So, I remember years ago meeting an old gentleman who was sporting a non-removable bracelet of hippo rawhide that was cut when hippo was recently shot and dried on the arm. It was a circular piece of hide that shrank around the wrist making it permanent (unless one was willing to hack-saw it off) I haven't seen anything like it since. Are these still done?

They can be removed if made properly/to the right size.

All the skinner does is take a thickish piece of hide and trim the outer skin away so you have what might be described as the thick subcutaneous layer left.

Then use the base of two differently sized wine bottles/tin cans etc (depending on size required) to mark the hide and then cut round it. After that, trim into rough shape and leave to dry in the sun.

Once dry, it can be sanded to a more comfortable shape.

you can also do a similar thing with the pad of an elephant's foot. The elephant version is more like dried cartlidge and ends up hard and a whitish colour and the hippo version is usually darker and more flexible.

I've got a bunch of both over the years.... rarely wear them though unless I'm hunting and only really wear them then to keep the staff happy.

In the pic below, you see a newly made hippo hide bangle, (they darken after time) a Masai bead bangle that I'm told is supposed to denote rank and home area and an elephant hair bangle that took the place of a broken watch strap for a while.



This is the best quality elephant hair one I've ever seen. I hardly ever wear this nowadays as it's getting old.

Yes, they are still made. I have several, although I don't wear them.

I also have several made from the soles of elephant feet. Don't wear those either.

Here is a photograph from a safari of a few years ago in the Selous showing one of our trackers making hippo bracelets.

Nice Bangles Steve, you can also make a neat looking bangle from a piece of elephant tail. Just cut apiece that is close to your wrist size and cut from 1/2 to 1 1/2 in. wide, skin off tail in one piece, place on wine or beer bottle wait a couple days and then slide it on while a little soft and let dry. I have one on that a client and I took and ele in Gonabisi in the palm thicket there, I know you know the place. Cheers Ernesto

quote:

Originally posted by E. Gonzales:
Nice Bangles Steve, you can also make a neat looking bangle from a piece of elephant tail. Just cut apiece that is close to your wrist size and cut from 1/2 to 1 1/2 in. wide, skin off tail in one piece, place on wine or beer bottle wait a couple days and then slide it on while a little soft and let dry. I have one on that a client and I took and ele in Gonabisi in the palm thicket there, I know you know the place. Cheers Ernesto

I do indeed know it well. The first time I went there must be 16+ years ago and there were elephants literally everywhere. We drove through the palms into that BIG open area and no matter what direction you looked in, you saw elephants........ damn but it was nice.

Fast forward to a year or two ago and the same area now has serious poaching problems.

I know the bangles you mean but don't remember if I have any kicking around any more.

The only one I wear all the time is ivory hasn't been off my arm for donkey's years and now would have to be cut off because it won't fit over my hand.

I like those. I have a handful of ele bracelets from my bulls, but when I take my hippo, I will have to remember these.

The hippo bracelets that you can't get off your wrist and a bracelet cut out of an elephant's foot does not sound like something I would want to wear, or bring home to someone. Might go good with a few tattoos on your arm? If it is not properly tanned, and nothing but dried cartlidge, what would happen when you get it wet? It would probably mold! How about cutting a section of your giraffe's intestines in a loop and drying it and wearing it as a bracelet.

quote:

Originally posted by RBHunt:
does not sound like something I would want to wear, or bring home to someone. Might go good with a few tattoos on your arm?

A very polite and well thought out post.

quote:

Originally posted by RBHunt:
what would happen when you get it wet? It would probably mold!

Nothing happens. They don't rot or grow mold etc at all.

Mine live in the safe most of the time but I've worn them in the pool, in the sea and in the river whenever I've had to go in to recover hippos and/or flatdogs etc.

Not everyone likes that kind of thing but I'm not much bothered either way. I guess it's no different to any other hunting trophy.

Some people like animal foot bookends and ashtrays, some don't. Some like skull mounts, some shoulder mounts, some pedestal mounts and some don't like any at all.

I don't see it as any different to one's choice of watches or personal jewellery etc. To each his own.

As I see it, it's no different to any other personal taste and or choice.

