REPORT: Taxidermist Eastern Cape Port Elizabeth Johannesburg

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Not having a go at you Bill. Just wanted to know if you physically saw their stuff and what the problem was with it, so that they can address it.
KMG will not be using H&C. My hunters tell me where they want to have their stuff done. If it happens to be H&C, so be it.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Johnny, got to agree with you on Dennis' work. It's outstanding. You won't be go wrong taking your Leopard there!

 

[billc]

Johnnyblues dennis does do great work for sure.I myself will still give the edge to phil on cats.They just look like there alive to me.Cant blame you for wanting your cat in your house though with out waiting two years to be done.
I myself like that we all have so many choice now a days to pick from.Plus the work has been getting better and better from years ago.To me good taxi work is like art work and should be shown proudly in ones home.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Plus the work has been getting better and better from years ago.

You can say that again. One of my concessions has a 60" Kudu mount that they found in a old warehouse. It was filled with sand.
They don't make them like that anymore.

 

[billc]

I know that marius your still an ok guy to me even though your eyes are bad.LOL

To be honest I think alot of what I dont like is in the forms they use.The eland look small and dont show the true mass of an eland.There work is not bad just think maybe there behind some of the new artist out there doing more to the forms to make better looks.It could just be they have not changed pictures on there site for sometime also.

I had to pick by pictures though to narrow my search down.

 

[billc]

Can you just think of what a eland mount would way filled with sand.Need a crane to hang it up.

It is crazy how things change sometime.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Funny you say that. I was not happy with the forms of Relive when I visited the studio last year as I was looking for options. Thought the details on the face on some of the animals were incorrect especially across the bridge of the nose. Maybe he's fixed it. I'll go by there next year again.

....oh, and that photo of the giraffe on H&C site is of a baby. That's why it looks iffy. That guy's only maybe 7ft tall and you can still see it in their studio to this day.
I have no allegiance to anyone. If they are good, I'll say so, but if they are crap, I'll say that as well. Same as I have not found a single taxidermist ever, to do a jackal perfectly. They all look like a dog doing a number.

 

[billc]

That goes to show how everyone looks differently at a mount.Most guys with any forms add to the nose and eye area.He has changed some things I believe and taking some details out.I myself am having somethings added back that he use to do in his early mounts.He will also be softing up some of the veining in the face for me.I like the details in the turned neck myself some dont.

I total agree with the jackal.If I would have taken one I would have brought that back to the states to have done.I should say when I get my jackal I will bring it back.Bad shooting last trip stopped that from happening.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Heard the problem is that they use a Coyote form. Not sure how true that is. Would like to see if Dennis has done one.

 

[johnnyblues]

Johnnyblues dennis does do great work for sure.I myself will still give the edge to phil on cats.They just look like there alive to me.Cant blame you for wanting your cat in your house though with out waiting two years to be done.
I myself like that we all have so many choice now a days to pick from.Plus the work has been getting better and better from years ago.To me good taxi work is like art work and should be shown proudly in ones home.

Completely agree. Like I said Dennis's work is outstanding on cat's and leopard hunting being what that is with the uncertainty of harvesting one and cities and all I want that trophy in my collection ASAP How many folks have a leopard in their collection? Outstanding trophy IMO and life size mounts are stunning.

 

[billc]

I am not sure but it is one animal I have decide it must be a guy who does good fox or coyote mounts.After seeing some jackal I would think more a red fox form would be right.

I want one mounted and a few for just skins.They always show up though when we are after something else.I missed a nice white one at pieters place but at over 250 yds facing me.Bullets are cheap so I gave it a try.

 

[johnnyblues]

I happened to remember I have Relive taxidermy price sheet. I know gutterdoc was looking for it.

 

[gutterdoc]

I have it thanks for the thought johnnyblues. I was following this post a while back.. Glad to see it has resurfaced. Taxidermy in my eyes varies from person to person. It is like hunting. Would you want a SCI gold medal trophy every time you pulled the trigger? Sure. Would you settle for a decent and fair representation of the animal? Absolutely. Taxidermy is kinda the same, to me at least. If I can get someone to mount my trophies perfectly and in a timely fashion, I'm all in. If someone can mount something, without a long wait, that doesn't look like crap, but isn't museum quality, I'll take that too.

We all know who does good work and who does substandard work. The hard part is figuring out who does the work that you like the best that won't upset your wife when you get the bill!

