I doubt I will get to go elephant hunting any time soon but would like to have one of these bracelets to add to my collection of Africana used to decorate my office.Does anybody know where I can get one and what would be the cost.I thought maybe some of our African posters could help.

Thanks Good Hunting.

I've probably got a dozen or so in my safe. Most are 'single' bangles a few a doubles and one treble. - One of the skinners I now use can tie trebles which are very difficult indeed. you can expect to pay (for top quality) around US$40 or so for a single, US$60 for a double and US$80 -100 for a treble...... it's possible to buy them a lot cheaper in some places, BUT they won't be good quality.

It's not getting them that's the problem, it's the fact that we can't send them overseas because of the CITES thing. - Of course, if you come to Africa then all you have to do is wear it on your wrist as you travel home....... Even if it were spotted by customs & irritations, they almost certainly wouldn't know what it was...... But it is illegal...

There are a bunch on ebay real cheap. They're almost certainly fakes but if it's just hanging on the wall it probably wouldn't matter and that avoids the CITIES issues.

Kyler

I was thinking about looking for a double at the SCI....surely they would be available? But I wonder about the "SCI Show premium" price.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer

There's a lot of cheap and nasty crap out there and if you buy rubbish, it'll break quickly.

Try to look before you buy and check for uniformity of thickness of hair - preferably fairly thick and look especially for any thin parts of hair. Even a half inch long single piece of hair that's thin/weak will mean it'll break a few months down the line. - Look also for well tied knots that move freely but not too freely.

Last but not least, count the number of hairs. If it four or five (ish) then it's cheap crap made for the tourist market. Generally speaking, the more hairs, the better the quality.

Sorry ,I had a bunch of them from one of my elephants but just looked and have only one left. I will keep it. Gave the others to a guy that was on this forum and wanted some. He never even bothered to confirm he got them much less thanks.

I have a couple that I got at the RSA airport. I use to doubt they were real but my PH confirmed they were real elephant hair. I got them real cheap, so if you want one just PM me address and I will send you one.

Is it just me or is someone always fishing for a free bracelet? Not that this is such.

I got a bunch that, no, I'm not giving away or selling. They'll be burned with me in the crematory!

Not my intent, but I'll fish for free any chance I get....gas for my sportfisher is expensive

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer

I bought about 2 dozen of them on my last trip to northern Namibia, all good quality no fakes for about $1.50 USD. Gave most of them away as gifts to family and friends

There were many at SCI in Reno last year, I think they were $20± ?

I have a "cheap" 5 hair one that I have worn since 2001 when I shot an elephant in Zim. My wife has all the better ones reserved for herself. She also has some of those hard ones made out of the base of the foot.

The best way to get one is go to Africa, shoot an elephant and have the tracker make some up.

I was told wearing an elephant hair bracelet would bring good luck.

Does anyone know how long it takes for the good luck to kick in. I have been waiting for 6 years now.

BigB

BigB,

If you are still living, have most of your factory parts and they are still working as designed most of the time...you are experiencing the good luck.

Perry

BigB:

I might have to question that luck thing.....didn't help that tusker much!
But hey, like Perry said, you got up and were able to post today!

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer

quote:

Originally posted by BigB:

Does anyone know how long it takes for the good luck to kick in. I have been waiting for 6 years now.

BigB

Let me tell you about luck... In 2004 I was hunting elephant in Zim...We came across a pangolin and the Ph told me it is a sacred animal to the natives of Zim and Good luck...
In 2005 I won the AR buf hunt to the Selous...
Now I upgraded to 21 days and hand all animals on license...18 days into the hunt we are driving back to the camp, and the tracker yells in Swahili and the trucks stops and he jumps off and runs about 35 yards away and points to something... I follow with my rifle and wife comes with camera and I say a pangolin... I tell Pierre van Tonder I held one and won the hunt and I must hold this on and on the 19th day this guy walked out....The rest is history...

Mike


link to pic http://picasaweb.google.com/retreever/TanzTest/photo#4968456381983817746

This may sound dumb but I've never seen one.
A chance someone can post a photo of the differnt kinds?
I hope to buy a few on my trip to Namibia this May.

