Thoughts/Place on: What to have Made with Hides: Bags, pillows, rugs, etc.

bls72bmw

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First plains game safari booked with Bos En Dal coming up in early 2014.

So now to plan a few other things, such as:

WHAT to have made.
Of course I'd like a Zebra rug- and that's pretty easy, but how about some other ideas and thoughts on what to have made, and who exactly can make it?

I don't have a 'trophy room' and neither the space or budget to put mounts in my condo. But how about some pillows? Bags? etc?
Does anyone have an upholsterer they've used?
Ideas appreciated- also plan on Blue Wildebeest, Impala and a Warthog (European Mount for the tusks #1 priority there).
Thanks all.
 
Congrats on your first Safari your in for a treat. Not sure what to tell you about the pillows, I have a pile of back skins myself and still not sure what I'm going to do with them but it sure was fun getting them. Talk to the Taxidermist that your going to have get your hides tanned they can give you some ideas.
 
Kwiktan, in SA has a hub here in the US. If you visit their website there are a lot of good ideas on there. I personally like the Blesbok pillows (corner pillows for couch or love seat). Have seen bar seats made from different hides as well. Good luck on your hunt.
 
Ann and I went on our first safari in September 2011. I shot a Cape Buffalo, Kudu, Bushbuck, and Impala.

Kudu - shoulder mount, the others all Euro mounts. Bushbuck we did a flat hide and have it hanging on the wall. The impala was tanned with the hair by the taxidermist.

The cape buffalo we had 1/2 the hide tanned brown, the other half black. My wife and I have had belts made so far. Sam Andrews out of Alachua, FL did our work for us. He does a lot of custom holsters, belts, etc. I had a gear belt made which he lined with suede. He uses a thick cow hide and then the cape buffalo hide on the outside. I would highly recommend him.

We still have a lot of leather left. We're talking to Jonathan Moser at the Ostrich/Alligator Market in Melbourne, FL about some custom bags - computer/laptop backpack for me and using the impala hide to make a dressy clutch purse for Ann (we'll probably get those ordered after the first of the year). The Wildlife Gallery did our taxidermy - we were pleased with their work. They used the Kudu back hide to make a sofa pillow for us that Ann designed.

Specialty Leather out of Iowa did the Cape Buffalo tanning and dyeing. Very timely, communicated well and the hides came out beautiful.

Lastly, I'm building a TV / Stereo console and am going to use the bushbuck hooves as the pulls for the doors.

I was frankly disappointed with the folks I spoke to at DSC back in January 2013. The only merchants that would work with our cape buffalo hide were the boot makers and we didn't want that.
 
thi9elsp, I'm impressed with what you did with your animals. Very well thought out!
 
thi9elsp we would sure like to see some photos of the animals taken and the product and mounts you've had made as well.
 
Bob,

I tried to upload pictures but the site is saying I don't have permission. I'll have to work with Jerome to figure out why the system isn't letting my do that. Once I get that fixed, I'll upload.

John
 
Pictures

Mounts in house at night - really like the rope lighting. My wife's idea - now I think she's sorry she suggested it.
Africa mounts at house2.jpg

Kudu backhide pillow
SAM_0947.JPG

Belts - notice that Sam made my wife's curved to better fit her hips (the two on the left). He does that for women's belts and Ann said they are extremely comfortable and she hasn't gotten that notch in the back she gets on other straight leather belts.
SAM_0946.JPGSAM_0945.JPGSAM_0944.JPG
 
Thanks for the pictures, nice kudu!
 
Thanks enysse. Last day, last hour, had not seen another one on our side of the Zambezi since day one. I was more anxious on it than on the Cape Bufflalo.
 
Mounts in house at night - really like the rope lighting. My wife's idea - now I think she's sorry she suggested it.
View attachment 24237

Kudu backhide pillow
View attachment 24236

Belts - notice that Sam made my wife's curved to better fit her hips (the two on the left). He does that for women's belts and Ann said they are extremely comfortable and she hasn't gotten that notch in the back she gets on other straight leather belts.
View attachment 24238View attachment 24239View attachment 24240

Awesome mounts and that Kudu pillow looks fantastic, the belts on the other hand I glad they weren't around when I was a kid my dad would have wore my backside out with one of those :laughing:. Great job
 

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