Has anybody sent hides to Wildlife Fur Dressing in CA.I had two dry tanned bears come back two weeks ago that had no hair from the eyes down to the nose. I also had one earlier in the year that did the same thing.I have called them and e-mailed them but they will not call me back. I am wondering what would make the hides do this. over tumbling maybe i dont know? maybe someone can help me out.I am positive the problem is on their end. I have tanned my own skins for 12 years and had another tannery do them before these guys and have never had this problem before.I did not want to bad mouth them on here but they will not return my call like i said.I would like some opinions from some experienced tanners.thanks
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I said this in an earlier post and some people didn't like it, didn't mean it to slam anyone it was just an observation over the years, here it goes again. The one big problem I see with sending hides out to be tanned is the lack of control I have over them. When the hides leave your shop they are picked up by UPS or FED EX or whoever, their put on a truck, maybe loaded into another truck or plane, from there transferred to the proper location, changing temperature, humidity, and so forth, then transferred to another truck or warehouse and then off for delivery and the same thing when returned. Now if the package had a delay in transit (usually 3-5 days normal is bad enough with out any delays) if it got wet from rain or even damp, the hide that was touching it gets wet also, rehydrating that spot allowing bacteria to grow and then slippage.
When it gets to the tannery and unpackaged and put with other hides to be tanned (tannery's do lots of 100 skins or better at a time) and my cape is put with one or more that isn't completely dry or already has bacteria growing that bacteria is going to get on my skins and any others as well, more slippage.
Is it the tannery's fault in my eyes yes and no. Quality control should pick up on problems when hides come in and re salt or dry or what ever, problem is the turn over rate at tannery's is quite high which means new untrained people, and you have to allow for human error, (after all they're not taxidermists just humans LOL) not to mention the high volume of hides big tannery's have, which makes it almost impossible to give personalized attention to every hide. Shipping companies fault? Well taxidermists can manipulate Mother Nature but even we can't control her. As I'm sure you know there are allot more reasons for slippage to occur but these are the main reasons I tan everything in house now, except for rugs, I have never been able to get a hide soft enough for a rug without killing myself.
There are allot of variables and you can go round and round with the tannery on your fault my fault, but truth is that's why they use the "assume no risk" clause, if they planned on ever taking the blame they wouldn't use it. Most tanneries do however have replacements that can be purchased, just check with them. Tannery's are a good thing, but I like having more control over my hides and can give myself a much better turn around time and cheaper price. After all I want to retire some day so the money I save means I can do it sooner, I figure imp done to about 150 years old now. LOL
I agree with what you are saying. but the problems have only been with the dry tanned stuff. they have tanned probally more than a hundred wet tanned capes and i have never had one problem.it just seems on the dry tan its a gamble 3/4 turn out nice the others dont.it is just frustrating because in my opinion i do a top quality job as far pre-tan skin care(salting, drying ect)I use to do everything myself like you except the rug tanning ect. but a went to everything commercial tanned because of the time envolved because i have been so busy.
try wildlife gallery in mich. they do a great job.
with W.F. several years ago. Huge bald spots (dry tans). We didn't dare use them again. I tan all our bears now, and never have anything like that happen. We've tried several different tanneries, with various hides and capes, and the results are mixed. Some good, some bad, some good and bad from the same tannery. I have time now to tan our own stuff, and it's a relief, for quality control and finances!
If you take pride in the quality of your mounts, try most importantly to prep remove meat, fat and gunk!
Now if you think your doing a good job on preparation think about it again and get yourself some leasons or video's on the correct form of prepping.
I wish I could teach you the correct form, but you should take it upon yourself to care for the delicate areas such as the face.
You know I think I may have a book on Preping Skins for Idiots!
all my skins are all allways prepped very good. no fat,meat anything on any parts of the skin and salted two times on salting racks that provide no puddling of moisture and complete drainage and drying.if you could read you would have noticed it said i have tanned own skins for quite a few years and had other tannerys tan skins in the past few years and have never had a problem before. with this tannery it is just the dry tan skins for some reason have a high percentage of problems. you would think the way i am prepping must work if the last 2000 skins were fine until i started using this tannery.also another taxidermist that turned me on to this tannery is also no longer using them for the same reason, he had way to many bears come back rejected with heavy hair loss.
You may think your doing a great job on what you do, but lets get real. The only place you have problems on these skins are were on the faces, ears and so. Do you take the time and realize that just salting is not enough. You know what it maybe your in a hurry and do not realize that moisture on the hair without stretching or moving the salt a few hours later will create a sweeting affect and create the forbiden word slippage.
I TP in 19 years of dealing with WFD have not reacived skins as you point out because I keep a my reiciving and salting rooms moisture free using a dehumidifier and of the concrete.
Also do not take in anything that maybe of a problem just because you need the money, your reputation is most important and your crying and trying to bring down a reputable business because of your mistakes and bringing them on to another shows Poor quality and need more knowledge that is maybe why your asking others to step in.
I can read, but you just do not understand, so if you need that book for idiots the offer still stands!
you are saying the same thing again.i will be a little more specific.after all the fat,flesh is off the skin i salt. after the salt starts getting saturated i clean salt off and put new salt on.the first salting can be anywhere from 4-12 hours depending on skins. elk ect draw a lot of moisture faster than say a coyote ect.like i said before i have salting racks that are made of a mesh type so dry air is also hitting them from the hair side and the moisture runs off into drip pans under the racks.they are not laid on the ground like i allready told you.then i hang them up and let them dry good before i send them and then i send them on mondays so they are there by wed.if somebody brings in a questionable cape or hide i will not even mess with it if i even think it could have problems.i am busy and turn lots of work away anymore so i would not take a questionable deer ect just so i could get some more money.the problems on the bears i originally was talking about had the slippage from the eyes to the nose, this was just an example.i had a few other skins come back in various poor conditions that was not slippage. one bobcat and one coyote came back in a box in pieces.the coyote was in seven torn pieces and they charged me rejected handling fees and shipping.answer this then. if it is my prep work why do these problems only happen to me on dry tanned skins from this tannery.not wet tanned skins from them. like i said i tanned my own skins for years and still do i much as i can and sent skins to another tannery and they have allways been fine.New Method has been doing dry tanning for me this year and theirs turns out great.so you tell me.And if you work at wildlife fur like im guessing you do since you have been using them for 19 years and that is how long they have been in the tanning industry you guys should have returned your phone call or emails and provided some customer service and then my questions about the dry tans never would have been on this post.
I guess you think you do know what your doing so I will leave you with this.
They have been in business since 1984, geeee! I guess that makes it twenty one years.
You also forget to mention a crutial part in salting, the stretching of the skin to prevent wrinkles and by the way, after your first salting a few hours later rub in the same salt or add on more if damp cause if you did not know salt forms a crusty layer after the skin absorbs first layer of salt and rubbing in again will help the skin in absorbing all it can take in.
You may think that just by removing the salt and letting it lay their all weekend long will do the trick. If that makes you happy so be it?
Listen I can go on and on and teach you the correct way and guide you on a better mount, but I would have to charge you. And since your stuborn and repeating does not get to you be happy live a respectful life, but DO NOT put the blame on them since they go out of their way to please the true professional.
Oh! why don't you provide me with your number so that I forward your # to the taxidermist across the country that have the outmost respect for them.
Sincerely,
True to the game
you did not answer my question.why the dry tan.the wet tanned capes have allways been fine.Wildlife Fur does one of the nicest jobs on deer capes that i have seen.if i had poor prep work why do the wet tanned skins never have problems.i prep them all the same way.