Trophaendienste Taxidermy Windhoek

[kuwinda]

Has anyone used these people in Windhoek?

I handed over a number of trophies for mounting in May and paid in full for the taxidermy (1st mistake?) with the promise the work would be done in three months.

Since then I have sent four emails and have failed to get any reply at all.

I know full well that taxidermists as a breed are notoriously slow but it is very galling to be studiously ignored in this way (and yes I have checked the email address - it is correct) and I am now left wondering if they have gone out of business or are just trying to shaft me.

 

[Safari Hunter]

Don't know them unfortunately but can't the Outfitter help? I'm guessing he put you in touch with them in the first place.
3 months is also a bit quick, my guy and others I have used is always 6 months.
Hope you get it sorted mate.
Cheers
Adrian

 

[kuwinda]

Don't know them unfortunately but can't the Outfitter help? I'm guessing he put you in touch with them in the first place.
3 months is also a bit quick, my guy and others I have used is always 6 months.
Hope you get it sorted mate.
Cheers
Adrian

Its not so much the time - if they had said 'it'll be six months' I could have lived with that.

Its the fact that I am being totally ignored - and yes I did cc the outfitter on the last email.

I just fear that they have either forgotten me or are 'financially challenged'.

 

[Johno100]

Its not so much the time - if they had said 'it'll be six months' I could have lived with that.

Its the fact that I am being totally ignored - and yes I did cc the outfitter on the last email.

I just fear that they have either forgotten me or are 'financially challenged'.

Why not call his mobile ? most PH`s Ive met deal with email on a monthly basis , if they are not busy ,taxidermists in Africa are no doubt the same .

 

[XYZ]

Out of curiosity, who was the outfitter?

I am in the position of planning a safari to Namibia and trying to weigh to weigh up the taxidermy and shipping costs from Namibia vs the shipping and dipping and getting the work done here. The 'unknown' such as above is what I am very wary of.

 

[kuwinda]

Out of curiosity, who was the outfitter?

I am in the position of planning a safari to Namibia and trying to weigh to weigh up the taxidermy and shipping costs from Namibia vs the shipping and dipping and getting the work done here. The 'unknown' such as above is what I am very wary of.

The outfitter was Omuramba - http://www.omuramba.com/index.htm A family run ranch with both game and cattle - no complaints there except it is a loooong way east of the airport - but in some ways that is good and everywhere in Namibia is a long way apart - thats why I like it! A lot of space and few people.

But as to taxidermists - judge for yourself but given their total non-response over a period of more than three months to the simple question 'are we nearly there yet?' I would not use them again.

 

[limulus]

The people I know that have been here:

http://www.shakawasafaris.com/

all used Phil Legget and his work is outstanding but again another taxidermist that doesnt rush the job.

 

[deerwarden]

Kuwinda, this is deja vu for myself and 2 mates, 5 years ago, a company called Supreme taxidermy in Jo'Berg went down the same route with us, took 50% deposit from all of us and did not supply our trophies, they closed the company and restarted as Supreme wildlife . Despite the P.H phoning/hassling them we all lost £1500 each, on my last trip the P.H. did not allow any money to change hands until he inspected the trophies and said they were o.k. that was with Karl Human taxidermy, and Guy Swart from Wild Horizon. Losing the money was bad enough, but I lost a huge bodied Kudu with a 65" head. The professional taxidermy guild in Jo'Berg were very helpful, but at the end of the day, getting the legal system to work form this side of the Globe would have been horrendous. Try your P.H. as they normally get a commission for recommending clients, I really hope you get a result as this was a real dampener for us, we also found there were another 9 hunters he had shafted as well, get your P.H. on the case if he recommended the company, this will be something he will not want on his history as an outfitter, being in the country he will have more pull than you. Good luck and I hope all goes well for you. deerwarden.

 

[kuwinda]

Result!! The outfitter gave them a push.

They denied receiving any emails - to the address they gave me and the one on their website?? .... and no bounce backs either.

Anyway they are saying three weeks .......

From my previous experience with taxidermists this is all par for the course - maybe its in the genes?

 

[John Gryphon]

Well in my opinion they should lose any further work from you or others.

 

[sikamalc]

Out of curiosity, who was the outfitter?

I am in the position of planning a safari to Namibia and trying to weigh to weigh up the taxidermy and shipping costs from Namibia vs the shipping and dipping and getting the work done here. The 'unknown' such as above is what I am very wary of.

Be careful! that's my advice. Don't forget all safari companies get a commission as a rule for sending the taxidermist the work.

