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.Originally posted by noway
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.
Originally posted by mpol777
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.
Originally posted by Sturmgewehr44
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...