Hi I would like to know from some people about their way of doing boar noses.Mainly skinning them and fleshing them.Should just split and remove the tissue after its been in the pickel or remove all before.I have tried the later of the two and just seem to cut more hole in it than I want.I know its a lot of inexperiance on my part,but would like some advice from someone who does alot of them.Thanks in advance John
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I've found that most people spend too much time worrying about cutting holes in the septum skin areas. I hate artificial noses and I flesh all mine first. I split the septum cartilage as best I can and try to insure that I get about 1/2 inch of interior skin without cuts. When I mount the pig, I let my glue work on that half inch and I pin it with fine fabric pins to hold it in place. When it's dried, I use Apoxie clay to blend it in and build the nose interior.
George gave you perfect advice. If you're making cuts in your nose maybe your knife is too dull or you're using a knife to big for the job? I use disposable scalpal blades. A good sharp blade should make this job easy. Also if you do cut the nose skin that's an easy repair. Pin the cut together and after it dries fill the crack with apoxi sculpt and blend and texture with a terri cloth then paint.
Why would anyone even want to skin out a pig nose when you can use a fake? Consider a few facts. First, you can not mount the real skin and make it look near as good as the reproduction. The wrinkles on top of the nose go berserk after it dries. Second, You'll spend many minutes trying to sculpt the nostrils. Third, You'll spend even more time skinning and fleshing the dang shovel out. Fourth, The fakes don't cost but $15 to $20. Fifth, John doesn't know whether to pickle it, tan it, or let the dog chew on it. Sixth, I gotta pay a lot of college tuition. Oh yeah, don't even start that Al Holmes line of crap, "I never saw a animal in the woods with a artificial nose". Guess what? I never saw an animal in the woods with glass eyes or paint on his face either!
You start putting hairs on those onion reproductions and I'll change over. LMAO. And I'm STILL waiting on the boar mouthcup to be invented. HINT! HINT!
Hmmmm, that guy (Rick Carter) that wrote about artificial noses sounds just like the guy that judged me at the Worlds(wink wink). "Hugh, why'd you go to all the trouble to sculpt a nose when you could use a reproduction"? (minus 2 points!) I thought Id get extra points for the extra pain and suffering of using the real nose. The artificial is faster, easier, and for commercial work(and competition as I've learned LOL) it does a great job.
Hugh
(Amatuer Pig Stuffer)
www.initaxidermy.com
It only takes about 15 minutes to pluck about 25 to 30 nose hairs out of the original nose and stick them in the tiny holes you drill in the repro after you dip them in zap a gap. You guys have more time than that invested in cursing over the holes you cut in the nose pad when you attempted to flesh it out!
George,define "mouth cup" .lotflmao
Hugh, next time you compete - write "George Roof" somewhere on the entry card and you'll get 2 bonus points under degree of difficulty!
Carter specializes in PIGS? Hmmmm. And he always picks the damned ugliest ones so he's a benefit to have as a friend.
Ain't I'm too old to start picking pig hairs. That's 15 minutes I could spend on here.
Another valuable competition tip.......Thanks Rick