Hey everybody, I am talking to the wife about maybe working on a hunt for 2008 (I know, very far off, but we're having a kid in June and the money is going to get real tight) and I was thinking about the trophies.

I don't really have anywhere to keep them, and aside from a Buf, which would be top of my list for my hunt, I'd go wtih european mounts or tanned hides. I figure having the hides tanned in Africa and then sent on will be cheapest.

What I am wondering about is if anybody has been able to work a deal with companies for barter. For instance, if I got a buff I would like to get a couple of pairs of Russel boots made, I'd rather trade tanned hide for the boots than just pay for them. Also would like to do that kind of thing on gun slings, cartridge carriers etc. Just wondering if anybody here had done that?

Thanks guys.

Red

I have worked with my local taxidermist and traded hides for discount in mounts or free skull/european mounts. Did that with my springbok and warthog - he paid for the tanning and kept the hides. In return, he did skull/European mounts of both for me for free. You might check with your taxidermist about applying credit towards a buff mount.

Brad

I've done that with a number of my clients. Traded taxidery work for capes and skins. Talk with your Taxidermist before you go, see if he would be interested...

Do yourself a favor, DON'T get them tanned in Africa, just have them sent back with your horns. I will not take skins tanned in Africa!

Widowmaker416 said:

quote:

Do yourself a favor, DON'T get them tanned in Africa, just have them sent back with your horns. I will not take skins tanned in Africa!

This is a very broad brush accusation! Wouldn't it be a better or more valuable contribution to rather advise to have skins tanned somewhere, than to be negative about all African tanners? Or, if you feel very strongly about poor service you may have recieved in the past, then name the specific culprits!

Just my thoughts about a negative remark about 'my' continent.

Andrew McLaren

I have had skins tanned in both Zimbabwe and South Africa.

All were done very well.

I had some hides tanned in Namibia, the quality is as good or better than some of the junk I've seen come from New Method tannery.

quote:

Do yourself a favor, DON'T get them tanned in Africa, just have them sent back with your horns. I will not take skins tanned in Africa!

Verewaaier,

Before you get your nose all out of joint read what I said, I quoted it above for you. I said nothing about "bad" tanning, did I! If I'm going to buy skins and capes from clients I want my tannery, on 'my' continent, to do the work!

Some of you people on here need to chill out! lifes to short!

I tried discussing trading/selling skins with my taxidermist but the reply was that "they don´t buy from clients". End of story. I have seen advertisements in Magnum where people want to buy skins, capes and skulls so there must be a market for them. I´m going to do some more research on this when I go to SA in March.

THere is an after-market for capes and skins. Unless you have a deal before you go with a taxidermist in your area, I doubt you will break even on the shipping.

There are several taxidermy magazines that have a "for sale" section where I see capes and skins offered.

Recently, my taxidermist offered me $200 for a kudu cape for a guy whose mounts were damaged. The $200 barely covered the shipping and tanning.

It is hard to make this kind of deal work unless you are on good relations with a taxidermist that does a lot of African work.

The type of tanning is important to many taxidermist. The problem with African animals is the lack of hair on them. Most US taxidermists prefer to use a wet tan method to make the mounting easier. This cannot be done in Africa and shipped. Second, the chemicals used in tanning vary somewhat from place to place, so, by asking a local guy to mount your African tanned piece- he is dealing with chemicals and a texture of of the hide he is not familiar with. It may be tough to pull off.

Don't give up, try anyway.

GEEZE!! widowmaker can't you play nice? Cats

quote:

Originally posted by Widowmaker416:
Do yourself a favor, DON'T get them tanned in Africa, just have them sent back with your horns. I will not take skins tanned in Africa!

In defense of Widowmaker, his sentiments mirror the experience I've had with African taxidermy. I had decent (decent, not good) taxidermy done in Namibia. But that has been about it, the remainder has decidedly been poor. Naturally, I have not used all African taxidermists, so I can't say they are all bad. I probably won't bother with African taxidermy any more, though. Your choice, maybe you'll get better results than I did...

- mike

I would get anything I was chrome tanning done in Africa.

As for taxidermy tan, I would use my taxidermist.

quote:

Recently, my taxidermist offered me $200 for a kudu cape for a guy whose mounts were damaged. The $200 barely covered the shipping and tanning.

