I just recieved the trophies from my 2004 South African Hunt. Simple skull mounts on simple wood plaques. Upon opening the crate I discovered all six were damaged in transit. I was able to repair them good enough for display as they are all hung up fairly high in my shop. I'm no expert but they look pretty cheaply mounted with a single wood 2x2 block glued in the skull to hold one screw then two other screws into the teeth. Acraglas to the rescue which fortunately can be dyed white to rebuild the broken out areas where the screws go.
The prices seemed cheap at the time of the hunt and thinking the shipping would be about the same as unmounted heads I had the taxidermy done there.
Over the two years it took to complete-which seems a little long- my correspondence with the company was tiring. Details of payments and timetables were slow in coming and simple questions required multiple emails. I was a little surprised they arrived at all after the poor communications with the company.
It's not a huge deal to me as it wasn't my first safari and none of the Animals were spectacular, but they nonetheless hold some fond memories.
My intent here is to alert anyone thinking about having their work done in JoBerg at Taxidermy International. My experience was poor and I don't recommend them. You can make your own decision.

Hate to hear it!!

Another testimonial to commercial African taxidermy work...

quote:

Originally posted by Mead Taxidermy Studio:
Another testimonial to commercial African taxidermy work...

Bwana Bob, that remark is ridiculous and obviously made for purely commercial reasons. There are good and bad taxidermists on both continents - actually on all continents. All you have to do is take a look around this and the African hunting forum and you'll find examples of both qualities from both continents....... There were some pics posted here not that long ago of some American taxidermy work that was truly appalling. - BUT that doesn't make all American taxidermy bad!.... It was actually funny that the poster who was also the taxidermist thought it was good work. Politeness prohibits me from naming names......

Rather than criticise the opposition unfairly, it would be a lot fairer for you to post a few images of your own work and let the members decide for themselves on whether your work is good or bad....... - If you don't know how to post images, feel free to e-mail them to me and I'll be happy to do it for you.

In this case, surely the fault was in choosing a second rate taxidermist (probably based solely on price) - It doesn't matter which country you're in, or what product you buy. - there's a very simple rule in life...... you don't get what you don't pay for and quality ALWAYS only ever comes at a price.........

I looked at their work the 1st time in 2000. I was not impressed. They have not done any work for me other than dip and pack. That was on my first three trips to RSA. ( The outfitter used them but no longer does.) The only reason that went smoothly is thanks to Maria Europa who was constantly on top of things. She pushed them to make promised deadlines and shipping dates etc. I had not used an import company before Maria. It was always a simple matter of clearing things ourselves. Now it is a pain and I will use Maria exclusively to handle things. I am sorry for your problems with the taxidermist. I found them to be terrible about correspondence as well. I wonder why it took 2 years for simple european mounts. Very poor service in my opinion regardless of the quality.

Can you provide contact info for Maria Europa and who she works for?

Bwana Steve,

It was just my opinion...based on my knowledge of my client's experiences with African taxidermy outfits and the displeasure they have had with the quality of work, turn-around time, and overall lack of recourse when problems arise.

I am sure there are quality taxidermy studios in Africa...just as I am sure there are Amarican taxidermists doing lousy, sub-standard work. It has been my experience to hear more bad about African taxidermy than I do about state-side stuff, but that may just be my small window of experience. The fact is, the only African work I have done so far (besides our NM Gemsbok) is repair work when my clients have received their African-mounted trophies, and the work I have seen is pretty bad.

Thanks for your offer, but you will notice that I have posted many pictures on this forum, so I am not deficient in my knowledge of the process, and my website is listed with my signature on every thread if anybody wants to see my work or credentials.

I wish I had first-hand experience in the dark continent in order to form a more concise opinion, but I am just now researching my 1st trip to RSA for plains game, hoping to go next year. If you could be of any assistance, I welcome your input.

Bob,

We don't do much work in SA nowadays - despite living in SA..... most of our business is for DG and is in Tanzania and to a lesser extent Botswana. However, you'll find everything on our website (see my signature for details)

If you do come to SA and you're anywhere in the White River/Nelspruit area, you might like to drop into Lifeform Taxidermy where you'll find plenty of terrific examples of African taxidermy. They'll also be happy to give you a tour of their operation. - While you're in the area you could always drop in here for a beer or three.

