This fur stripping tool is a must-have; the “Furminator”. It’s designed for living animals but works equally well for taxidermy purposes. When it comes to creating taxidermy mounts, it seems like a lot of people prefer an animal with a winter coat because the fur is at its thickest. Personally, when given the choice I avoid winter coats. An animal that has put on its winter weight can be a pain to skin because there is a lot more fat to scrape off, versus an animal in summer pelage. Additionally, winter pelts often need degreasing before and after tanning while lean summer animals require less cleaning so you can get away with a single degreasing, or no degreasing depending on the species. But the main reason I don’t like working with winter animals is because their fur is too fluffy for the specialized types of pieces I create. I prefer a low-loft coat that hugs the armature/mannequin and creates a sleeker profile. A Furminator effectively combs out the puffy woolly undercoat while leaving the slick top coat/guard hairs in place. (as shown in this photo of a fox that I’m working on) A Furminator can be used before the animal is skinned or after it’s mounted, albeit if doing the latter you will need to be a bit more restrained so you don’t tear the hide. #TaxidermyTips #TaxidermyProcess #Taxidermist #FemaleTaxidermist #WomanTaxidermist #Furminator #FurCraft #AnimalHides #AnimalHide #AnimalPelt #AnimalPelts https://www.instagram.com/p/B_XZHpMAduh/?igshid=49edzadq1y3l
