REPORT: Taxidermist Eastern Cape Port Elizabeth Johannesburg

[johnnyblues]

You should be! He looked around 400 to me.

lol you was close. When they measured him in camp that said 413. But my taxidermist said 387....So I dont know.

 

[johnnyblues]

There is some truth to not one place does everything well.But I think that is more about birds,fish and big game then one cant find someone who does most plains game well.Some guys do great work on birds but stink at big game heads others may do fish well.Some studius have an artist first each so they can do everything in house.


That is one of the things that made me pick relive really.I did not find a weakness in any of the animals I am having him mount.From eland to springbuck as well as his lions made me happy.Living in the states we have huge studious doing everything well.Makes it easier then picking a SA place.I did not want to use 3 places in SA to mount my stuff and then get it packed.I feel relive gave me the best choice for doing my order at one place.

Just curious did you see any leopards mounted in Relieve?

 

[billc]

No I did not.He had two lions then and started on someones lioness but no mr spots.I am not sure if he has ever done one either.
Did you ever look at phil soucy cats.His mtn lions are amazing and I believe he has some leopards on his site also.I think he does the best cats I have seen.

 

[johnnyblues]

No I did not.He had two lions then and started on someones lioness but no mr spots.I am not sure if he has ever done one either.
Did you ever look at phil soucy cats.His mtn lions are amazing and I believe he has some leopards on his site also.I think he does the best cats I have seen.

I will take a look but to be honest I don't have the patience to wait that long..lol

 

[billc]

His cats are just nice to see but I could not wait that long either.I heard guys waiting over 2 years to get one done by him.

 

[johnnyblues]

His cats are just nice to see but I could not wait that long either.I heard guys waiting over 2 years to get one done by him.

Ya that's just plain crazy! Especially when you got a guy like Dennis Harris turning around in 90-120 with that fantastic quality. His work on cat's is hard to beat

 

[Royal27]

lol you was close. When they measured him in camp that said 413. But my taxidermist said 387....So I dont know.

Sounds to me like @enysse nailed it. Average 387 and 413 and you get 400.

 

[enysse]

I'm going to have to get a nice one, someday. Every trophy room needs a red stag

 

[johnnyblues]

Sounds to me like @enysse nailed it. Average 387 and 413 and you get 400.

Lol. Guess so

 

[johnnyblues]

I'm going to have to get a nice one, someday. Every trophy room needs a red stag

Great mount. They are so impressive

 

[johnnyblues]

Hunters and collectors "collected" my bosses Safari 3 years ago and it is still part of their collection, they no longer answer his emails.

I don't know about the rest.

Really?....Wow When I inquired about using them (on my PH's reccomendation) they of course were very nice and promised delivery within 1 year.

 

[Striker]

Been monitoring post, does anyone have web site for relive? I can't seem to find one ?

 

[Royal27]

Been monitoring post, does anyone have web site for relive? I can't seem to find one ?

Welcome to the forum!

Relive doesn't have a website, but you can look at a lot of their work via Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Relive-Africa-Taxidermy-South-Africa/180274468653002?ref=br_tf

 

[Striker]

Welcome to the forum!

Relive doesn't have a website, but you can look at a lot of their work via Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Relive-Africa-Taxidermy-South-Africa/180274468653002?ref=br_tf

Thanks Royal27

 

[johnnyblues]

Been monitoring post, does anyone have web site for relive? I can't seem to find one ?

Don't be he has a web site. Check out his Facebook page

 

[Diamondhitch]

No I did not.He had two lions then and started on someones lioness but no mr spots.I am not sure if he has ever done one either.
Did you ever look at phil soucy cats.His mtn lions are amazing and I believe he has some leopards on his site also.I think he does the best cats I have seen.

He has won world championships and many masters division awards and is remounted as the "cat man" throughout the Taxidermy industry (by fellow top tier taxidermists) for very good reason. I had opportunity to get a close up look at his work this weekend and it is bar none the best I have ever seen.

I will take a look but to be honest I don't have the patience to wait that long..lol

Theres the catch. Common around here for many if not most taxis to take that long though.

 

[billc]

Diamondhitch,I hope one day to see his work in person.I can just see by his pictures he work is amazing on cats.You bring up mounting a mtn lion in the states Phil's name is always on the short list.He cost more then other and the wait is long but if I have the kid take one and I have the funds I will use him for the work.

As for this post I would say it is hard to beat the work coming out of relives shop for quality and cost on africa game.His lions look great his plain game from the tiny ten to buff look better then all I have seen come out of South africa.If I see a mount and can not tell if it was mounted here in the states or in SA I am happy.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

As for this post I would say it is hard to beat the work coming out of relives shop for quality and cost on africa game.His lions look great his plain game from the tiny ten to buff look better then all I have seen come out of South africa.If I see a mount and can not tell if it was mounted here in the states or in SA I am happy.

Bill, maybe you can let us know what you did not like from the mounts after your visit to Hunters and Collectors' studio? I personally visited all of the taxidermists' in Port Elizabeth, and to me, their quality was honestly the best. The reason I would like your comment is that I would like to inform H&C so that they can address any inferior quality issue or otherwise I will recommend someone else to my hunters.

 

[billc]

Marius I have stated I have only seen relives stuff in person other then seeing a few other guys work at different lodges and places i hunted in SA.I did all my judging by looking at pictures on either there facebook page or site they may have.
I did not have time to tour all the places in SA since I come from the states.Now in the states I have looked at many shops and have spent hours in some shops.I am a nut when it come to taxi work.

I based my choice on what I would be having done after my hunt by picture I could see online.I looked at well over 40 places in SA on line and made my choice to visit relive by liking there work best based on pictures.If I did not like what I would see then I would check out another.Based on what I could see when there relives work was awesome and compared to work done here in the states.

Relive hands down does a better eland,springbuck,impala,blesbuck,bushbuck and must others.This is based on my eyes doing the judging.I would say it is a toss up between who does a better kudu ,zebra and blue wildbeast.Seeing the eland and giraffe picture on the h/c site was enough to not even have them as a top 3 place on my list.I have two eland and a giraffe being done this order.Then I had to pick a place for my sons lioness.Relives lions are the best I have seen come out of SA.Had nothing to look at on H/C site but relive is honestly of a quality I doubt they would beat maybe match.

I also did have some help with loodt being able to check out relive before I got to the east cape.He had other places in mind when we first talked.I told him he needed to check the place out for me and himself. I thought the work was better then the places he has used in the past.After he went there he agreed with me.

Another thing that made me feel good was after seeing relives place.Lammie loodts ph who we hunted with made a comment about the quality of the work but also how clean the place was and well taken care of.He has seen alot of places that do taxi work and he thought it was a well run place by what he could see.

I guess it comes down to everyone has what they like and dont.I like relive you seem to like h/c.I guess kmg clients will be using h/c and I will being using relive.Nice thing is we are both free to do so and have ah to use to talk about it.It may help others with two places to check out that may not have been on there list till seeing this post.

 

[johnnyblues]

I agree judging by facebook pictures Relive seems better. my PH also recommended H/C and is personal friends with Paul the owner of Relive but has not used him in the past for whatever reason, maybe cause he has been using H/C so long I told him he really need to go to Paul's studio and see for himself. I will be in Namibia next August on a leopard hunt and will possibly try for Kudu, Hartbeest , springbuck and if successful on the cat I will try for steenbok so I can mount it with the leopard. But as I stated on earlier post's my cat will go to Dennis Harris. His work on cat's is phenomenal