You might also like to consider Tuli Block Botswana as an alternative to SA for your plains game hunt. IMO, the fact it's wilder makes for a more enjoyable hunt.....

I took a look at your website and seeing your American cats (I've never seen one in the flesh, so can't compare but they looked good to me) made me realise that where some US taxidermists seem to go wrong is they appear to use American cat forms for African cats.

Steve,

Like Bob, Ive had to repair work done in SA. But I also do a bit of work on african game.

Recently I got in 10 pieces that were done by an SA taxidermist that is going to cost the clint a pile in repair work. And its just horn panels! The leather covering the skull plate is peeling off and they used strips of 3/8" white elastic to wrap around the horns with hot glue. The elastic was the decorative braid around the base of the horns. Neither the kudu, waterbuck or oryx had the horn cores attached to the sheaths, they simply set them on there.

Ive toured some of the big shops in Bulawayo and my impression was less than favorable. I won't name names, but the work fell far below what could be called acceptable.

I attributed that to the limited selection of forms avaiable over there and the qualilty of the work force. But they had mountains of work that was left by foreign hunters that were lured their by thier PH and the low price. It is the hunter's responsibility to have their taxidermist set up prior to arrival. They should interview folks back here and then interview folks in SA before dropping anything off. That way, they can have the "best" person or shop get the work and they arent stuck in a foreign country with no options.

All that being said, Ive seen some really good work come out of Africa, but the shops capable of doing it are rare. I think the company you refer people do is well above the average coming out of africa. Several companies in SA come to mind that have gained the respect of the taxidermists here in the States that are competing for their work.

I don't think Im too far off the mark by saying on AVERAGE, the shops in Africa do not produce the quality of work done by the people here doing african work. (Again Im speaking in AVERAGES). The reasons are, a more diverse-anatomically correct selection of forms, more modern techniques, better quality tans, and a more motivated or talented work force.(Again speaking in AVERAGES)

I will be in SA in August and am building in two days to be shown around Joberg and see some of the shops. I really want to visit LIfeform if there is time.

Hugh

I don't know much about JoBerg Taxidermists but I can tell you some horror stories right here in the States. Problems from a Wyoming Taxidermist putting a different hide (the wrong hide) on a trophy whitetail to a New Jersey Taxidermist promising me my Mountain Lion would be ready in May and I still havn't got it.
Just get references from good friends who know and go with their recomendations.

quote:

Originally posted by Hughiam:
Steve,

Like Bob, Ive had to repair work done in SA. But I also do a bit of work on african game.

Recently I got in 10 pieces that were done by an SA taxidermist that is going to cost the clint a pile in repair work. And its just horn panels! The leather covering the skull plate is peeling off and they used strips of 3/8" white elastic to wrap around the horns with hot glue. The elastic was the decorative braid around the base of the horns. Neither the kudu, waterbuck or oryx had the horn cores attached to the sheaths, they simply set them on there.

Ive toured some of the big shops in Bulawayo and my impression was less than favorable. I won't name names, but the work fell far below what could be called acceptable.

I attributed that to the limited selection of forms avaiable over there and the qualilty of the work force. But they had mountains of work that was left by foreign hunters that were lured their by thier PH and the low price. It is the hunter's responsibility to have their taxidermist set up prior to arrival. They should interview folks back here and then interview folks in SA before dropping anything off. That way, they can have the "best" person or shop get the work and they arent stuck in a foreign country with no options.

All that being said, Ive seen some really good work come out of Africa, but the shops capable of doing it are rare. I think the company you refer people do is well above the average coming out of africa. Several companies in SA come to mind that have gained the respect of the taxidermists here in the States that are competing for their work.

I don't think Im too far off the mark by saying on AVERAGE, the shops in Africa do not produce the quality of work done by the people here doing african work. (Again Im speaking in AVERAGES). The reasons are, a more diverse-anatomically correct selection of forms, more modern techniques, better quality tans, and a more motivated or talented work force.(Again speaking in AVERAGES)

I will be in SA in August and am building in two days to be shown around Joberg and see some of the shops. I really want to visit LIfeform if there is time.