Boxing shoulder mounts and sending them from Africa posses several problems.

1. You have to pay in full before you receive and even see the results.
2. Once you have paid for the work you are stuck with it, and not many taxidermists will try and put it right over here.
3. The air freight bill could be very expensive if you have several shoulder mounts in a box, and don't forget you will have to get them through customs over here

If you get the work done here in the UK.
1. It will cost you more for the work. But this could even out against the freight you would have paid for a large box with shoulder mounts in.
2. You can get the dried skins and skulls shipped a lot cheaper, as they take up much less room in the aircraft.
3. Once you have your trophies in the UK you can have one or two mounted at a time, and you can check the progress of the work and quality.

Sometime back a certain company in Africa was spraying all their hides with neat formaldehyde, in a deliberate act to make the skins useless. This means there is no way you can re hydrate the skins once they have dried and cannot successfully tan them.

Make sure that when they salt any trophies, that they use good white salt. Any brown salt is useless as it has too much iodine in it and this will ruin the trophies. Also make sure they turn all the lips, ears and nostrils out and put plenty of good salt into all the areas. Most safari companies know what they are doing, but keep and eye on them, as it is your hard earned money being spent on the trophies.

Good luck

 

[deerwarden]

Be careful! that's my advice. Don't forget all safari companies get a commission as a rule for sending the taxidermist the work.

Boxing shoulder mounts and sending them from Africa posses several problems.

1. You have to pay in full before you receive and even see the results.
2. Once you have paid for the work you are stuck with it, and not many taxidermists will try and put it right over here.
3. The air freight bill could be very expensive if you have several shoulder mounts in a box, and don't forget you will have to get them through customs over here

If you get the work done here in the UK.
1. It will cost you more for the work. But this could even out against the freight you would have paid for a large box with shoulder mounts in.
2. You can get the dried skins and skulls shipped a lot cheaper, as they take up much less room in the aircraft.
3. Once you have your trophies in the UK you can have one or two mounted at a time, and you can check the progress of the work and quality.

Sometime back a certain company in Africa was spraying all their hides with neat formaldehyde, in a deliberate act to make the skins useless. This means there is no way you can re hydrate the skins once they have dried and cannot successfully tan them.

Make sure that when they salt any trophies, that they use good white salt. Any brown salt is useless as it has too much iodine in it and this will ruin the trophies. Also make sure they turn all the lips, ears and nostrils out and put plenty of good salt into all the areas. Most safari companies know what they are doing, but keep and eye on them, as it is your hard earned money being spent on the trophies.

Good luck

As in my previous post, 3 of us lost a lot of money, on getting back to the UK, we were made promises that were not kept, luckily we only paid the deposit, others paid the whole amount in full via deposits, then the balance, added up to over £20 in total to the 9 people I was aware of after the fact. The PH did/was not able to do anything for us, or the other people involved, as said, he was paid a commission for recommending us. No we didn't get any/or the others offered any discount if we/or when they returned for another hunt with him. Beware of how you spend your money on your hard won trophies, no way will you get your money back from an unscrupulous person in S.A. Beware of Supreme taxidermy in J'Berg, and Mark Newton Safaris

 

[I. Farticus]

Tip: Use a credit card, as you can always try and claim back through the card provider. This goes for pretty much any transaction

 

[Bushfire]

My main taxidermist is a two year wait, I wish I had 3 months!

If the emails arent working I'd just give him a call, a little harder to ignore than an email.

 

[kuwinda]

Update - recieved the trophies yesterday.

Quality wise they are A1 - the skins are superb - brilliant colours on the Zebra skins and very soft and pliable.

The downside was that DHL appeared to "lose" the shipment - this was a little ....... worrying.

I eventually found them myself - they had been sent to the agent I had first told them to use (Rainbow) instead of direct to me - as they said they would be - but without any paperwork - so Rainbow had no idea where to send them.

Anyway - they are home and quality wise very good, organisationally .......

 

[shotguntom]

Pictures please!

 

[sikamalc]

Update - recieved the trophies yesterday.

Quality wise they are A1 - the skins are superb - brilliant colours on the Zebra skins and very soft and pliable.

The downside was that DHL appeared to "lose" the shipment - this was a little ....... worrying.

I eventually found them myself - they had been sent to the agent I had first told them to use (Rainbow) instead of direct to me - as they said they would be - but without any paperwork - so Rainbow had no idea where to send them.

Anyway - they are home and quality wise very good, organisationally .......

Good to hear it all turned out OK in the end.

 

[moose]

Pictures please!

+1

Moose