There seems to be quite a few posts from people with problems tanning their own skins. Isnt your time worth more than all that headache? Is it really worth saving a few bucks? Truth be known, you are probablly not saving any money, when you count your time. Let the pros do it! Stick to what you do best, Taxidermy. There are still quite a few exceptional Fur Dressers out there. Find a company that has been in business for 15 or 20 years. They will have a good shaving staff, not to mention all the other experienced employees. It seems that anyone with a little money is opening up a tannery these days, and then crowing about how good they are. These new guys always talk about the Tan they use. Who cares?! Tanning the skin is just one step of many. The main thing that seperates Fur Dressing companys is the legnth of time their shavers have been shaving. I know this post sounds familar, but I just dont understand the logic in doing your own tanning.
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my sentiment exactly.
....The hard way.
I know that I'm no pro but here goes my story on tanning in house and tannery's. I was in my shop today waiting for a guy who has a cape for me comercial tanned. I'm not going to say what tannery it came from. I can say they have been in business for a very long time CFD sorry. He comes in and hands me something that looked like a deer cape. This cape had more holes in it than a sifter. I just laughed when he said he paid 48 bucks to get it tanned and thats all he wanted for it as his kids come to our day care. So he wasn't going to charge me any more then what it cost him for the cape. I just laughed and said no thanks. I was only going to buy the cape to have an extra one not something I needed or wanted. He does about 5 deer a year and sends his capes through another taxi shop. He told me that thats the way they come back every year in fact the one he was giving me was the best one he had and to proove it he brought in the other three he had they looked even worse I was shocked. He said he was giving me his best one as he wants me to do a bear rug for him. His intentions were all good but to mount any one of those capes would have looked like Frankinstien deer. This was a huge EYE opener for me. The eyes were completly torn up the nose was all cut up but hey the main body of the skin was an impressive piece of leather nice and soft and all. These capes were totally ruined. There is no way I am ever going to take in deer or game heads in my shop to mount for people and send them to a tannery. I will continue to shave my own on my Quebec Lite and tan them my self in house. I can shave a cape in less than 30 min. the rest of the tanning process I use is soaking. I don't only handle a cape another 30 mininutes tops to shave it rub on some tan and its done. The way I see it your not saving anything by sending capes out. I see that it would cost more. You still have to flesh it any way you might as well soak it up and learn to shave your all done at that point. Then if its full of holes you did it your self no one to blame but you. After a few you get real good at not making holes at least I have. I have gone on enough about this issue and hope that no one out there holds it against me for doing quallity work under my own quallity control. Steve where is my auto tanner its going on two weeks LOL. I check my mail box every day still not here. Jack F
I'm a big fan of tanning my own hides. I will state that I send out my bear hides for I hate the degreasing part and yes that should be left to the pros.
I've been tanning my hides ever since I got into doing this art. I find it very enjoyable and I know if something goes wrong I know who I can blame for it. I have yet and I'm not saying there isn't one but the hides I shave are thinner than what a tannery can do. There in it for profit like everybody else is. They do take their time but I will spend a bit more time on the hides and shave them nice and thin.
I even had a guy who runs a tannery over my shop one day. He was dropping off work for me and I was doing a shoulder mount at that time. He looked at my deer hide and said damm that's shaved thin.
Most of you out there have one heck of a time trying to get your needles through the hide, when I just use a small one and glide through it. I use a single strand of thread (fire line) and just sew ever 1/8" with no problems pushing through the hide.
There are just to many reasons on why I tan my own hides, I have control of what and when I do a mount. Heck how many send there stuff out and can have it back to the client in four months. It takes that long for some tanneries to even start on your hides.
Trust me, there is nothing wrong with a person sending their stuff to a tannery. That's what their, there for, to let you do what you do, work. I just love the other aspect of doing it myself. Also if I'm doing a rug I send this out also. I have no need to make a six foot drum for tumbling. That's to much like work LOL.
I use a tannery that is in my eyes one of the best in the nation. Very fast turnaround time (usually a month or less), nicely shaved with no holes and excellent stretch. I rather send my hides out then tan them myself. Small mammals is the only thing I tan myself though.
The L would stand for leg! I know all the shavers at CFD, and know that Jacks post was BS! This was an obdvious attempt by one of those Jacklegs on the eastern seaboard to slam a good tannery. Dream big. Maybe one day you will get it together. NOT!
