ZIMBABWE: Trophy Consultants International (TCI) Quality

[rookhawk]

I shot a very small Kudu bull on the last hour of the last day of a safari 2 years ago. The flesh was perfect and it was in the salt within 2 hours, sun was setting and a cool chill kissed the hide.

I thought if ever there would be a perfect candidate for a rug, this would be it. The hide was delivered to TCI in Bulawayo 18 hours after the animal was shot.

This is a one curl, youthful example that had the utmost care and handling.

Thoughts?

 

[rookhawk]

Here was the comments from TCI and mine in email for reference:

• On 2/15/16 you (Cuan, Managing Director of TCI) wrote appraising the finished work: "Kudu-The kudu flat skin is one of the best ones I have seen in a while.”
• (Me, the customer says)The rug has a lot of hair slip around the neck and shoulder area.... I would not do this again and I don’t think the work as delivered matches the description you provided on 2/15/16 but nonetheless, its so-so and I understand kudu hair can slip.
• (Cuan and TCI) Kudu and Eland are possible the hardest fur tans to get 100%. I was not exaggerating when I said it was one of the best one’s i have seen. Most of them come out with huge patches of hair missing. The neck is almost always bald because the animals rub their necks against trees and against eachother- an old kudu bull will be totally bare in these areas.

So in short, TCI states this is the best Kudu tanning they've seen in some time. I wonder if they would show this in their brochure as the best work they've recently done so everyone contemplating TCI would know there work will be inferior to my "gold standard example"?