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Dip and ship

Dip and Ship (Raw preparation) service.

 If you are hunting/ stalking in the U.K, and wish to have your mounts done in your country of origin, we can provide the service known as Dip and Ship or Raw preparation.  We provide a full bespoke professional standard dip and ship service.

Please read the following to be absolutely clear on what we provide by the term Dip and ship (Raw preparation)

 WHAT IS RAW PREPARATION?

  • Raw preparation is a basic form of initial preservation of a green or raw skin from an animal.
  • It has been used for hundreds of years and done correctly, immediately after the animal is culled, it is very effective.
  • Any delay can cause the skin to fail at the mounting stage.
  • It is important to understand that skins subject to raw prep are not preserved fully and are not stable like a dry tanned skin.
  • Raw prep skins must be kept dry in dry conditions (Low humidity) at all times.
  • High humidity, bad storage, damp or extremes of temperature will cause them to deteriorate (slip/rot) and compromise them for later processing/tanning.

 Do you guarantee raw prep skins?

No, we do not, and the reason is as follows:

Skins which are to travel will go through many handlers and get stored in differing conditions as they go. If any part of the chain is less than diligent or inept, skins are easily ruined.  Layover and inappropriate storage at shipping depots is a big cause of problems.  Raw prep, salt dried skins are hygroscopic (they absorb water from the air) and with it bacteria and mould take hold.

If they then dry out again, the damage is not apparent until they are rehydrated by the taxidermist or tannery.  At this point the client/hunter often blames the initial raw preparation when the real reason is bad storage in transit.

Stored correctly, raw prep skins can last for literally tens of years, but once outside direct control (Such as during transport and storage) it is impossible to dictate or predict the conditions (specific humidity and temperatures) they may be subjected to.  It is for this reason we are unable to guarantee raw prepared skins.   FOR FULL SECURITY SKINS SHOULD BE TANNED, MOUNTED THEN SHIPPED.

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OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR ACCEPTING AND PROCESSING RAW (GREEN) CAPES/SKINS. (for dip and ship)

We know our job well and carry out all processing to exacting methods with due diligence and expertise.

We will not be held responsible for negligence, ineptitude or lack of due diligence by others at earlier or later stages in the chain.

This service is provided on the specific condition and full understanding that the client accepts fully, in writing, all risks and will indemnify Philip Leggett taxidermy fully against any and all losses in regards to any and all skins sent for processing.   The client should ensure that the shipment is fully insuredby the shipping agents and read the insurance policy thoroughly.

Our terms are industry standard. No processor, Tannery, shipper or handler of raw skins will guarantee any raw skin for the reasons detailed clearly in this document.

  • We always do our utmost to prepare skins for shipping to the very highest standard.
  • It is entirely the responsibility of the client, guide and outfitter to ensure skins are prioritised, treated stored and transported at all stages.
  • We do not wish to waste your money and our time on badly treated skins.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure your agent, outfitter, P.H. Stalker, hunters and skinners does their job properly.
  • Correcting their mistakes costs you money and can wreck your mounts.
  • If you have doubts, get them skinned, prepared and mounted here in the U.K. by an experienced professional taxidermist, who you trust.

We process all skins in the following way:

On arrival:        Fresh capes and skins are inspected, triaged, tagged and graded (A to F)

A= First class cape.     B= good.    C= Satisfactory.    D= Poor but mountable.  E= Bad. (I do not recommend skin graded “E” as viable for a mount.)

F= RUINED ON ARRIVAL, UNFIT TO BE MOUNTED.  Ruined skins skin can be sent, if required, but all costs will still apply.    Skin deemed poor will be notified.    Written reports and photos can provided at a cost.

Our dip and ship treatment specification.  (skins)

  • inspected and tagged.
  • Ears, eyes, nose and lips are fully turned and de fleshed.
  • Hide is fleshed and reduced, where and if required.
  • Large or rutting animals may need additional fleshing (at cost of time).
  • The skin is fully washed in anti bacterial dip. Thoroughly rinsed.
  • Brine soaked, drained then heavily salted, in fine grain P.D.V salt
  • Folded and dried over several days/weeks.
  • Once fully dry, skin is then packed and crated for shipping.

Antlers, horns and Skulls.

 Inspected and tagged.

  • Fully de fleshed, boiled in sodium carbonate decahydrate solution, treated in a hot hydrogen peroxide soak solution for 10 hours.
  • Then hard dried prior to packing.
  • Large antlered skulls are marked for alignment and the skull centre cut to split them for minimal shipping volume.
  • Horns are removed, core cleaned out and treated as above.
  • Horn Cores are treated and cut down to save weight and volume.

 Crating, shipping and exporting.

 Our shipping crates are professionally made to ISPM 15 international shipping and air freight standards, certificated and stamped accordingly. https://www.gov.uk/wood-packaging-import-export

  • What is ISPM15 ?   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISPM_15
  • We do not send items “collect” or by standard postal systems for crossing international borders.
  • We only work with experienced professional international shipping agents, who will deal with the shipping, air freighting or overland of your items. They arrange all paperwork and cross border licensing on the U.K side only.
  • You nominate your own broker or agent from your country, who will liaise with the U.K agent to deal with the all customs, licensing and all ongoing shipping related matters
  • All costs for treatment at or in our studio do not include customs charges, storage charges, clearance fees, extra labour, travelling, out of pocket expenses, paperwork crating and shipping. These are outside my control and knowledge at this stage. As such they are a separate matter to the dip and ship prep work.
  • The client is solely responsible for any and all ongoing costs in relation to the skins, no matter how they are generated.
  • The client accepts and carries all risks related to dealing with raw prep skins

 If you have any doubts, show this document to your taxidermist