Take the paw and lay it on a cutting board or chunk of wood with the claws pointing to the left. With my thumb and first finger of my left hand, I grab a claw where the hair starts. With my right hand I feel about a half inch behind where the skin starts and feel for the joint. Now with a sharp knife I cut the skin straight down, then rotate my knife hand slightly to the right and cut to the left in a crescent shape.
Once I have all the claws off I clean them up a bit. Here is how I do it.
Holding the claw in my left hand by the long hairs, with the tip facing up and the pad facing away from my hand. Cut straight down between the long hair and back of the claw. Do not remove all of the skin, basically you are giving the claw a close shave. I do this to both sides, then with the pad.
When they are done I put them in a small bowl with Borax. Every couple days I shuffle them around a bit. If they are very wet or damp I lay them on a plate to air dry, then back to borax.
I do not use salt or store them in the freezer.
