How Many Remember Mounting On These Forms?

I’ve mounted on paper forms. I don’t miss them a bit!

 

I learned on them and used them for years. nothing wrong with them. They alowed you to learn anatomy and sculpting skills. I also mounted on fiberglass mannikins and burlap and plaster mannikins.
What I don’t understand is how someone today can buy a fancy ass all ready sculptured deer mannikin from McK for a hundred dollars and create a anatomical abortion of a deer.

 

Yeah I remember the first time I saw a deer manikin that looked like a deer . . . Auto set eyes, and some what even side to side. Unreal compared to the paper forms. I see some head scratchers from time to time. What's the biggest mystery to me is how the customers don't see it? I get customers that show me pictures and say "can you make it look like this?" I say NO I can but I wont! LOL

 

I never mounted on someone else's paper form, but I did create my own paper forms for a small PA buck and my second bear back 1981-1982. Definitely a learning experience.

 

I learned pro taxidermy on paper and fiberglass forms. I made hundreds in shops that I worked for. Taxidermists were paid 1/3rd of the retail price and we had to make our own form from shop molds and put in the head and backboard as part of the mount. This was SOP. If the shop used a Jonas form like for a lifesize the cost of the form was deducted from our 1/3rd pay. We also had to finish the mount to customer ready. We got paid even if the mount wasn't picked up right away. Everyone was happy with that arrangement.

 

Made plenty of those and mounted on them, deer, bear, elk, etc. Also used fiberglass later in my business. Then Joe Kish taught me how to get them ready to mount the right way.