Why my work looks like it does ?????? Modern Fur Dressing

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Because it starts with quality TANNING, I MEAN THE BEST THERE IS !
And the best people you can have taking care of you !
That's Modern Fur Dressing In Leslie Michigan.
You guys can brag up Carolina And Wildlife Gallery all you want, I've used both in the past .
I started Using Modern Fur Dressing when Roger Smith first started 25 years ago, and for those who don't know him, he won one of  the first Carl Ackley Awards ever given as a taxidermist,
Then he went into tanning, I used Wildlife Galley for a few years because Modern was running more than 6 months behind a few years ago, I since and in the last 18 months moved back with them.
My first dealing with them was 25 years ago and they kept my business for over 20 years, I sacrificed some quality with WG and Carolina .  I Just Love the way I am treated by Ben and Jamie and Gary and the whole crewe at Modern Fur Dressing.
I get a call EVERYTIME there is a small slip, small cut, ANY Problem with my skins during the tanning process they call and talk to me about it and we discuss what to do.

There is a reason WG bought them, the CREW is the best that there is in this business, The experience they poses is UNEQUALIED, and that is coming form ME and my 35 years in this business.
BEN , JAMIE AND GARY and the rest of the CREW, THANK YOU.
Now I'm screwing myself by doing this and growing there business and I HOPE THAT MY SKINS STILL GET THE TIMELY DELIVERY I HAVE ALWAYS GOTTEN !!!!   

This morning I got a call from Ben and he told me that one of the shavers cut a small slit under a lifesize elks eye, The shaver was very upset and very worried....big deal Sh*t happens, but they call and tell me.
99.9 percent of MY SKINS come back PERFECT.
I can't complain and I would NOT SEND ANY SKINS TO ANYONE ELSE.....EVER !

[Rich P.]

What kind of differences did you see in your skins between them and the Wildlife Gallery. I might try them on a lifesize bear that i need tanned.

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Strong skin, so I can MAX out size, no tearing of stitches, I can have my bear legs 2 inches from coming together and I can make them fit, My bear belly 4 +  inches from touching and stitch it together and "STRETCH" it and it will come together. NO DERMIS LOSS around eyes, NONE.

[Rich P.]

Sounds good. I will give them a try. Did you soak the whole bear hide to rehydrate it or just the head and sponged water on the rest of the hide. The last couple I had wet tanned and wanted to try a dry tan. Thanks for the info.

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I'd never get a bear wet tanned, the tumbling polishes and cleans the skin more than you can ever do it yourself
I do soak my whole skin, 30 minutes, hang for 30 minutes to drip dry, sweat for two days then power blow the fur 90% dry before mounting.
Let them know" Dennis" recommended them to you.

[Rooster]

How are they with tanned backskins and flats? I prefer a wet tan on my game heads. But i also deal with alot of tanned skins mostly axis. I am using WG right now and couldn't be happier. If Modern is better well gues i'll give them a try also.

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Rooster, they will do your wet tans, backskins are A-1
I have had them do them for me, but lately dry tans work better for be with storage

[Rich H.]

Dennis, it wasn't that long ago, you were praising the WLG. What gives? We got a flier 6 months or so ago, stating that the WLG bought Modern Fur Dressing? So let me see. So, one owns the other, but they are vastly different?

one is synthetic tan and the other is an alum tan.... but im sure you knew that

[Rich H.]

I spend my days giving 100% for the company I work for, so I dont have much time to worry about everyone else. So which ones which? Alum seems to be the anti-Christ on here?

synthtic is WG, alum is modern

[crankin]

 

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Oldshaver, let's not get into as tanning p*ssing match over this, or start throwing dishes like crapty1 is worried about,    Hi Mike
God forbid I mentioned Carolina, Yep I've used your tan MANY TIMES at other shops that I have worked for and NOW do work for, Bill Willie and Antlers Taxidermy ring a bell ?
I'll State this another way, Yep, I used Modern Fur for MANY Years, over 25, I switched to WG from Modern Fur Dressing because I needed a faster service, Modern was running 6 month out .Carolina couldn't do it without the 100% mark up and W G DID do it without the mark up, so you didn't get my business, WG did.  I see more dermis loss with tanned skins from BOTH mentioned tanneries than I was used to from Modern Fur , Especially AFRICAN SKINS , and skins that tore easier than I was used to. But I needed the delivery time so I dealt with it.
A year or so a ago maybe longer WG bought out Modern Fur and they got caught up to where their delivery time was better than W G. THEY CALLED ME and asked for my business BACK.
Gary the head shaver and LONGTIME Employee of Rogers told me even though Modern had been bought out the same crew and experienced shavers were still on the line.

PS Oldshaver The eland cape was taken care of, I got a complete credit for the tanning charges for that Eland, And even got to use it at Modern Fur. That was pretty cool !

Rich, Alum? don't know. Lu tan that's what I'm told. What ever, I truly don't care what they tan it with they could use chicken soup for all I care.  I just pulled out a 10 year old skin for a lifesize Gemsbok tanned by Modern Fur that was in a box in storage and mounted it with no problems.

As for dermis Loss my Finisher is THE HAPPIEST MAN IN THE WORLD. Modern Fur makes his job EASY!

And Rich you know those bears you sent me, I already have them Back from Modern Fur Dressing tanned...... heck they came in Monday.
I have NO problem with you guys NOT sending work to Modern Fur, The less you send them the better for me, I'm messing with my delivery time here..  
I have to commend them on the job they do over and over again PUBLICLY and I ain't on the payroll !

Vastly Different , to me YES, In my worthless opinion,  If I had to choose and I do Modern's Fur's tanned skins are stronger and hold together better when stretching  skins to the max. They are shaved great not to thin like Wildlife Gallery, I believe the shelf life is MUCH longer, I believe they are better oiled, and shaved by more experienced shavers than WG
We all have our favorite people to deal with I was just mentioning mine.
These statements are just my opinion and most likely not worth the time to read but I wanted to express my thanks to the sore back, sore arm, stiff neck, carpel tunnel shavers at Modern Fur Dressing BECAUSE they give me what I need to produce the type of mounts that I do.
Thanks Guys.


NEXT DISHWARE   

[D. Price]

Michael, did you name that boat?

[michael p.]

Michael, did you name that boat?

Yep

[D. Price]

Michael, did you name that boat?

Yep

Well, you spelled crapty wrong.LOL
 

[Rooster]

* i spoke with Tim he and a guy named Brian run the WG facility in Ingram,TX. He tells me that Modern is Alum and WG is a synthetic. Not that it matters just thought i would clear that up for you. I'm going to try some stuff by modern now, just to see.