Fox easy eye set or clay?

Either one works.

 

Use critter Clay along with good reference photos of live foxes.

 

Aaron,
Was gonna let some of the more accomplished folks advise you, but it could be that they've never used Brian's easy set. I have, so...
Since this is in the beginners section, I'll assume you're a beginner. The easy set system would be a great advantage for a beginner in that the shape of the eye and the amount of material used to create the eye is already correctly predetermined. Tucking the eye is much easier because there's no clay to distort. I also think there may be less drying issues because clay shrinking is not an issue. It's not foolproof. Even though the eyes are positive set, I found that you still need to pay close attention when setting the actual eye for perfect tilt and toe... and this is to be expected. It is a very slick system, though. I think it would enhance the odds greatly that a novice would have a very nice end product.
It comes at a price, literally, however. There is the added cost of it. You're also locked in the Brian's expression. Not a bad thing... it's an awesome end result, but my point is that what you see is what you get.
Now, here's the thing... at some point (better sooner than later) you need to learn how to do eyes with clay, so I wouldn't see this as an answer to learning how to do eyes. You'd be fooling yourself. Brian's doing the eyes.... lol. But, let's say you've never done a life size piece. There's a lot to learn all at one time and this system will take the pressure off of one of the most difficult and crucial areas. It really is a cool system, but it certainly falls into the "snap together taxidermy" category. I, for one, don't find that to be the devil, but that's a different thread... lol.
There's not a right or wrong answer here IMHO. Try it if you like, but regardless of how much you like it, promise yourself that you'll do the next one with clay and keep your promise. I think that would be a good approach.

 

Forgot to mention...
Brian Hendricks (the sculptor, champion taxidermist and all around cool guy) does a lot of really good videos on youtube, in case you are not aware of it.
Do yourself a favor and type Brian Hendricks taxidermy into the search bar on youtube.
Good luck, Aaron

 

Brian also has a DVD on using the easy face system. (It is available from McKenzie) The DVD has so much more on it than just the easy face part and in my opinion worth the money. There are a lot of good tips to help you out with your mount.
Best of luck to you!

Vic

 

I have to agree with Tom on this one. Several years ago, I used the easy set system on one of Brian's grey foxes because it was new. It worked out fine and since that time I have used several of his red and grey foxes, but have set the eyes myself. Just my preference, especially if I want a different look. Since this is your first, I would recommend that you look up Brian's video on youtube where he mounts a red fox. It's broken down into several segments (I think 25 or so) and it would be very easy for you to follow. It has segments on using a conventional head or the easy set system. Even though it's based on a red fox, there really is minimal differences when mounting. After watching that, putting it all together will make a lot more sense. Good luck.

 

Since Brian has a DVD you can purchase at McKenzie, I would certainly buy it. I have done the easy face system for bobcats and I liked it. I have done clay and liked it also.

 

I've done both and have not really liked the easy set face systems. Just my opinion.