I do a fair amount of bear rugs a year for me . After it comes back from tan I soak and stretch, cut pads, trim and make the proper adjustments before I send off to rug . Then I send off to rug. I sent my last bear to a new rugger and they insisted on restretching my bear for me . I was a little insulted and I told them absolutely not! This isnt my first rodeo and I sure as hell dont want anyone else messing with my work . They then told me that about 90% of all of their bears that come in are not stretched or trimmed..Am I the only guy that does it this way . I understand that it is less work to just send it off but I dont particularly care for some other person doing the work for me . I do understand that this is their job in most cases and they are very well trained but I am still hesitant, and I think that is because I ultimately want 100% satisfaction from the customer and I know that if I do the work it will be just that . So what the verdict? Am I the ONLY one with theses anal methods?
Return to Lifesize Mammal Taxidermy Category Menu
Let's see You don't trust the ruggers to stretch your hide. "You shure as hell don't want them messing with your work." "I ultimately want 100% satisfaction from the customer and I know that if I do the work it will be just that." then Why the hell don't you rug your oun bear. you send it out to be tanned, then send it out to be rugged, and you are woried about your reputation? Hello! coot's Shipping service!
Coot, I do the exact same thing you do. I do everything including the stretching and I don't want anyone messing with it. I like my bears to be very wide and that is my emphasis when I do them. Since your rugger probably gets paid by length, I can guess why they might want to redo that part of the job. Find a new rugger.
My guess is, Brian doesn't do many rugs.
I do not do any rugs, I have only had my own shop for 14 months, I do not have the equipment to do rugs. IE rugging bench, sailrite sewing machine. Or the space for it. However: I have spent the previous 11 years working for a shop that did. I have stretched, Trimmed, and sewed many a rug. The point is That when you send a hide out to be tanned, You have to flesh, turn and salt. when it is done in house, you need not salt, just wash and pickel, The salt is in the pickel. You check the phon the verious steps this takes a few minuets a day. several hades are done at a time, so the work is devided betweem multipul projects. When the hide is 3/4 dry you break it. this is when it is stretched. then a final breaking is done. it is not much more work than streching one that has been comertially tanned.
Rugging a 5 foot ber @ $150.00 per foot $750.00
Sending a bear hide to a tannery
Shipping $ 20.00
Tanning @$2.00 per inch $180.00
Return Shipping $ 12.00
Rug shell with jawset $ 40.00
Shipping to rugger $ 20.00
Ruggung @ $40.00 per foot $200.00
Return Shipping $ 20.00
Profit $258.00
For that you have to turn, Flesh, salt, tie up space drying Find a box, Pack and ship, stretch, rebreak, mount shell, rebox, ship. When the rug comes back, you have to inspect, and maybe add a few personal touches.
In House
No Need tosaltand dry
Tan materials per hide 20.00
rug shell with Jawset 40.00
Felt 16.00
The border is made from the trimmings
of other projects.
Backing 10.00
Thread. Enough to do a bunch of rugs 9.00
Profit $655.00
Believe it or not. It probably takes no more time to sew up a rug than it takes you to package, and drive to the post office for the 2 shippings. By keeping it all In house I Truly have 100% control. as I said I do Not do rugs, I have no call for them yet. But if someone requested one. I would take it to my X employers shop, and do it there Myself.
I will have to take issue with your assumption that the bottom lines that you state above are "profit". Profit is what you have left after you pay yourself wages. You make no mention of the time spent and what you pay for those processes. I can ship three bears to the tanner for what you state for one. My tanning cost is just about half of what you state and the same can be said for the rugging cost per foot.
My time and the space dedicated to the tanning process is better spent in mounting and finishing the higher profit items like deer head mounting and fish.
I do agree with the $150 per foot for the finished rug.
Give me The name of your tannery, as well as rugger. I would love to get the work done at those prices, It would be worth it for me not to have to invest in a sewing machine, and rugging table.
I could have done without your posts that had nothing really to do with what I was refering to. One thing I am curious about though . You have done rugs for the past 11 years huh...Then you said " I do not do any rugs, I have only had my own shop for 14 months"". Think about that one dude?
I send out about 30 rugs a year, maybe thats not allot for some of you but it is for me. I let the rugger do their job, stretch, repair, trim and rug. If your worried that the rugger does not do a god job of stretching, tell them what you want or even find another rugger. My rugger has stretched them for years and does a great job. I would not do it any other way and I do not know of anyone who stretches their rugs and then sends them to the rugger, thats a hassel.
You Don't tan, you don't rug, you don't read, Or is it that your comprehention is poor.
I SAID I do Not do rugs. I have only Had My OWN shop for 14 months. "HOWEVER" I spent the PREVIOUS 11 years..
That mean BEFORE I had my OWN shop! Previous means comming before. Get It.
You asked for a pole. Then when you don't like the reply you get mad.
You talk about 100% satisfaction, and how the only way you can insure it is to do it your self. Yet you are sending to a new rugger, Like your stretching is going to make all the difference in their quality. Your post was full of contradictions in quality control. then your reply was Off base because you half ass read my post. I hope you don't work like you read. If you would get your methods out of your ass you would not have to wory about quality.
Wow . Little angry are we . Take a pill guy.
Just sick of hypocrisy. Tired of people who can dish it out but can't take it. You have been here long enough to know this site is an exchange of information and Ideas. When a Beginner posts you think nothing of jumping on them. But when someone offers a point of view different from yours you do not much like it. and try to make a feeble attempt to make them look as it they know not of what they speak. Then when your error is pointed out, you come up with the standard Coot answer Take a pill, I have seen you use it many times.
Bet this guy could have done without your post Too!
( This response submitted by Coot on 11/13/2003.skygun4@hotmail.com ) 63.149.216.42
Hey Dave
I just searched with the orange search button using the keyword "salting" and came up with 1060 different post on "salting" . When you say "help me understand"..Are you saying that you have read through 1060 posts about "salting" and still dont get it? READ MAN READ! See you in about 72 hrs when your have completed reading about salting. Does that kinda help you understand?
So are you saying you would try to find another rugger that I might feel a little more comfortable with ? OK GREAT ! Thanks for the great insight.Have a safe and happy christmas Brian & God bless...
And learn how to spell before the next time you make an ass of yourself. Thanks
Just do the work yourself.. I'm sure you could hire someone after school that would love to help on this. i have a niece that is 16 and she loves helping, for no pay.. also have a few friends and son that loves to be in the shop helping.. so if you want to save alittle $ this may help you out, then you can make sure it is done the way you like... jimbo w/natural wildlife taxidermy,