Quick question:

Is there any way to rejuvenate tanned hides that have sat out in the air for nearly 20 years so they can be used for mounting without tearing when stretched?

Or are they relegated to be used as "throws" for the rest of their lives? -TONY

To Answer your first question....NOPE, What happens to a tanned hide is Acid Rot or deterioration. The tanning process and breaking process loosens the fibers grip on each other in the hide and as time progresses it continues to break down. No Matter how well they think they are neutralized their is always some residual acid present. The reason mounts stay together is that they are glued to a manikin and the fiber are then glued to each other and not stressed at all.
The second question...Yep, they are going to be throws and that's it, forever.

Tony,

Dennis is correct as far as those hides never being able to be rehydrated, stretched and mounted...but...I have 'vulcanized' many old skins without rehydrating them and made them into rugs or stablized them for throws or decorative pieces. Depends on the type of skin and what you may have in mind beyond mounting. PM me if you have any questions.

Kind regards,
Mary

I was pretty sure of what the answer would be since my taxidermist had already told me as much. Still, I was hoping someone here had discovered a miracle of sorts.

Mary,

There's actually only two hides of the bunch that would qualify for rugs -- one black bear and my lion. I have another monster bear, but it was slit up the back for life-size mounting in a particular pose.

The lion would be the one I would really like to do something with it. It was a VERY big tom, as seen below with Randy Epperson.



Right now, it serves as a cover over a coffee table in my one trophy room. I'm guessing, though, when you said you could maybe make it into a rug, that would be without having a 3-D head, no?

Tony,

You are correct, no headform can be installed. I have done them either 'as is' or some have requested for the head to be cut off. The technique works really well with flat hides, esp. African.

Kind regards,
Mary

Mary,

Figured.

I would likely leave the head on as it on my zebra hide and just have you do the backing on it with the head split and sewed wide and flat. Likewise with the paws.

In that case, is any degree of stretching possible,or do you pretty much have to work with it at the shrunken size? -TONY

Tony,

No stretching can be done as we cannot rehydrate the skin or it will fall apart. The skin will remain like it is. I would tack it out flat, hair side down and apply the vucanizing product. The product makes like a psuedo skin and will soften and make the skin more pliable as it reinforces it. After the product dries, it will remain in the flattened position it was stretched in, if you back it. The head, unfortunately will remain exactly as it is, that is why some elect to cut it off as close to the ears as possible.

Kind regards,
Mary

Mary,

See my PM to you. -TONY