Upon receipt of your trophies we will take inventory of all articles and inspect them for issues such as hair slippage, bug damage, spoilage, etc. We will then notify you of items received and the condition of those items.
The next step is a consultation with you. This takes place either over the phone, on location, or at our studio. During the consultation we will discuss specific pose preferences, ideas, and concepts. We will also discuss what habitat or pedestal options would best compliment your trophies, and how to design them to fit best in your available display space. We may also construct a scale model if needed.
Your hides and skins are then put into the tanning process. This is a very important stage in insuring the longevity of the finished trophy. We use the latest tanning techniques and technology to ensure that the trophies that leave our studio will withstand the test of time.
This is where the piece begins to really take shape. While most times we start with a generic or commercial form, it is only the beginning. We resize and re-sculpt that form to fit your animal and to fit the correct pose. Muscle detail is added, veins, and eye expressions are sculpted in as well. We utilize an extensive reference library to insure the anatomy, posture and expression are all cohesive with the specie.
It is a very time consuming process of sculpting, fitting, and sculpting again till we get it just right. It is one of the most vital aspects of what we do and the difference is very evident in our finished work. Upon request we can also e-mail photos of your project at this stage so the pose can be fine tuned to your specifications. The tanned skin is then fit on and all the fine details put in place.
We pride ourselves in exquisite habitat features and display bases. Our custom wood shop constructs fine cabinetry style bases and pedestals that really enhance the presentation of your trophy. All our habitat features are constructed in-house, rocks are recreated, realistic trees are built and other habitat features are added to create the best composition and natural habitat setting.
The final stage of work is going over the entire piece and restoring color where needed, rebuilding any shrunken membrane, and adding natural wetness to the nose and eyes. Your piece is then given that final “showroom ready” cleaning and inspection.
At this point we will contact you to discuss delivery and shipping options or you may choose to pick up your finished pieces directly from our studio. We offer crating and shipping to destinations around the globe and by crating in-house and utilizing our established relations with several shipping companies we are able to offer very economical rates.