Once killed, whales were stripped of the thick blubber surrounding their bodies and, if they were baleen whales, the whalebone was taken from the upper jaws.

he tools used to process whales were of distinct sizes and shapes to accomplish specific tasks. Specialized spades were employed to slice into the carcasses; cut the skin and blubber into blanket pieces; separate the blubber from the flesh; sever heads, fins, and jaws; and split heads open.

Whalers cut the blanket into smaller pieces and removed bits of flesh from the blubber with specialized knives. The blankets were sawn into "leaves" with two-handled mincing knives prior to being consigned to the trypots. A skimmer was used to clear the oil of scraps of flesh, which were then put into scrap hoppers so the remaining drops of precious oil could drip from them.