RE: Would you buy reproduction antlers
If I wallpaper a room, Id LOVE to design the pattern myself, but Ill buy someone elses print as my wallpaper if I like what it looks like. If I buy art work for my wall, Id LOVE to paint it too. Ill "settle" for a Carl Rungis print, though. So, if I take a nice buck, and want it mounted, Id be proud to say I took that animal myself. If I had the opportunity to purchase a big set of antlers, I sure would, and mount it, too. Not as one of "my" bucks, but as a tribute to what that animal was. Same goes for a nice reproduction. Its a copy of a great set of antlers that Id love to have. I just wouldnt pass it as one of my kills, nor do most others.
For what its worth, the big difference between hard and heavy repros and the flexible ones? Touch, of course! On a mount, it doesnt matter. The softer flexible ones are simply made from a "throw away" or less expensive mold and method, to keep costs down. Theyre made from urethanes, and need to be whited out before coloring, because they otherwise react to UV rays. The heavier resin repros are the cadillacs of the reproduction antlers. Theyre made from silicone molds, as permanent molds. Although they sometimes can be a bit brittle, they usually are more convincing...and also a bit pricey sometimes. Hope this helps!