Elephant skin

[Frank Homes]

Anybody know where to get elephant skin tanned in the UK ?

Thanks

Frank

 

[Jagdmatch]

There is a tannery in Colyton near Exeter that I think does private work.

 

[sikamalc]

Anybody know where to get elephant skin tanned in the UK ?

Thanks

Frank

I have been a taxidermist for 38 years, trained under a museum professional in a private big game museum. I have never ever heard of anyone in the UK tanning an Elephant skin within this time frame.

In fact most of those that say they can tan, CANT!! Much depends on what you want the Ele skin for? if its to get it mounted, i.e head mount/full mount I suggest you get it done in Africa.

The only other company that could possibly cope with it, would be Wolfgang Shenk in Germany. The last Zebra I did, I got it tanned there, as its impossible to tan these properly with out the appropriate machine and tan. It was for a flat skin and therefore it was chrome tanned, which is different to Lutan FN used for mounting work.

So get your Elephant skin tanned in Africa would be my advice.

 

[Frank Homes]

Sorry SM just saw your post. Thanks for the info. Going out to Africa later in year and my mates after an ele. so he is hoping to get the leather tanned to be made into cartridge bags/slips etc. I know they do it in Poland but if we could find someone here so much the better.

Frank

 

[sikamalc]

Sorry SM just saw your post. Thanks for the info. Going out to Africa later in year and my mates after an ele. so he is hoping to get the leather tanned to be made into cartridge bags/slips etc. I know they do it in Poland but if we could find someone here so much the better.

Frank

Hi Fank,

He will be miles better off getting it tanned in Africa, thery are geared up for it and the cost I would think would be a lot cheaper, plus shipping a whole or part of a skin into Europe is going to be costly and also involve a Cities permit. But then a Cities permit will be required to ship it even if its been made into leather, unless they have changed the rules of late?

Which part of Africa are you going to? Most tanning will be done in SA I would bet. I took an Ele in 1998 near the mouth of the Sengwe river on Lake Kariba, but it was a cull cow that had been caught in a poachers snare and had lost part of its trunk so it had to go. I only kept the tail hair as every other part went back to the game department.

Have a great time out there.

ATB

Sikamalc

 

[scotch_egg]

Just so you know even the hair is controlled under cites.

 

[sikamalc]

Well aware thank you. Having worked in and eventually run a large private big game museum I have been involved with helping and identifying most of the wildlife that is to be found in Africa for customs.