i've had taxidermy work in zim RSA and USA, and i know there's lots of discussion about where to get it done. It seems like every taxidermist i talk to says the tanning is most important and his is the best and the other guys is the worst. The one thing that i have noticed is that when i have my stuff dried and shipped over here, when i get it there is almost always bare spots, ruined hair etc. when it comes back from the tannery. I don't have that when i have my stuff done there. I don't know whether its the tannerys fault, the shipper, the time lag or what but it always seems to be the same. This time i'm going to try something different. I have a few life sized animals to get done, and the shipping from zambia would be way high. so i'm having them tanned over there to mount here. I just know by taxi. will bitch, but i'm curious to see if the finished product is going to be better.

Same thing has happened to me. I think the hair rubs off from travel vibration when the dried skins are shipped over. I have had NO similar problems with mounts done in Africa. They are generally packed in a way that there is nothing to rub against. I think your idea is great, but it does give the parties the opportunity to point fingers at the other half of the equation.

I thought you were posting about my scalp!

Butch,
Several factors can and will determine final results on tanning and taxidermy. I've been the Taxidermist and the Client, so I've experienced both sides. What I can tell you that is paramount to success is this:
How fast the animal is skinned, fleshed (removing all fat, meat, thick membrane; turning the lips, eyelids, ears: splitting and shaving out the nose) and put into fresh salt, the curing kind or table salt. Avoid rock salt. It doesn't always "melt" fast enough to penetrate all areas. Salt brine is good, especially for remote trips or fragile game such as Klipspringer. But it must be a satuated solution and bacteriacide added. Used salt will look pink (blood) and may not preserve a skin. Avoid it! First salting should be removed in 12-24 hours and a secondary application applied. If there is going to be a honest "dipping" involved (many times we're told so, but nothing is done other than a can of bug spray) the dip solution must be at the correct Ph level and a potent bacteriacide added. I suspect many a cape has been ruined due to re-using the dip solution. This will guarantee a ruined hide before it leaves a foriegn country. Same thing here: if a Tanner isn't experienced with African/foriegn game tanning, he will put all skins together in one vat. This won't work and slippage is assured. Some capes will be fine, others will look like hell-o when they come out.

For you new African hunters: If you weren't cheap about your hunt, don't "cheap" yourself out of your trophies. We have some of the best big game Taxidermists right here on AR. Talk to them about what your plans are. One thing for sure; The old saying "you get what you pay for" is only as good as your knowledge of who your dealing with.
Good hunting,
David

Quality of salt used can be a big issue.

I guess what really got to me was my maned lion. when it came back from the tannery here the mane going down the back was just barely visable, but when I shot it the hairs were 4-6" long. To see the mount and the picture, you'd hardly recognize it as the same cat

That would greatly chap my arse too Butch.
David

My Eland cape just showed up ruined to say the least -- front and top of shoulders are bare -- pulled out the pictures to see if I was dreaming --not! Now trying to come up with another cape -- trouble is I am not to sure as whom is at fault --by the time it gets to the taxidermist the cape has gone through several hands. Taxidermist says that he could not tell it was damaged until it came back from being tanned -- I am not sure what to think on all of this.

The taxidermist cannot fix what is not there. The are a host of tanneries out there. Most are "ok", but will never accept blame for problems with a cape. It is always "the other guys" fault. That is part of the crapshoot of where to get taxidermy work done.

There are good ones everywhere there is hunting. There are more poor ones in the US and Canada than other places because there is no standard for the profession and very little "cost of entry".

The best suggestion is to work out your taxidermy needs before you go - get with your taxidermist here or there and find out what you need to do to give your trophies a decent chance at being mounted correctly.

It is an artform and is not foolproof.

There are a couple that post on this forum that I would use anytime and there are a couple that I would never even consider due to lack of talent. To each his own...

I have been on the taxidermist end so here are my experiences. Shipments can be poorly packaged allowing the capes to rub on each other and on the sides of the crate, which doesn't take long to wear the hair off. Capes sometimes are switched out in Africa. Many African shippers reuse their salt over and over which can cause huge problems. The dip and pack from Africa can be much different than salted hides here in the US and while most tanneries can deal with African Game, some can't.

My opinion is simply that the problems of slippage from African capes has a 95% chance the fault occurred in Africa, 5% the tannery messed up, and almost 0% the taxidermist is at fault. A taxidermist really can't do anything to damage a hard salted cape.

Sorry to hear about the damaged lion. There are ways to fix it, but it wouldn't be the original mane.