Don't get them tanned! Why spend your money, Sell or barter with your or a taxidermist when they are salted and dryed. Check with him before you go, if he's interested or what he's interested in. The shipping on a dryed salted hide is not that much.

Quote:
[Most US taxidermists prefer to use a wet tan method to make the mounting easier.]

There's a lot of experts on here!
I never use wet tan, all my skins are done dry, I don't see it being easier because it's wet tanned, the only thing you don't have to do is soak it before mounting. What's so hard about that!

Some of you are posting on here about what great tanning you got done in Africa, well, I'm sure your talking about flat skins, they all look great, see how long they last.

I'd like all of you to stand behind a manikin and try sewing the skin on the form when there's no stretch, the skin is like card board, it rips, shaved to thin! This is what I'm talking about, shins are all nice when they're just lying there, try working with them!

And yes there are bad tannerys in Africa as there are in the USA but there are more bad ones in Africa then the USA. I work with a very good one, he's been doing my tanning for over 20 years, I trust him 100%.

A great mount starts with great tanning!

Dago

If I were in the position you described I would look into having all european mounts done and have them done in Africa without plaques. I would almost bet that bringing the skins/capes back to the States and trying to turn a profit in the long run will be a real pain in the ---.
I don't see why european mounts would not be as good done in Africa as here in the US and even a buffalo looks great done that way. Also the total cost would be miniscule compared to the standard shipping and taxidermy costs. Just a thought.

Mark

http://www.taxidermy.com

It's pretty easy to do your own taxidermy, and save $$$$$$$$$$$$.

As for skull cleaning, They will be clean when they get to the states. All you have to do is buy 20 gallons of bleaching agent. Don't pay someone $80 a head to do this.

quote:

Originally posted by Widowmaker416:

quote:

Recently, my taxidermist offered me $200 for a kudu cape for a guy whose mounts were damaged. The $200 barely covered the shipping and tanning.

Don't get them tanned! Why spend your money, Sell or barter with your or a taxidermist when they are salted and dryed. Check with him before you go, if he's interested or what he's interested in. The shipping on a dryed salted hide is not that much.

Quote:
[Most US taxidermists prefer to use a wet tan method to make the mounting easier.]

There's a lot of experts on here!
I never use wet tan, all my skins are done dry, I don't see it being easier because it's wet tanned, the only thing you don't have to do is soak it before mounting. What's so hard about that!

Some of you are posting on here about what great tanning you got done in Africa, well, I'm sure your talking about flat skins, they all look great, see how long they last.

I'd like all of you to stand behind a manikin and try sewing the skin on the form when there's no stretch, the skin is like card board, it rips, shaved to thin! This is what I'm talking about, shins are all nice when they're just lying there, try working with them!

And yes there are bad tannerys in Africa as there are in the USA but there are more bad ones in Africa then the USA. I work with a very good one, he's been doing my tanning for over 20 years, I trust him 100%.

A great mount starts with great tanning!

Widow - You are 100% correct. I am an amateur taxidermist and not a pro. What you have said is what my pro tells me.

Your advice is very good.

Thanks Dogcat!

I've been in the business for over 30 years, which includes clearing trophies at the airport

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
I don't see why european mounts would not be as good done in Africa as here in the US
Mark

Those were my thoughts exactly, the last time I went to Africa. After all, what can be done incorrectly with a European mount??

Boy, was I proven wrong. The skulls were completely boiled to pieces, the bone substance brittle and ugly. Skulls had been mounted on the plaques without cutting the skull. I know this is sometimes also done in the States, but it is not the correct way of doing a European mount, and surely I can expect a professional taxidermist to know that. In particular since the price I was charged to have these mounts done in SA was as much as it would have cost me with my local taxidermist, who is easily one of the better taxidermists I have run into in Europe.

This particular SA taxidermist charged European prices, and most likely let the work be done by unskilled African labour - no supervision ensured. A lot of people feeding from the trough of the visiting hunter these days. I would have no problem with this, if the quality matched the price, but as it was...

- mike

quote:

Originally posted by mho:

This particular SA taxidermist charged European prices, and most likely let the work be done by unskilled African labour - no supervision ensured. A lot of people feeding from the trough of the visiting hunter these days. I would have no problem with this, if the quality matched the price, but as it was...

