Dip/Pack vs Tanning

[SETH RINGER]

Was going to send this straight to Dennis but thought others might be interested in the question too. If this has been covered in the past, my apologize. in researching dip/pack services, I see some offer tanning services. Highveld Taxidermists in RSA touts their tanning as being top class. Is there upside/downside to having the tanning done there instead of dip/pack and then tanning here? Seems to make sense to me. Thx.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Found this in one of the threads.

57 years old, been a taxidermist for 46 of those, full time for 36 of those. Mounted thousands of african trophies and thousands of trophies from around the world. They will not guarantee your tanning anymore than that a US taxidermist and the tanning good or bad lies in the hands of the prep in your safari camp and with your PH , his crew , their salt and their skills. I would highly advise against it getting anything tanned in africa for mounting. Flat hides okay but tanning for mounting a trophy needs to be done in the US in my opinion. I have mounted hundreds of skins from africa tanned there and I personally have to charge more for the trouble they are to do. And the quality of the finished mount can't compare to using my tannery that has done all my skins for 35 years. I cringe when a client tells me he has done this, then the price list goes out of the conversation and becomes I charge by the hours it takes to do them with this tan and I don't guarantee that the mount will be the quality of the mounts I produce from my US tannery.

Search "tanning" member The Artistry of Wildlife for a few comments throughout time

 

[SETH RINGER]

THX BRICKBURN! That answers my question.

 

[Buckdog]

I actually asked the taxidermy doing my dip pack if they would tan some stuff and they said no not unless they were doing the taxidermy too. all of that with the blessing of Dennis as he know the place and trusted them.

 

[sheephunterab]

What Brickburn posted is bang on....For flat skins and back skins I'll get them done in Africa every time but not capes.

 

[PARA45]

I had a terrible experience with Highveld Taxidermist, and I would not recommend them for anything. Terrible work on my mounts, and a couple of other things. I have a post on them here. I'm sure there are some excellent taxidermist in SA, but if I had a chance, I'd give mine mounts to Dennis.

I know you are not mounting them, but here is one example of what I dealt with.