Help, my deer fur is falling out :frown:
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60 Posts
Did you tan it yourself or have it professionally done? The hair is falling out because of the tanning process. If it wasn't scraped close enough to the skin and the tanning agent didn't get to the hair folicols(?) then the hair will pull (fall out) after time. All I can say is if it was professionally tanned call them quick and see if they will back their work. Otherwise it's a loss.
I'm going to call them. My other deer hide was a total lost due to bacteria. Or that's what they told me. It was scrape free or meat and about 3 session of salt was used to dry the hide out before sending it in.
I'm very disappointed with them and their long turn arounds and to find out you have problems. But like they say "hair on " tanning is no gaurantees.
I'm very disappointed with them and their long turn arounds and to find out you have problems. But like they say "hair on " tanning is no gaurantees.
I have a hair-on elk hide affixed to a wall in our cabin. A friend told me years ago to spray it occasionally with furniture polish. I guess it keeps it moist and keeps oils in the hair so they don't dry out. I've had it almost 25 years and it still looks great.
I can't say what happened, but I think it's lost. In the future try these guys, http://www.moytown.com/ Top notch folks who really know their stuff. I rate them very high.
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60 Posts
It sounds like you did your part with the scraping of meat and fat and drying with salt. When you send it in they are suppose stretch the hide and scrape the inside of the hide very thin, a lot thinner then you or I can do in our garage without special tools and equipment. Then the tanning process actually shrinks or tightens the pours or folicols(?) around each hair locking it in place. Like I said before if they didn't stretch and scrape the hide good enough then the hair will pull. If you had one hide already go bad from the same people and the said it was "bacteria" then I would go some where else for sure. I've heard of the furniture polish before but that does nothing with keeping oil in the hair it just keeps the hair shinny and nice looking. You don't want any moisture of any kind in the hide after it has been tanned. Hope maybe some of this was helpful.
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10,660 Posts
Noway,
Man, i got to agree with 'mpol777', i don't think at this point, you can restore or save it. I 'do not know' what happened either, but, (and this might sound crazy), but i have seen a type of "mite" infest into fur hides and absolutely ruin them, in the way you describe.
Not saying this is what it is, just what i have observed in the past a time or two.
Good luck with it bud.
CanyonMan
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149 Posts
To keep mites off of your hides, use plain dry Borax. Sprinkle it on with your hand and gently shake the hide with the help of another person. A light "dusting" of Borax keeps mites and moisture off the hide. Then, gingerly use a vacum with an attachment wand and a wide mouthed nozzle if you have it. Hold it just over the tips of the fur and the eccess Borax will be vacumed up.
You don't need much. I "dry clean" my hides about once a year like this and it does a great job keeping critters, moisture and regular dust off the hide.
If you're not sure of this method, just try it on a small area of the rug first. I do it lightly on my bobcats, grey fox and badger hides. Then I use a bit more on my black bear rugs and deer hides.
I learned the technique from a taxidermist years ago.
Another way is to use 50% Borax and 50% baking soda. But you don't need as much on the hide. It keeps the hides fresh from dust and mites etc... It prevents them from getting all dingey etc...
You don't need much. I "dry clean" my hides about once a year like this and it does a great job keeping critters, moisture and regular dust off the hide.
If you're not sure of this method, just try it on a small area of the rug first. I do it lightly on my bobcats, grey fox and badger hides. Then I use a bit more on my black bear rugs and deer hides.
I learned the technique from a taxidermist years ago.
Another way is to use 50% Borax and 50% baking soda. But you don't need as much on the hide. It keeps the hides fresh from dust and mites etc... It prevents them from getting all dingey etc...
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10,660 Posts
Tahnks for the good info.... Those mites will definately cause the hair loss. I will have to give this a try. I have even noticed it on some real old turkey fans i mounted, where some amounts of the 'down feathers' near the bottom of the quills were falling out from these little micro-scopic like mites.
CanyonMan
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