According to a 1200-year-old legend, it is believed that the wearer of such a bracelet would be protected from illness, taken out of harms way and attain great fortune. The four knots on this bracelet represent the forces of life: sun, wind, fire, and water. The strands symbolize the yearly seasons. Moving the knots along the strands is thought to create a balance and blend between earth and nature, thus enabling the wearer to be in sync with nature's rhythm. Good fortune will follow him and luck will be his guide.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=...cc1a914664e&ei=UTF-8

Broom,
Thank you for the photos. I would have never guessed the hair was that thick.

anyone actually know how to tie one of these, I have one and cant figure it out by looking. hair seems to dissapear into the knots. _Baxter

Google it and you will find how to tie them, but with wire instead of elephant hair. I do believe hair would be a lot more difficult.

I watched one of the trackers tie them but I don't know exactly how he did it. One trick is the he warmed the hairs in hot water immediately before he tied them.

He even made a necklace for my wife with a whole bunch of knots.

Kyler

The knots look complicated but are really not much more than a whipping knot and the secret is to keep the hairs wet - regular dunkings in water or better still, soapy water seems to be the key. I fianlly learned to do it last year but I still need a lot of practice and don't really have the time for that....... if you do, try using heavy fishing line to practice with.

A really good quality one will last for many years - I have a treble that's getting a bit buggered now as it's had so much abuse - but it must be about 25 years old now.......

quote:

Originally posted by BigB:

The best way to get one is go to Africa, shoot an elephant and have the tracker make some up.

BigB

The only proper way is as you described.

I regard it as an item to constantly wear to show off as IMHO it's says:"I've shot this elephant!"

I, for one would NEVER wear one other than from an elephant that I've hunted myself. But there are people who buy trophies at a taxidermist shop and display them on their walls. I think using one bought as a curio in an "African Display" is quite OK, but wearing it???? But this is only my opinion!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

I could send you as many as you want.


SCHINDLER'S AFRICA
Hunting one hour from Cape Town

I wear two of them all the time from the cow I killed to double my luck!

Retreever Jr. had a cool one from his Dad's ele at the DCS party.

It was a eight knot that looked like two bracelets side-by-side, with each pair of 'knots' (really one knot) next to each other. It was made by Pierre (or his staff) for him. I think that his dad had one as well.

It was the nicest one I'd seen. Maybe retreever or Jr can post a pic..?

I've heard the "Luck" only gets in if you receive the braclet as a gift.

i bought one for a coworker off the internet from a company out of africa that can export, I want to say it was 25 bucks plus 10 to export, can't remember exactly. when it got here it looked great, either a really good synthetic or the real thing. wasn't fishing wire, was thick, well made. she loves elephants but doesn't wear it much, I think afraid of wearing it out.

Red

I wear one as I heard they were good to keep elephants away and damn it really works here in Pa.

I bought 4 knot bracelets in 02 in Bulaway at Feseks? They were only $4.00 US. I wore one for 3 years till the knots wore off.

/

Do they give him some personal time with the bull?

My bracelets from my above ele...

I have one, my wife one, and my son Matt one also...

Mike





link if not visible
http://picasaweb.google.com/retreever/DSC2007/photo#5021560839945863538

http://picasaweb.google.com/retreever/DSC2007/photo#5021560479168610658

Of course you could cheat and make them out of old Fly-line of the same colour...I have seen some of those, but then of course, you should have Andrew and ALF's posts ringing in your ears, rightly so

If one goes on a PAC ele hunt then no parts of the animals are allowed to taken, this I think is the law.

But what about tail hair bracelets? Is one "allowed" to take the tail hair of a PAC ele?

Mr.Culpepper sent me the bracelet as promised.I thought it was a great gesture.Things like this are some of the reason this site is the best.

Good Hunting

....and he sent me one too, as promised. It was a very nice gesture and I hope to buy him a cold one sometime to say thanks.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer

Love those elephant hair bracelets and the good luck that they bring! By the way, there's silver and gold ones, and even copper ones for those who want the long lasting types. However, they do not compare with the real things.

I have a copper bracelet but I can't remember where it was purchased. Probably somewhere in the old Transvaal. Are they common there? Who makes them? The elephant one you can get everywhere in SA but I would like to hear a bit about the copper bracelet.