[FlyMaker]

I purchased three patches of PB from an elderly lady whos late husband used to have a shop. Bought these hide scraps unseen in a purchase through a ffishing BBS posting.

Patch One-This small patch is great and the hide is soft too. The hairs sparkle like icicles. Neat!

The second patch is yellowed considerably. I can tell the hairs still have that special translucence to them. Wonder if it was yellowed by age, storage, bear urine, or even being tanned harshly? I might use this small patch to dye to a shrimp orange. Fine with this piece too.

Lastly, and the issue at hand: The largest patch has nice long white fur. The hide is similar to the others in thickness and color except that it is hard and curled on itself a bit. The hairs are stark white and dull looking and do not exhibit the translucence of what I would expect PB to have. Could this be wolf or Grizzly fur-on-hide that was bleached white? Or is it possible that due to being improperly tanned that the Polar Bear hair can loose the classic translucent appearance? Or could this patch be from a certain part of the Bear that is different (never shot one myself ) ?

All input appreciated.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[flytyer]

Rich,

Not all polar bear hair is white depite many people who think it is, which you have now found out. Polar bear hair varies from white to cream to tannish cream, and can do so on the same hide. Also, there is some hair on the polar bear that is not very translucent; but again most people have no idea that is the case because they have not seen a full polar bear hide. And this non-translucent (or barely translucent if you hold in bright sunlight and look very closely it will have just a hint of translucency) is just like the piece you got with the long curled hair.

All of it is very usable, so be happy that you were able to get some of the old, legal to own in the US polar bear.

 

[FlyMaker]

Rich,

Not all polar bear hair is white depite many people who think it is,.....All of it is very usable, so be happy that you were able to get some of the old, legal to own in the US polar bear.

Thanks very much for the input. I appreciate it very much. I am grateful for having found found thses pieces..

Rich

 

[Willie Gunn]

http://www.flyforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2919

 

[FlyMaker]

http://www.flyforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2919

Yup. $5.00 a sqaure inch is what the stuuf is going for these days. I paid maybe $2.00 a square inch for what I was sold. A gamble that may have paid-off. All this assuming PB is the majic elixer hair :hihi:

Here is a pic of the piece in question. hairs are around 4 inches long. The hide portion measures 4" x 5" in size

 

[davidstrout]

Polar Bear

All natural polar bear fibres are "coated" in a layer of fatty waste/deposits.....once "degreased" with a solvent, the natural brilliance "shines" thru....more often than not "yellow/ed" PB is merely hair/fur that is still encased in fatty depoisit....

 

[FlyMaker]

All natural polar bear fibres are "coated" in a layer of fatty waste/deposits.....once "degreased" with a solvent, the natural brilliance "shines" thru....more often than not "yellow/ed" PB is merely hair/fur that is still encased in fatty depoisit....

Thanks for adding that. Does the image above look like PB to you? I was told it may be Goat.:tsk_tsk:

Thanks

 

[danimal]

I'll bet that is a remnant piece of hair from an albino yeti :hihi:

 

[munky]

polar bear skin is black on the outer surface, the surface that the hair is attached to.

Regards,

Not any that I own, but it has all been processed to some degree. The hair pictured does not look like Polar bear, except for the yellowed section. It looks like the neck portion of a deer hide, but the length on there would lead me to believe it may be goat.

 

[munky]

I have heard this before. I found another older patch, and while not black, it quite a bit darker than the first I looked at. Perhaps tanning and chroming the hide changes the colour of it.