This is my first taxidermy project and have a some questions about the cape. I recently got my elk cape back from the tanner. It was a pickle and still frozen when I got it. After thawing the cape, it appeared that the hide had not been fleshed. My questions are: Is it normal procedure to flesh the cape after pickling? Also, do I need to treat the cape any further? Your input is appreciated. Thanks
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I have never had a cape tanned at a tannery but as far as I know they usally pickle shave and tann your cape and all you have to do is rehydrate it or sweat it in the fridge over night then mount.I would call the place you had the work do at and ask them some questions.
Hello to ya Ralph,
If you sent it out to a tannery, I'm sure that the cape was tanned.Pickling will always come befor the tanning process.
If you did'nt remove the meat from the eyes, lips, nose and ears, a tannery will not normaly do this for you unless you made the nessesary arangements with them, and it would have cost you quite a bit more to have them do it for you........that is if they even want to take the time to do it. They are so bussy that they normaly dont want to even mess with it. Thus, they'll tan it , meat and all.
They do run them on a fleshing machine and thin the skin out for you.
So, when you get it back from them, you need to remove the excess meat that you left on.
This is common practice, and not the neglect from a tannery.
At this tanned state, the meat rremoval is quite simple as the oils that were put into the skin after the tanning realy softens those areas up, making it easy to flesh.
Take your time and get these areas as thin as possible and you'll be just fine
If you need any help with this, feel free to give me a call at (1-800)843-3320 ext.105 or you can e-mail me at the address listed above.
Good luck and have a good day!
Dave Belanger>VanDyke's Taxidermy Supply Co.