Hugh

White River is near Nelspruit and at least a 3-4 hour drive from Joburg- i don't think you will be able to visit their shop but if you do; you will certainly see some quality work

Maria Europa-Felix
Hunter International Brokerage Services, Inc.
1633 Bayshore Hwy, Suite 337
Burlingame, CA 94010
Tel (650) 652-0100
Fax (650) 697-0687
E-mail: meuropa@sbcglobal.net or mlfelix@sbcglobal.net

It was actually cheaper to have them shipped to Ca and then tanned there. Golden State Tannery is right there as well and does great work. Last but not least my good friend and hunting compainon Anthony Maxwell ( Maxwell Wildlife Art )
is my taxidermist and is also located out there. Although I am in Ohio it is easy and just as cheap for me to have things done this way. I have never been a fan of broakeage services but after my experiences here I will do it again in a heart beat. Maria and Hunter certainly made it easy for me.

I'll try to reply to the various points in order and hope I don't miss any!

I think a lot of people choose their taxidermist purely on lowest price, which is obviously a very big mistake. - As I said earlier, quality only ever comes at a price. Any taxidermist anywhere in the world who promises ultra cheap prices or ultra fast turnround times should obviously be viewed with a great deal of caution. As to forms, I simply can't agree. African taxidermists would obviously have far more forms of African animals than a taxidermist based overseas. - After all, most, if not all of an Africa based taxidermists work is African animals. A taxidermist based in the US for example would have a far lower percentage of their work coming from Africa and consequently would hold less forms in stock. Let's face it, just from these forums, we see plenty of African cats that are seemingly mounted on non-African species forms. - I don't know much about taxidermists based elsewhere in Africa but I can think of many SA based taxidermy studios who each have literally many hundreds of African species forms. As to supply availability, the internet has turned us into a global society. Pretty much anything is available anywhere and that goes for taxidermy supplies as well as everything else.

As you say, it's up to the potential client to do his homework by checking references, looking at existing work in their area if possible, and either by checking out websites and if possible visiting studios personally. That said, many people wouldn't recognise good taxidermy from bad if it bit them in the ass..... probably because they haven't seen enough of the relevant species in the wild. That same point could also be applied to taxidermists based outside of Africa. After all, how can someone who has never been to Africa have the intimate knowledge of how that African animal moves and looks in the wild. These potential clients who are looking for a good taxidermist should try to look carefully at the cat mounts especially, and at the mouths, ears and eyes of all species.

I haven't visited the conventions for about 3 years but the last time I did, the standard of taxidermy I saw from US based companies displaying at the show was pretty lousy. One US based company that I noted were particularly GOOD was Buckshot Taxidermy in (I think) San Antonio.

I don't think there's a hell of a lot of difference in total costs between the US and RSA but what has always puzzled me is why so many overseas hunters, who presumably must be reasonably good at whatever they do and reasonably intelligent, (Otherwise they wouldn't have accumulated the money to hunt Africa) should so often try to shave off a few dollars on the cost of such an expensive trip. Surely they must realise that there's no such thing as a free lunch, yet many will still try to find small savings on taxidermy and even ammo. They spend umpteen thousand dollars on the hunt and then buy inferior bullets..... hell, I've even seen clients arrive with a mixed collection of half used boxes of bullets from previous hunts all over the world. Not only different batches but different makes, designs and weights of bullets. WTF do they do that?

My advice would be not to try to decide on taxidermist by continent or cost but instead by quality of work............ And for quality of work, you'll not find better than Lifeform Taxidermy in White River.

White River is right next door to the Kruger National Park so a visit could be tied in with a visit there........

I will echo the comments from BiggestGun and Mike Smith about Taxidermy International in JoBerg.

In 2003 and 2004, I went on three safaris - each of which had 9 friends or relatives plus myself. This would represent perhaps at least 8 animals each for 30 hunters that were taken to TI.

Our PH routinely took his customers to TI. We had other options to TI of course, the PH did not force us to use TI. In fact, I later learned that when he started getting negative feedback from his clients he switched following clients to another firm.

We (brother, friends, relatives and myself) all had the same frustrating experience with getting the mounts delivered. Since I organized the groups initially they all called me with every frustrating problem they had with the taxidermist.

Since it took 2 years to get the first mounts back we did not know any better than to take the animals there again the second year.

I do not personally have a major problem with the general quality of the mounts however everyone had shipping damage such as hair rubbed off in the shipping crate etc. Some had requested specific poses for the mounts such as looking left or whatever and did not get what they asked for.

