'm not sure I will either, because time is working against that, i.e. if you sleep you risk delaying the processing to the next day at which time the skin may have degraded in quality just through time. However, it's worth keeping an eye out for a connection between rest and result.

I won't work a Superior skin until I'm at 'Vigorous' status. Then, I do a hide working step, then work a while on other things until I'm a bit worn and down to a lower level. Then I sleep, it's really just a short nap, and come back at Vigorous for the next step. It disrupts the usual night-time sleeping cycle but, with few Superior skins, it's doesn't happen that often. When I'm pressed by events to work on multiple skins, I eat a Bear Pipe root to stay at a high energy level. Mother Pipe will work, too, but I don't find many of those.

[JP_Finn]

Snip—

Mother Pipe will work, too, but I don't find many of those.

They only grow in Northern areas, bear pipe in Western and Eastern. Effect seems to be the same.