Africa taxidermist

wboulter

Well-Known Member
I've just received my skull mounts back from south Africa taxidermist called reliveafrica only to find that they painted the skulls white and not bleeched white contacted reliveafrica only to be told thats how they do it out there so if any one else thinking of using them be aware
 
Mine came back bleached, but mounted on what looked like cheap pine plaques, and each one had a f**k off big brass screw through the middle of the skull. I got pretty much the same answer.
If, in the unlikely event I'm ever in a position to go again, I'll be very specific with the taxidermist about what I want.
 
I've just received my skull mounts back from south Africa taxidermist called reliveafrica only to find that they painted the skulls white and not bleeched white contacted reliveafrica only to be told thats how they do it out there so if any one else thinking of using them be aware


Your defenition of “painted” versus bleached?

Only in UK do I find that a boiled skull and peroxide is considered standard. My Taxidermied skulls from UK, Europe and SA are all well cleaned, bleached white and have a glossed covering that shines and does not tarnish over age.

Stan
 
Mine came back bleached, but mounted on what looked like cheap pine plaques, and each one had a f**k off big brass screw through the middle of the skull. I got pretty much the same answer.
If, in the unlikely event I'm ever in a position to go again, I'll be very specific with the taxidermist about what I want.

The cheap pine plaques may have been to save you money, I was told by the importers that unmounted skulls were treated with very differently than mounted ones, and incurred significantly higher fees.... t was cheaper for me to pay the extra for shields even though I didn’t want them, than to have them shipped unmounted. Not sure why though
 
Your defenition of “painted” versus bleached?

Only in UK do I find that a boiled skull and peroxide is considered standard. My Taxidermied skulls from UK, Europe and SA are all well cleaned, bleached white and have a glossed covering that shines and does not tarnish over age.

Stan
Yes a lot have a coat of waterproof PVA to stop degradation with age etc, but they are still bleached, some African skulls come back unbleached or whitewashed!
 
The cheap pine plaques may have been to save you money, I was told by the importers that unmounted skulls were treated with very differently than mounted ones, and incurred significantly higher fees.... t was cheaper for me to pay the extra for shields even though I didn’t want them, than to have them shipped unmounted. Not sure why though

If they come back bleached the UK import is now adding an extra £354 per person to the process. Be aware that this is also going to happen for dip and pack as well!!I always ask for the skulls to be put on a piece of board so that way they are classed as mounted.
 
If they come back bleached the UK import is now adding an extra £354 per person to the process. Be aware that this is also going to happen for dip and pack as well!!I always ask for the skulls to be put on a piece of board so that way they are classed as mounted.

Sorry you have me slightly confused. why would there be a charge of £354 for a cleaned and bleached skull from Africa?? Something I have never seen or heard of before in many years of dealing with African trophies and importation.

Trouble is African taxidermists are a mixed bunch. Some are very good, most are only after a quick pay off and the freight companies are now starting to charge stupid money. I have just helped one client out with his freight charges, managed to shave off a further £120 for a few skulls and a Steinbok mount for SA.
 
Sorry you have me slightly confused. why would there be a charge of £354 for a cleaned and bleached skull from Africa?? Something I have never seen or heard of before in many years of dealing with African trophies and importation.

Trouble is African taxidermists are a mixed bunch. Some are very good, most are only after a quick pay off and the freight companies are now starting to charge stupid money. I have just helped one client out with his freight charges, managed to shave off a further £120 for a few skulls and a Steinbok mount for SA.

i was told the same from a U.K. importer, something about them not being mounted and therefor not “finished works?
 
i was told the same from a U.K. importer, something about them not being mounted and therefor not “finished works?

That sounds to me like a very poor excuse and a another reason to rip a client off. Absolute cobblers!! Which freight company was this? just had a client who I have helped out with his importation from a well known UK company who wanted to charge him a total of over £600 if I remember rightly for a couple of bleached skulls and a mounted Steinbok. I put him onto my freight company and he got it for over £120 less and door to door.
 
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Yes it is Quest/Rainbow. It has nothing to do with them but is to do with a VET's certification here in the UK. I had to hold the crate in SA until they remounted the bleached skulls onto a piece of plywood. That way they are classed as finished. My crate weighed in at 253kg with 8 clients items in it. Fortunately there was no Vets cert required. Not that they have ever opened one anyway.
Who do you use Malcolm?
 
I got told exactly the same thing. If it’s not on a plaque it’s classed as unfinished and subject to vet checks.
 
Yes it is Quest/Rainbow. It has nothing to do with them but is to do with a VET's certification here in the UK. I had to hold the crate in SA until they remounted the bleached skulls onto a piece of plywood. That way they are classed as finished. My crate weighed in at 253kg with 8 clients items in it. Fortunately there was no Vets cert required. Not that they have ever opened one anyway.
Who do you use Malcolm?

No disrespect to any of the posters but all this talk about a bleached skull, cleaned boiled out and not on a plaque being considered not finished is B////cks. Certificates for raw skins that are dipped and dried is one thing, yes they are raw skins and unfinished, but cleaned skulls. Strikes me this is just another way of ripping people off big time.

I use K.G. Logistics in Kent, always have done, never had a problem.

I would add that over the past few years I have heard and seen more and more people having difficulty shipping their trophies back. Back in the early 1990's we had some of these delightful taxidermy companies in Africa spraying peoples raw skin trophies with Formaldehyde. This rendered them useless to mount as they go like sheet steel and will not rehydrate, I know this for a fact.

Either way most taxidermists in Africa do not like loosing the work, and getting anything shipped back can be a real issue at times.
 
No disrespect to any of the posters but all this talk about a bleached skull, cleaned boiled out and not on a plaque being considered not finished is B////cks. Certificates for raw skins that are dipped and dried is one thing, yes they are raw skins and unfinished, but cleaned skulls. Strikes me this is just another way of ripping people off big time.

I use K.G. Logistics in Kent, always have done, never had a problem.

I would add that over the past few years I have heard and seen more and more people having difficulty shipping their trophies back. Back in the early 1990's we had some of these delightful taxidermy companies in Africa spraying peoples raw skin trophies with Formaldehyde. This rendered them useless to mount as they go like sheet steel and will not rehydrate, I know this for a fact.

Either way most taxidermists in Africa do not like loosing the work, and getting anything shipped back can be a real issue at times.

Thanks for the info. Think we’re being ripped off then. I will definitely be using the company you recommend this year for my Taxidermi from SA.
 
Ask to speak to Gavin, he is the guy I deal with. Any problems you are welcome to give me a call or drop me a PM.

Thanks Malcolm. I’m out there in may and still need to bring my stuff from last year back. So I’ll contact them when we’re ready.
 
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