Our next major project, the giraffe.
 

We just got the crate from Africa with the giraffe in it. Here is a picture of the cape as it came, salted and dried. We are doing a shoulder mout on it, it is going to be over 11 feet tall. This cape is actually thicker than the elephant we did a little while back, it is over a inch thick in spots, going to require alot of shaving. I will be rehydrateing it next week and shaving it so we can tan it. I will post pictures through out the entire prosess, it will be very impressive, I think you guys will like it.

this is gunna be good!

Got the giraffe cape in the soak tonight, will be rehydrated enough tomorrow to get it unfolded and into the pickle vat. I will take some pictures of it tomorrow when I get it unfolded, I post them on here tomorrow night.

The giraffe wasnt quite soaked up enough to unfold it all the way. Here are a couple pictures of what I was able to get unfolded, maybe it will be ready tomorrow. It is a VERY thick cape, going to take awhile to get rehydrated and shaved.





Today I shaved two cape buffalo capes and two American bison capes. Here are a few pictures of one of the cape buffallos.

oh man!
thats gunna be tough to mount.
u guys are experts tho so it shouldnt be a problem

Its been a pretty rough week, and its only tuesday! I think the giraffe is hydrated enough to lay it out and get a picture of the cape so you guys can see how big it is now. I will get some pictures and post them tomorrow night when I get in. I will probably start shaving on it next week, I have had PLENTY of other things keeping me busy right now. We just finished mounting a lifesize wolf yesterday, it looks awesome, when it is finished drying and we get it detailed I will post the pictures under the taxidermy photos thread, you guys will like this one!

I pulled the giraffe out of the pickle vat today, got it unfolded, looks like I will be able to start shaving it tomorrow. Here are a few pictures of it that I took today. As you can see it is going to be a hell of a job, just look how thick this cape is.

damn thats a thick hide! and i thought deer were bad.. lol your going to become GREAT friends with the shaver lol

I can tell your gonna have some fun with that! Lol

Any update on this?? I'm interested to see it.
-jake

I finally started shaving on the giraffe yesterday evening, we had to finish a mule deer before I got started. The giraffe is going to be a long prosess, it is my bosses wifes giraffe, she shot it last August when they went to Africa on a safari. We have other customers that have priorety over it. Here are a couple more pictures that I took yesterday while I was working on it.

so far so good, keep it up

I am just abot done shaving the giraffe, should be done by this evening. I will put up some more pictures. I will probably tan it next week, we are still waiting for the form. It is getting closer though, it will be a very impressive mount when completed.

My neighbor went to Africa about 3 years ago. Shot a bunch of game and had them mounted over there. He still has not gotten them back. They are supposedly held up in customs. Then there was some unrest or govt turmoil or some such thing. He paid for them, or at least half down, and doesn't know if he'll ever get them back.

Is this a common thing? Do you think he'll ever get them back?

Thanks for the update Fritz, keep them coming as you get work done on it.
-Jake

Because it is my bosses wifes, we only work on it when we have extra time, which isnt often this time of year. I finnished shaving it out yesterday. It will probably go in the tan next monday. I will post some more pictures and keep you updated.

I will post some new pictures tonight when I get in from work. We are about to soak up another girrafe today, this one is a customers, we will not be taking our time on this one.

looking forward to it!!
-jake

Here are the latest photos, it will be going in the tan monday morning, these are photos of it after it is completely shaved and in the pickle.






Here is the next girrafe we have to do.

the giraffe went in the tan last night, will be oiling it and hanging it today. It is getting closer, sorry its taken so long, we have other customers with priorety over the bosses personal trophies.

Well here are a couple of pictures of it tanned and hanging on the rack, waiting for the form now.

We got the form today, we should be getting started on it soon. Here are a couple of pictures of the form. It is over 11' tall.

My God!!!! You certainly need high cielings in your trophy room for that one.

Anything new Fritz?
-Jake

Nothing new with it yet. We are in the proserss of remodeling our show room so everything has been on hold lately. It will be getting done soon though. I will post some pictures as soon as it is completed.

Here are a few pictures of it, it is in the drying stages and the base has yet to be completed. It is truely going to be a awesome mount when complete.

Impressive. Is that you in the first picture underneath it?
-jake

Thanks. Yes sir, thats my ugly mug.

Well Fritz, I won't comment on you... But the Giraffe is looking great!
-Jake