Obviously we were not about to ship the mounts back after waiting 2 years and experience the same frustrating correspondence problem all over again.

This is not to comment on other SA taxidermists, I am sure there are others with better communication and packing skills but with the combined experience of the people I accompanied and who have used TI, not even one of us would recommend them.

If I may respectfully add a comment or two to Bwana Steve's last post:

A taxidermist, or any other artist for that matter, does not have to live in Africa to know what a lion, zebra, or impala looks like, just like a New Zealand taxidermist doesn't have to live in Colorado to know what an elk should look like. We have all kinds of animals in all the zoos here to look at. The talented taxidermist uses his ability to interpret reference material and incorporate that in a mount to achieve an anatomically correct representation of the specie being mounted. REFERENCE INTERPRETATION, not geographical location, is the biggest factor in a taxidermist succeeding in mounting less common species. My reference library is huge, and I collect pictures, videos, etc. on anything I may think I may mount one day. All of the good taxidermists I have the pleasure to know do the same, no matter what country they are from.

As to form availability, all of the mounts I have had to disassemble and remount from Africa have been mounted on very poor quality forms. Period. Even if an African studio has 100 different forms available that are of poor quality, the end result is the same: Poor Quality. American taxidermy supply houses have excellent forms available for nearly every game species being taken around the world today, and a taxidermist should be able to modify these forms to ensure accuracy and get the desired end result.

As an example, some taxidermist will mount leopards on unaltered Mountain Lion forms, which have different head anatomy, and if left "factory", have a less-than-desirable end results. Cats are tough critters to mount correctly to start with, so knowledge of anatomy is always helpful when working on "exotic" game. Again, study and doing the homework is crucial.

As I said earlier, I am sure there are quality taxidermy pieces being done in Africa...but it doesn't seem to be the standard.

Bob, my point is that there are good, bad and many indifferent taxidermists all over the world - Where the work comes from has bugger all to do with quality...... and I firmly believe that someone who sees the relevant live animals on a fairly daily basis will have a better idea of what the animal should look like after it's been set up.

I haven't seen any pictures of your African work, but why not post some here and I'll post pics of work done by African taxidermists......

Is this going to turn into a pissing contest? I have previously stated that I don't get much African work, but if it satisfies your question, Steve, here you go.



Now, send me a pic of a Mountain Lion or a Mule deer mounted by an African studio

Here's a different Gemsbok up close. You tell me if they're passable or not...

I will agree with Steve that Lifeform is good. I was pleased with what I saw there. I also agree there are good and bad taxidermists everywhere. I happen to use one of the best in my opinion. It is a bonus that we have become friends and hunting partners. Anthony Maxwell is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive. He does top notch work and that is what matters to me. The first thing I looked at were some of his cat mounts before he ever did any work for me. That was a long time ago when we first met. I was sold after looking at those mounts. That is a good piece of advice to anyone selecting a taxidermist. If they can do a cat right every thing else should be ok as well. The point is check out the work first even if only a pic on the internet. Better yet go see it in person if possible. The real problem with using an african taxidermist is only when things go wrong. When things arrive buggered up and are not what you wanted then what? OF course if you visited the taxidermist and did your homework most problems should be avoided as long as there is good communication. Still I prefer to have most of my stuff done here.

Bob, My intention truly wasn't to turn this thread into a pissing contest - It was to make the point that I felt your original post was made for commercial reasons, and that there are good, bad and indifferent taxidermists all over the world. Advertising your business here is one thing and I appreciate Saeed is happy with that, but I feel that unfairly criticising the opposition the way you did is just simply not fair......

My point of suggesting you post some of your work wasn't to criticise it and even if I saw reason to criticise, I wouldn't. - It was for us both to post pictures of examples of taxidermy from both sides of the pond to show that there are good taxidermists here as well.........

Here's a few from Africa;-

Steve,

I have injoyed reading your post and you are correct,there are good and bad taxidermist all over. It is a shame that hunters do not do more research on taxidermy/taxidermist before the hunt. Most will wait until after the hunt is over then ask the PH or a friend who they recommend, then say ok with out even a second thought.

