Bear needs a new hair-do

[jeepasaurusrex]

This is a bear my Dad shot around 1968. He had it made into a rug. It was displayed in my uncles house until a couple of years ago when he passed away. I got the bear rug and its been in storage ever since. As you can see from the pictures, it is in bad need of some combing. What is the best way to get the hair back to being strait, and in order? I'm getting ready to hang this rug up in my house and want it to be looking good.

Thanks. 

[bucklucky]

I'll let Mich field this one for ya, she is long winded and can talk your ear off and will give her opinion anyway so I wont waist time typing what she will type anyway  JK Mich 

Looks like a good rug for beeing so old. I would say pray some hair sheen or show sheen on the hair and give it a good brushing  with a horse brush, a hir brush would work with the bristles. Blow it out with an air compressor first to blow as much dust out of it as you can. should help but probably wont get the hair to be straight again, might get lucky though. Air does wonders.

[Gobble]

I wonder if a clothes steamer (like the stores use) and brushing it would help to get the hair to straighten out and lay down. It wouldn't put much moisture on the hide but the heat and stream might have just enough to help straighten the fur out.  

With the temp outside as high and dry as it is I bet it wouldn't hurt the hide as the water should evaporate fairly quickly, might be worth a try.  

[Michelle_Nelson]

   Yeah yeah yeah, I am definitely long winded and I like to talk anything Taxidermy or the Outdoors.  Whats your point Bucklucky? 

I wouldn't even attempt that idea Gobble.  As old as that hide is you don't want any moisture like that coming in contact with the hide.  It will cause the hide to shrink more and distort it a little. 

As for Bucklucky's idea.  Definitely blow the hair off with an air compressor first.  The hair looks pretty shiny to me so your not going to need a lot of that hair sheen stuff.  Jeep, have you ever seen those wire grooming brushes that people use to groom their pets and get rid of shed hair?  I would use one of those.  May take a few brushings but really that is probably all your will need to do is brush it out a couple times.  Try not to be to rough when brushing because sometimes hair likes to come out of older mounts. 

[bucklucky]

The hair sheen will help "condition" the hair and soften it up. Should help the hair a bit. Does wonders for me especially on bear hair. ??

[Michelle_Nelson]

If you'd quit being lazy and shave your face more often or keep that beard trimmed you woun't need to use it.   

[KillBilly]

The hair sheen will help "condition" the hair and soften it up. Should help the hair a bit. Does wonders for me especially on bear hair. ??

And Michelles mustache....

[bucklucky]

If you'd quit being lazy and shave your face more often or keep that beard trimmed you woun't need to use it.   

 

The hair sheen will help "condition" the hair and soften it up. Should help the hair a bit. Does wonders for me especially on bear hair. ??

And Michelles mustache....

Al...........

[jeepasaurusrex]

Thanks for the tips.

I will give blowing it out with the air compressor and a brush trick first and see how it goes. 

What about the eyes/nose? Do you think they could use some freshening up?

[Michelle_Nelson]

You can use Windex to clean the glass eyes.

[jeepasaurusrex]

LOL.. makes sense. I didn't know what they were made of and didn't want to mess them up. What do you think of the nose? leave it as is, or moisten it up?

[bucklucky]

Youo could always drop it off with a good Taxidermist and have them freshen it up with a new coat of paint and it may need some new epoxie work also, kind of a retoration if you will. I just did one for a guy and it looked alot better than it did.

[Elkstuffer]

I wonder if a clothes steamer (like the stores use) and brushing it would help to get the hair to straighten out and lay down. It wouldn't put much moisture on the hide but the heat and stream might have just enough to help straighten the fur out.  

With the temp outside as high and dry as it is I bet it wouldn't hurt the hide as the water should evaporate fairly quickly, might be worth a try.  

I use a steamer a lot to straighten hair after hides and rugs come in from being tanned and rugged. Works great.

[bucklucky]

I wonder if a clothes steamer (like the stores use) and brushing it would help to get the hair to straighten out and lay down. It wouldn't put much moisture on the hide but the heat and stream might have just enough to help straighten the fur out.  

With the temp outside as high and dry as it is I bet it wouldn't hurt the hide as the water should evaporate fairly quickly, might be worth a try.  

I use a steamer a lot to straighten hair after hides and rugs come in from being tanned and rugged. Works great.

Thats good to know !

[Michelle_Nelson]

I had a guy try a steamer on an old deer hide once.  Got it way to wet and it stiffened the hide.  Than again he didn't tell me what else he used on the hide.