Theres always gonna be sarcasm aimed at someone in here, we all know and expect this by now. Its still crap no matter how many times we see it, though. Both opinions on tanning are correct too. I do both, see advantages to both and will continue to do both. Theres so many good tanneries out there, and many good tans. The best part of commercial tanneries is that its like hiring a man on to tan while you are mounting. Also consistency, provided you have a GOOD tannery. Old shavers or young, it doesnt matter, as long as theyre good and still take pride in what they do. Home tanners have their advantages too, such as being able to custom shave edges, thin some areas more then others, or leave briskets a bit thicker, etc. You can do just a few at a time as needed. Theres so many good points to both ways, I find the argument kind of futile.
Now THERE's an expert if I ever saw one. In case you havent' guessed, I used DP before Yox lost his hair, but what he and Frank said can be taken to the bank. If he's slandering Carolina Fur Dressing, I already know he can't tell his arse from a hole in the ground, so I wouldn't want him touching my hides for any reason.
Young or old does matter. Just as young and old matters in Taxidermy. Having pride in my work is what enables me to make a damn good living at what I do.
Amy Ritchie is already good at 16. I'm pushing 60 and I won't ever be good. Bill Gates made his first million before he saw 21, it took Colonel Sanders 70 years to make his first. Age only counts in wine, and being "legal". Everything else is a crap shoot.
Young or old, its experience, and it doesnt come with age. I know it sounds funny to say it that way, but...good is good at any age. A good shaver IS the key, Ill not argue that point! George, maybe if you sent ME that DP back then, I wouldnt be shining NOW!
I know guys that work there and they work for piece work not to mount what they shave case closed. But to each his own
I started shaving when I was 20 or so. Now I am 39. Getting real good at anything takes time! That can be said about anything in life. You would not believe the ammount of skins that I have had to reshave from other tannerys. I have a hard time believing anyone would open a tannery without first having experienced shavers. But it is hapening! People have the nerve to learn on your skins! Jack, shavers on piece work still have to answer to the Boss and the Customer, not to mention sharing in the cost of a replacement skin. I am finished with this topic for now. Thanks for the feedback. os
Any one can be replaced no matter how long they have done something. For some one to be so bold and think they can't be replaced and that they are the only one that can do what they do is obserd. I guess what your saying is that taxidermists can't learn to shave at least thats the way I read your first post O.S.er. Any one with half a wit can learn to shave or do anything in life they wish or seak to do. I was not bashing the tannery there tan is one of the best. I was just saying that those 4 capes were ruined in my opinion and I can shave a lot better then that. I don't require a glove leather to mount a deer head just one that is tanned and won't rot off the wall and is shaved thin to stretch and yes George you do just wipe on liqua tan and your done. The rest of the process is soaks. Two seconds a day I dip a piece of PH paper to check the PH. After three days in the pickle soak I shave really thin then I drop it back in the soak/pickle bath. The next day I neutralize then spread on liqua tan and its done. OS said that we should stick to taxidermy and leave the tanning to the pros. Who is to say I'm not a pro at the method I use or any one else as far as that goes. Now for all the new guys who are reading this. Tanning is something you should learn to do and do write. Its not that hard to do. Enough said still love the info I get from this forum and no I'm not in any way upset over these posts. I have a life lol. Jack F
I stumble on to this conversation thread. I am a professional shaver.
Anybody want to know what the key to good shaving is? Hmmm.... Age, well
yes to a degree. Talent level? Also important. Experience.. goes hand in hand with
age doesn't it? So what is it?
Desire and will my friends. If you don't have a love for sitting on the machine for
22 years like I have, you are never going to really be exceptional.
If you love it and you have been shaving 3 years, and you are only 17 like I was
when I first started, then you could be very good. If you have been shaving 12 years
and hate to climb aboard one of those machines, then you might be proficient,
but not really exceptional.
I have trained over 15 different people on the round knife. I know it within
3 weeks if the guy (or gal) is going to be someone who will do well
in the trade. The fire is in the eye and the desire is in the way they
want to learn everything and ask questions about the techniques and mechanics
of the skill. Not everyone who works for a commercial tannery has that
component of desire. That is why you have variability from skin to skin
that comes from a particular tanner. Yes, it is true that Carolina Fur has
damaged skins. Yes, it is true that Carolina Fur has tanned mounts that have won World Championships.
No one in this business is 100% perfect all the time. The market place will determine
who stays in business and who doesn't. Last time I checked OS was still in
business at South Texas and Carolina Fur was still in business with 6 or 7
different shavers with different skill levels and different levels of desire.
I am positive that this is true at any other commercial tannery that anyone
wants to come aboard and name in this forum.
Everything else is just tedious and non-productive. Besides, we all have
our preferences and we are going to spend our money at home or abroad
with the commercial tanner.
Now go out and take on the day!
Lonestar