I have a client with a handful of african animals. The capes are tanned already, but I have not seen them yet. I am planning on charging full price for the mounts, but I was wondering what many of you do when you face this scenario. Thanks.
Josh
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I would inquire as to where these capes were tanned. If they came out of Africa already tanned, you may very well be looking at sending them off to be RE-tanned. I faced this same situation last year. The "tanned" capes once rehydrated had the consistancy of wet cardboard. NO stretch whatsoever and impossible to work with. I sent them all off to a commercial tannery at the customers expense and after the additional expense and additional wait he finally ended up with his trophies. My PERSONAL opinion is to always charge plenty for African work, and NEVER cut any slack. There seems to always be something in African work that will start chewing on your profit, whether it's charcoal'd horn repair, or time spent sewing, patching and camoflaging repairs.
I'm in exactly the same situation that you were. My personal hides came in from Africa tanned by Kwiktan and they are like cardboard - absolutely NO stretch!
Did the retanning work?
Which tannery did you send them to?
Thanks!
Jerry S.
The re-tanning worked on my capes. I sent them to Tom with South Texas Fur Dressers. It wasn't his first rodeo, he says he gets them all the time from frustrated taxidermists with clients who saved a buck having their capes "tanned" in South Africa.
I'll give them a call today!
Jerry S.