I have flatskins from Mountain Zebra, Red Hartebeest, and Springbok from my 2007 hunt in Namibia. All made beautiful flatskins. I didn't have flatskins made from Black Wildebeest, Oryx, or Kudu.

What's your opinion: Which species of plains game make the most worthwhile flatskins?

Blue Wildebeest is the nicest for a floor flatskin.

Oryx makes a nice flatskin, but you can't walk too much on them. I think their hair might be too fragile

Giraffe. Nice!

Zebra (any species)

Blue Wildebeest

Apart from Zebra, Blue Wildebeest in my opinion makes some of the most beautiful rugs. And of course a big Kudu or Eland skin looks very nice on the floor too.

I really like my oryx and red hartebeest hides. I'll have a blue wildebeest rug someday (it awaits in SA until...).

i kinda like crookstons wildebeest, but my favorite is the ones made of of multiple skins

Giraffe....

The common blesbok makes a very attractive reddish rug and lays quite flat without any backing.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
The common blesbok makes a very attractive reddish rug and lays quite flat without any backing.

Mark

+1

Very nice colors

Just repeating what I've heard: for best mix of beauty and durability, blue wildebeest. Red hartebeest next.

Plenty of others look great, but don't stand up to foot traffic. Then again that sounds like an excuse to go shoot another one.

I personally have blue wildebeest and zebras on my floors. One of my professional hunters once raved about the beauty of a crocodile flat skin. I've never seen one, but he was very taken with it. Giraffe too.

My giraffe flat skin isn't here yet but should be soon and I might pick it but as far as beauty,,,texture,, etc.. the blue wildebeast is high on my list. I have hard wood floors, the house is a an old one [almost 100 years old] with the original floors. I have flat skins of kudu, red hartebeast, gemsbock, blue wildebeast,, of course Zebra just screams Africa when guests come but the blue wildebeast is probably "my" favorite. I actually have one I use as a bed spread in a guest room. Everyone that visits has to touch the wildebeast skin.

I am having a giraffe flatskin done. I have the others mentioned.

A Tsessebe makes a great flatskin or rug. A shoulder mounted Tsessebe is much less impressive.

I have to agree with Mark and LHO. A blesbok is the nicest flatskin of the ones that I had made. It gets almost as many comments as the zebra rug. Great looking brown color and very soft.

Thanks,

Greg

We had a great looking ottoman made with a blue wildebeest backskin. Everyone comments on what a beautiful piece of furniture it is.

Thanks for the comments. Blue wildebeest and blesbok are both on my list for my next trip. I'll be sure to save the flatskins. I've been told that oryx hair doesn't hold well. Not too sure about kudu.

By the way, I don't know the company that our Namibian host had to do our flatskins, but the price for the work was very reasonable. All of the skins are extremely supple, the hair holds well, any holes or tears (none except for a couple that measure .338" ) were made invisible, and they lay perfectly flat on the floor or draped over a couch back.

Hartebeest skins are nice, and tough. I have a Lichtenstein skin in my office and it takes a lot of traffic, still looks beautiful.

I am thinking of a porcupine skin for my mother in law for her birthday.

Stonecreek,

Sadie And I went a little nuts a couple of years back and used a bunch of backskins to cover our dining room chairs. The gemsbok and kudu do not hold up well. The gemsbok hair actually breaks off. The zebra and wildebeest work fine though.

Mark

Springbok looks the best in my opinion.

I think an oryx would make a good wall ornament to put your european oryx mount over.

Wildebeast for a floor ... and believe it or not ... Impala flat skins make wonderful "lay overs" for big leather arm chairs. They are incredibly soft and snuggly! The nicest for the purpose we've found. Mine have held up well for 7 years now.

Looking forward to adding another when this years trophies arrive.

Bahati,,, porcupine skin for your mother in law,,,, that really cracked me up and made my day.....thanks,, drwes

I don't know how they would hold up but a cow nyala would be striking.

the chef

Next trip I'm bringing home Euro mounts and flat skins.

quote:

By the way, I don't know the company that our Namibian host had to do our flatskins, but the price for the work was very reasonable. All of the skins are extremely supple, the hair holds well, any holes or tears (none except for a couple that measure .338" ) were made invisible, and they lay perfectly flat on the floor or draped over a couch back.

I had several done by Reiser Taxidermy in Windhoek. They did nice work for me at a very reasonable cost. Might be worth checking into.