kdp0933 0 Report post Posted April 4, 2013 I have two hare's masks from hareline dubbing company that I am having difficulty using because of their horrid smell. I actually purchased my second mask thinking the first one had gone bad, now I dread bringing either one out of the bag. Can anyone recommend a way to stem the smell? Does anyone know a source of tanned hare's masks? The masks from hareline were definitely naturally dried and not every piece of meat was removed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bowmike 0 Report post Posted April 4, 2013 maybe re borax the mask. Some of mine had an odor to them I jsut blamed the dog to keep peace with my wife. Fabreeze does wonders but I am not sure what hat would do if a fish could taste it or not. Putting a small dish of baking soda in the bag with them could also help. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Piker20 0 Report post Posted April 4, 2013 If it was me I would simply return them ask for a refund and look for one from a physical shop so you can check for smells. Mine don't smell and were just from a local shop. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mvendon 0 Report post Posted April 4, 2013 Hi kdp0933, One option would be what some tyers did years ago. Use a nice sharp razor blade and remove the hair from these areas as close as you can get to the skin. The poll (between the ears base), the face (between and below the eyes), and the cheeks. You can try to just clip both ears off whole and see if they smell or not. Keep each area in a different ziploc bag and label. You can mix them in different amounts depending on how light or dark you want the dubbing. That should take care of your smell problem. This came out of a Leisenring book along with a picture of the mask and different fur groups. He also wrote that the American hare and rabbit are worthless for tying the Hare's ear fly, but I have English ones along with Hareline's, and really don't see much of a difference at all. If the fur still stinks, you can always wash it and even mix it at the same time. Regards, Mark Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Leo_R 0 Report post Posted April 6, 2013 Send Hareline a complaint e-mail. You can find their e-mail address on their Web site - www.hareline.com They will probably give you some freebies & certainly a couple of replacements. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DUBBN 0 Report post Posted April 7, 2013 I agree with Piker20 and Leo_R. You will not make anyone mad by bringing it to Harelines attention. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
keep_lookingup 0 Report post Posted April 8, 2013 I agree with the others. Bring it to Harelines attention. I have never had a stinking hare's mask in 30 years. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kdp0933 0 Report post Posted April 9, 2013 Thanks for all the replies. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites