I am mounting a lifesize black bear for display which is solid black. I would like to bleach a white blaze. Can this be done, and what would be the best procedure?
Return to Lifesize Mammal Taxidermy Category Menu
Send the scrap bear to a tannery who can do bleaching. Have it bleached and brightened professionally because sodium dithionate and the other specialty fur bleaches are MUCH nicer and gentler to hair and leather then hydrogen peroxide. Which translates to: you'll be able to actually use the bleached out bear fur instead of toss some because of burned leather or singed hair.
You could also use a bit of fur from another species. Raccoon has a similar texture and can be readily bleached out to a pure, bright white, again professionally at a fur dressing facility.
I always wondered this too. I was thinking how youd have to isolate the hair so you wouldnt overlap as well. I have always wondered if anyone were ever successful at this.
but I think it is hard to bleach the black fur without it coming out orange.I believe when Ken Walker built his panda,he had to use blond colored black bear fur with light underhair and bleached that to get the white fur.I would bet he's got the system down pat.
I did this years ago on a light colored deer and it came out great. Tried it on a jet black bear hide and the outside hair turned white but the under fur was orange. After the second bleaching the outside hair was burnt and the under fur was still a littel light orange, so it did'nt work for me. Dan
Black bear hair just doesn't seem to bleach well. I, too, ended up with burned hair on the outside and orange hair underneath. If you start with a light phase black, I assume you have a much better chance. If you ever saw Ken's panda up close, you'd see that it really WASN'T white either. It's a very pale yellow but in contrast to the stark black, it LOOKS white. If you look at a real panda or even a polar bear, you'll see that the hair isn't white. On a black bear with a white throat patch, however, those hairs ARE white.
Use a separate bear that is brown.Use basic white 2 with a 30 or 40 activator and wrap it in plastic for an hour or more if needed.Wash it well and use a non-yellowing conditioner on it to bring back the sheen.Re-tan with liqua tan and sew the pattern back into your black bear.I`m planning something similar for a spectacled bear project.I hope that helps.