What does good taxidermy look like?

[Roan]

I cant believe you guys are having so many problems with SA taxidermists?

I know of at least 3 excellent guys here in JHB that do world class work.

I think you should say away from the small more rural guys that are usually close to the farms.

Just my opinion.

 

[johnnyblues]

Names please

 

[Roan]

Highveld taxidermy,
Nico van Rooyen taxidermy,
Custos taxidermy.

Any of the three does excellent work.
I must admit that I haven't recently had work done by Nico van Rooyen, but their work is top notch.

 

[jeff]

Seams can be filled and air brushed but unless it is a competition mount you will see evidence of a seam on animals with very short or tin hair. They dorsal cut all capes and do not use the short incision method.

 

[gizmo]

Correct stitching on this whitetail

View attachment 176757

While I certainly am not defending the bushbuck you can't compare that with a whitetail. Two different hair types. African game for the most part has very thin hair and the stitching doesn't cover as well. Now, if done properly you shouldn't see huge baseball stitch such as in the picture. And the stitching should be covered and invisible.

 

[enysse]

Most African done mounts I see have no ear butts, neither do yours. Looks like skin pulling away from horn base in top of head photo and ear bases are not even, seam is poor. I use 2-6# fireline or spider wire for my seams. Brisket white patch looks off center.Poor workmanship period!

I agree with you Roger, 100%!

My critique with the ears, they just don't look real at all. They just don't know how to tan things in RSA. I have looked at a lot of mounts in RSA. I have had plenty of work done there too. I too live with taxidermy from RSA, it was cost compromise. Life is full of compromises..........

 

[Old welder]

Highveld taxidermy,
Nico van Rooyen taxidermy,
Custos taxidermy.

Any of the three does excellent work.
I must admit that I haven't recently had work done by Nico van Rooyen, but their work is top notch.

I have been talking to highveld about my future trip. Glad to see that someone has good experience with them. Trying to get some kind of quote nailed down so I will know what to expect price wise.

 

[enysse]

@Bulls Eye Taxidermy does great work in RSA. Dennis @The Artistry of Wildlife does wonderful work in the USA. Both are AH sponsors.

 

[Roan]

@Old welder highveld is on the expensive side but at the end of the day you get what you pay for in taxidermy.

Hope they can help you.

 

[Buckdog]

Sorry to say that in my humble opinion is poor taxidermy. Cant wait till Dennis Harris chimes in and scolds you for not having done in the USA then Billc will attack Dennis and say how dennis is good but he loves cheap RSA taxidermy! Come on you 2 entertain me!
717 you are a living breathing example of what I will call and so will Dennis going for cheap african work and getting exactly what you paid for, Now I love Dennis Harris work and I know my stuff will be beautiful no questions asked but it will cost more than africa and I will pay for the quality and sleep well at night.
SO BUYER BEWARE

 

[harden]

What I think every Bushbuck that leaves my studio should look like and DOES for 695.00

 

[enysse]

Just look at the fit and finish on Dennis's mount, he nailed it. Look at the hair on that beauty!

 

[Foxi]

Taxidermy work for 120 years.

@Dennis Harris,
your bushbock is wonderful.
Here his brother,living,last year in Botswana for the comparison.

Regards from Munich
Foxi

 

[buddy48]

It always baffles me when folks are disappointed in taxidermy from RSA. I did all my homework and considered the repercussions on not receiving quality work from RSA and it was such an easy decision for me. I know it isn't for everyone because some don't care about quality as much and want to save more for other animals. To each his own. However, I think anyone that has taxidermy done in RSA should believe they are getting average to below average quality and when it's better than that they should excited, like winning a contest or something. I'm not even impressed with Highveld taxidermy to be honest with you. And, what recourse do you really have with a company in another country? Not much other than to educate others about how poor of work they do so they don't make the same mistake.

Sorry to see you are living this nightmare. It was one of my biggest concerns with having my taxidermy done over there. I'm still not out of the woods yet because I haven't heard of the condition of my hides at Modern Fur. And yes, Dennis is doing my stuff.

An excellent taxidermist that used to do work in my hometown had this sign in his shop:

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten”

Yes he was more expensive but his work was worth the extra money to me.

 

[wesheltonj]

I'm still not out of the woods yet because I haven't heard of the condition of my hides at Modern Fur. And yes, Dennis is doing my stuff.

Me too.

 

[Bullthrower338]

I figured this would impress everyone. I told the guy that owns it that I would burn the poor thing so it doesn't scare small children

 

[Royal27]

Come on you 2 entertain me!
717 you are a living breathing example of what I will call and so will Dennis going for cheap african work and getting exactly what you paid for, Now I love Dennis Harris work and I know my stuff will be beautiful no questions asked but it will cost more than africa and I will pay for the quality and sleep well at night.
SO BUYER BEWARE

And the dang thing of it is, you don't always pay more. By the time I did all of the shipping etc I would have saved money using Dennis and his "expensive " work. I agree that SA work is a crappy shoot, some I'm fairly pleased with, and some I was not. Dennis gets the next load as soon as the permits clear.

View attachment 176766
I figured this would impress everyone. I told the guy that owns it that I would burn the poor thing so it doesn't scare small children

I'm not even sure what that is...

 

[tedthorn]

I am a proud customer of The Artistry of Wildlife

Dennis could you please post a finished picture of this bushbuck when it's painted?

 

[ArmyGrunt]

View attachment 176766
I figured this would impress everyone. I told the guy that owns it that I would burn the poor thing so it doesn't scare small children

Looks like human dentures at a glance...

 

[Bullthrower338]

Looks like human dentures at a glance...

It is either a bobcat or a Cupacabra, I think they just pulled a wet hide over a pine branch. It is really bad!lmao