 

[johnnyblues]

I have it thanks for the thought johnnyblues. I was following this post a while back.. Glad to see it has resurfaced. Taxidermy in my eyes varies from person to person. It is like hunting. Would you want a SCI gold medal trophy every time you pulled the trigger? Sure. Would you settle for a decent and fair representation of the animal? Absolutely. Taxidermy is kinda the same, to me at least. If I can get someone to mount my trophies perfectly and in a timely fashion, I'm all in. If someone can mount something, without a long wait, that doesn't look like crap, but isn't museum quality, I'll take that too.

We all know who does good work and who does substandard work. The hard part is figuring out who does the work that you like the best that won't upset your wife when you get the bill!

I hear ya! I ve stop telling my wife exactly what is cost's. But if I do I usually "fib" just a little..lol I think she has gotten to the point where she doesn't want to know. Whewww. In any event I personally look for very good taxidermy work at a good price. I m willing to pay a couple of hundred or so more for good work where I don't have to wait a year. Lord know's when I first started hunting and not knowing any better I unfortunately have a couple of bad mounts I HAVE TO LOOK AT FOR LIFE. Never again.

 

[billc]

That was a great idea to post that price list for hunters to see.I was very much ok with relives prices.I have seen some less and some more in south africa.When I added up my order and did pricing even with shipping figured in I will be saving well over 5000.00 on this order by doing it in SA.

Finding a place that does work I was very happy with made that a easy choice for me.Now some of the saving are because I have a few mounts that are on the large size.On a normal plains game order the saving may not be that big over having the work done in the states.I do believe though normally even with shipping if your order is over 5 animals in figures cheaper doing in SA if your happy with the work.

When you figure what the extra shipping is over having just raw skins sent back.You have shipping cost either way.Plus you dont have and dipping fees with finish mounts a hunter can save some good money if they can find a place they like in SA.With what the dipping fees are that almost covers the cost of the extra shipping with finished mounts.

I know you are at the mercy of the taxidermist with out seeing your work but you do have a outfitter who can check on your work.Plus if you ask most will send pic's as they do your work.

I have found the taxidermy work gives guys the must problem with there trips to africa.Some because american taxi guys have scared alot of people saying how bad the work is with must of that based on what was coming out of africa 10 years ago.Then others dont realize how little difference there is in shipping mounts compared to dip/pack and shipping.

I just hope this thread may help some people have a better idea.

 

[Diamondhitch]

Bill, maybe you can let us know what you did not like from the mounts after your visit to Hunters and Collectors' studio?

Marius, from what I can see, these are the places they can improve on their work.
Eye shape is off and way too much clay is used.
Face is too blocky, square and lacks detail.
Ear butts are overstuffed.
Coloring is off especially in the ears and skin beneath thin hair seems unaddressed.
Skin alignment issues, notably the lip line and nose.
There is more but I will stop here.
they need to spend more time studying reference and figuring how to incorporate what they see into the mount.

Overall I wouldn't say they do bad work but they do make some pretty amateur mistakes and are far from the caliber of Relive. H&C is a 3 star shop while relive gets 5 stars.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

 

[billc]

Diamondhitch,could you show us some of the work you may have done.

What you have stated above is what I saw when looking at the work.Did not know how to say it like you did giving those reason for why one looks better.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Gents,
Please, please please. I have been saying this all along. You cannot judge on photos. Those mounts are so old, and if I saw those photos, I would not use them either.. Do you know that H&C has been operating for over 30 years. It use to be owned by the father of the current owner. He's taken over, and started fresh. Visit the studio, look at the new forms, and current mounts then pass judgement.

 

[billc]

Marius if that is the case then there website is costing them business.As a hunter I can not make the time to visit a bunch of taxi. place. Just as when picking a hunt.I can not go see everyones lodge and areas they hunt.I go by what my eyes see and sometimes by what others tell me.Relives stuff told me good things with my eyes and the 4 people I chatted with over the phone all told me good stuff.Why own earth would I do anymore research if I dont even like the pic's I see on there own website.

You asked for stuff to pass on to the guys at h/c tell them to add new pictures.
Also as a outfitter I would be listing to what more then a few are telling you here.Alot like relive and would use them.
Maybe your looking at relives stuff to hard for some reason.Most guys will look for work that is like what we see here in the states.Good or bad relives is alot like that.