- mike

Mike is right!

I visited 3 Taxidermist and a Tannery in Windhoek. The best stuff looked like my worst. All the Kudu were made using the same form.

All the work was done by natives, at $10 a day. They had hundreds of employees.

The whites answered the phone, and gave orders. Why should I pay American or European rates for African taxidermy done by natives who work for $10 a day?

Anyone have any pics of a european Buff mount. I have never seen one but have wondered how they look a few times.

mho,

Don't forget that we Europeans have VAT to pay.If you take the risk to have your taxidermy made in Africa, worst, You'll have to pay more taxes to let them enter in Your country. I am not wrong saying that mean VAT is about 15%.

As I am very fond of my close friend taxidermist, when in Africa, I do my best to collect capes (and hides) for him.I give them, and I am sure I got discount on my mounts whithout asking him.
Some hunters are not interested in capes. But a taxidermist is always happy with a couple of capes in advance, so as to taxidermy for some sorry owners of mere skulls or to replace rotten or mangy capes.

Widowmaker is right, donot under any circumstances have your "CAPES" tanned in Africa. Backskins and flat hides they can do OK but not capes, if you do they will be worthless to sell over here. As to the europeon mounts, that's a crap shoot, I've seen some skulls from Namibia and SA that look great and I've seen skulls from other countries that were ruined, boiled to pieces. The main problem with selling capes is, there are so many hunters going to Africa these days it has filled the market with capes from common plains game like Kudu,Impala, Warhog etc.. and that has brought the prices down.

Widowmaker416, your reply to Verrewaaier: “Some of you people on here need to chill out! lifes to short!†Is undoubtedly a truth of life, not necessarily one that is applicable to just Verrewaaier in this case, but in general – sure it is true.

Another truth of life is that you should expect an itchiness if you say, or imply, or space your words so widely that it can be read between the lines, something vaguely negative about another man’s country. It’s not just an African thing. Americans may bitch amongst themselves and criticize US lawyers, foreign policy, social security etc., but if I as a foreigner join the conversation, most Americans will unite forces in waxing the streets with my delicate posterior. This phenomenon holds true for most nationalities that I’ve met – and I think it’s great.

A man not willing to defend his country’s honor, is a man not deserving his country, nor his home, history or a future in that country. Thanks Andrew!

Dago Red, one of my former US clients is in the fur & leather business. He has his hides tanned in South Africa, and then ships it over to China to have the outfits made. After this tour around the world, he sells it to discerning high-end buyers in the US. He might well be interested in buying some of your (African) tanned hides. If you need his contact detail, send me a PM.

Regards to all.

Quoted by Riaan:

quote:

Another truth of life is that you should expect an itchiness if you say, or imply, or space your words so widely that it can be read between the lines, something vaguely negative about another man’s country. It’s not just an African thing.

Riaan,

First thing, I was not pointing the finger at anyone or anyone's country, I like Africa very much and have made some very good friends there. And I can't wait to get back! Yes there are bad and good in both country's or any country for that matter! I've seen more tanning that I don't care for come out of Africa, that's my opinion, I'm not in a position, or have the time to deal with ones there. In the US I can, fairly easy, check out the tannerys, I know which ones to stay away from. And yes, the US does have it's share of bad tannerys.

If I'm going to be working with the skin for mounting purposes, I have to know the tanning, that's hard for people that don't do this everyday to understand. If I'm going to do a good job for my client it has to start with the tanning! That's life! At least in my studio it is.



A man not willing to defend his country’s honor, is a man not deserving his country, nor his home, history or a future in that country.

Can't agree more!

I was at widowmakers shop a few weeks ago having a whitetial scored for B&C, and I can tell you 2 things:

1. The man loves Africa!
2. He knows his business! His work is topnotch!

I didn't think about selling any of it, I was just hoping to trade some of the hide away to Russel fro a couple of paairs of boots and some to Murray or somebody else for some leather goods. It's a long ways off anyways, I'll just contact the different people before hand and ask them if they are interested and what they want done with the hides or want to have them tanned on their end.

I was discussing with the wife and she wants to put me off maybe till 09 because of the cost. Plus she says I need to go on more hunts here, having only gone on one pig hunt and the few years I have been hunting deer I have been unsuccesful. What a caring wife, suggesting I hunt more.

Red