I have worn all three, hippo, ele foot pad, and ele tail and also ele hair... it is not for everyone but to ME it is a way of keping and showing memory and respect to great and noble beasts... the man I work for has 2 on his left arm 1 from each of the ele maulings he has recieved in Cameroon rain forest... to each his own... yes Steve in 07 we took that nice bull and found a bigg bull poached a bit west on the edge of the big open area... was early in the season... 1st hunt... but was poached probably 1 month earlier... also saw poachers just across Mgeta in MK1... they are getting bold those guys... need to bring back operation Uhai... that would MAYBE curb things a bit... good memories though... Cheers

quote:

Originally posted by RBHunt:
The hippo bracelets that you can't get off your wrist and a bracelet cut out of an elephant's foot does not sound like something I would want to wear, or bring home to someone. Might go good with a few tattoos on your arm? If it is not properly tanned, and nothing but dried cartlidge, what would happen when you get it wet? It would probably mold! How about cutting a section of your giraffe's intestines in a loop and drying it and wearing it as a bracelet.

Actually the elephant foot bracelets do not stink, do not mold and I would not know how they look with tatoos since I do not have any tatoos. In reality, they dry and look similar to ivory and are very hard.

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:


Nothing happens. They don't rot or grow mold etc at all.

Mine live in the safe most of the time but I've worn them in the pool, in the sea and in the river whenever I've had to go in to recover hippos and/or flatdogs etc.


I don't see it as any different to one's choice of watches or personal jewellery etc. To each his own.

As I see it, it's no different to any other personal taste and or choice.

Steve, you are correct and I guess it would make a unique trophy or collectable, just not something I would want to wear. I posted my response in a bit of haste, and I am sorry if I offended anyone. Like many others here, we often respond without give a lot of thought to what it looks like when some others read it. It just didn't seem very sanitary. Again, I apologize if I have offended anyone.

EG,

I can't remember the first time I was there but I guess early 90s and it was a paradise then..... One day we stopped and filmed a single herd of well over 1000 buffalo.

Sadly, for that block at least, I reckon those days are gone forever.

operation Uhai -

RBHunt,

No need to apologise to me at all my friend. The forums are all about (or should be) friendly debate..... and as I see it, that's exactly what happened here.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Actually the elephant foot bracelets do not stink, do not mold and I would not know how they look with tatoos since I do not have any tatoos. In reality, they dry and look similar to ivory and are very hard.

Anyone have a pic of the ele foot bracelets?

There you go. The small marks are from the natural cracks in their feet.

A couple more. Criton, Buzz's tracker, decided to combine the traditional elephant knot concept with the bangle. Different.

I have worn both the elephant pad bracelet and the hippo bracelet for years. There is no change in the elephant pad but the hippo hide will darken with time. I just take a pocket knife blade and scrape it a little and it lightens right back like new.

I watched the skinner make the hippo hide bracelet - he put a coke can on it and traced around that.

I have to admit that they are a little out of place in some meetings I go to but at my age I figure that if they dont like it - to hell with them. Usually its women who ask what they are and I delight in telling them its the toenail of an elephant I shot - never fails to shut them up.

More important is the look of mutual respect you get when another hunter that has been there and done it nods silently at them. You know that he knows.

quote:

Originally posted by Palmer:
I have to admit that they are a little out of place in some meetings I go to but at my age I figure that if they dont like it - to hell with them.

I know the feeling.

Gave my elephant hair bracelets away. Big mistake. But....maybe...we'll be going back one more time and I'll get some more...

MJ,

I really like the one with the hair knots on it.
Should I be successful on the hunt later this year, I'm gonna have to remember that.

One of the members of DSC had an elephant hair bracelet, the main part of the bracelet was elephant hair, the knots were solid gold strand. It was the best looking elephant hair bracelet I have ever seen, and I generally don't like bracelets on men. I do not wear any. If I could find one like that one, or have one made, I would certainly wear it. However, he no longer comes to DSC, so I have no idea where he got it.

Thanks for the pics guys...

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
http://www.safarijewelry.com/i...ld-fill-x-knots.html

Thanks Mike, that looks a lot like the one he had, except his was real elephant hair, from the elephant he shot. I may just contact them and see if they can make one up for me!

They will make one with the gold knots using your elephant hair. I believe they actually cost more since they use a process to clean and preserve the hair.