He's what I say , There are good and Bad everywhere. I went to Africa 3 yrs ago , had the work Done there I am happy with the mounts .
But there was one exception, I think with so many mounts 87 in our party alone mistake are made all the time. My thing was On my Limpopo Bush buck The Cape was not mine. If you look at my Field pictures there are white marks on the animal that are not on my mount. You cannot convince me that Tanning takes Color out of an animal. If it does than someone needs to invent
anew system. I will not have them done there next time, they will be Done in The US .

Some interesting points brought to light in this thread. Some I agree with, some I do not, but I will qualify my expertise by saying I was in the Taxidermy trade for many years. Most of them as a professional. I had the honor of serving as our State's first VP in the TTA and the fortune to mount big game, fish and fowl from all over the world. How did I manage to mount game from other lands? I owned a large library that continues to grow, and I studied everything I could to educate myself about the fauna of the world. I retired from commercial Taxidermy some years ago to presue other interests, mainly to expand my Hunting Consultant business. That being said, Sakari's point about how much hunters spend to get to Africa, and how cheap they can be on their Taxidermy is right on target. Nearly 100% of my clients ask "How much can I save having my taxidermy done in Africa?" Or, "Who has the best price in the US?" What they mean to say is "How can I get world class taxidermy for 10 cents on the dollar?" It does not happen! Cheap prices will get you cheap work, ripped off or nothing. I've seen guys get ripped off because they won't listen to those in the know. Personally, I ship my trophies home: capes, skins, skulls and horns. In RSA I use Taxidermy Africa for dipping and packing and thus far their work has been excellent. Clean skulls, clean horns that weren't overboiled; no cracking or chipped off bases. No skins with large areas of hair slippage, and no, tanning doesn't fade or lose spots on animal hair. My trophies are shipped via a customs broker, cleared in the US and shipped here to my local Taxidermist. He finishes mounts in six months. Does he rush through his work....NO. He works 9-5 each week and doesn't screw around with "the taxidermy show," "competitions" or other BS that I hear all the time from clients and friends who are waiting and waiting to get their mounts back. Currently my Taxidermist has well over 100 African animals to mount from Blue Duiker to Elephant, and I have 28 more coming to him. As for forms, I will put US African shoulder mount forms and lifesize against any in the entire world. Our large supply companies have fulltime employee's that mainly sculpture game forms. They are the apex of the trade and due to extreme shipping costs, most African studio's will not pay the price (can't blame them). But I do know that a few have copied US forms and now produce them. Violation of International copyright law but who's watching? I take nothing from our Taxidermy brothers in Africa. They have a living to make and there are good and bad in ALL countries. So if anyone is considering US or African taxidermy, do your homework or you might regret your choice. Both can be excellent, good, fair, poor or just plain Buffalo Dung. Don't be dollar wise and penny foolish. Talk to people that know what they're talking about. The majority in this game do not have a clue or just plain old BS their way through it. Anyone that tells you they can "stuff" your trophies should be avoided. Or, "Yesterdee I couldent spell Taxerdermy...taday I is one." Knowledge is power. Pay attention and you'll make better decisions about your trophies. Good hunting, David

GREAT post, David. Well said.

Thanks George, I hope I didn't ruffle any feathers, not my intentions, but a lot of happier Hunters/customers we'd all have if more information were available. Shipping anything from overseas is the biggest problem: time, or should I say LONG delays, trophies (raw or mounted) passing through too many hands (and hands that have it in the cash register), fee's, taxes, licenses and permits only to get into the US of A and go through another mind boggling experience. CITES applications are now $100 whereas they started at $25. I won't get on my soapbox, most of you know the situation. Again, my point was educate yourself. Your agent or Hunting Consultant should give you enough info to avoid most mistakes and be prepared for the unexpected. Good hunting, D.

If you did ruffle feathers, it was from bruised egos and not from failing to point out facts. My turn around is nowhere close to your taxidermists as I'm at the stage of burnout where I really don't get motivated as easily as I once did. I used to think I was just an "average" taxidermist, but sadly I've begun to see some very BAD work out there and it recurrs too often. As a hunter, you should look at the current work a shop produces (we all tend to improve because of redundancy). Age has nothing to do with it any longer. There's a lot of "snap-together" taxidermy going on out there that will allow acceptable work from beginners. And there are some artisans out there who can do work that will bring tears to your eyes. It's your responsiblity to insure those are happy tears. Caveat emptor - buyer beware.