Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much thicker are your ear liners than actual ear cartilage?
A: The thickness of the actual cartilage varies by species size and distance from the edge of the ear. 1/8” from the lower edge of most ear cartilages will measure between .0012” - .0018” (12-18 thousandths of an inch). Natural Choice ear liners average around .0025” (25 thousandths of an inch). While this is 1 ½ to 2 times as thick as the actual cartilage it is up to 3 times thinner than the competition. For competition mounts Natural Choice ear liners can easily be sanded to the actual thickness or simply left as is.
Q: How can such a thin plastic ear liner be as strong as a thicker one?
A: The material that is used in Natural Choice ear liners is slightly flexible making it less brittle than a more rigid material. This combined with the high tensile strength properties of this material make it an extremely durable choice.
Q: Why do Natural Choice ear liners cost more than others on the market?
A: Actually there are a couple reasons for this. The material used to make Natural Choice ear liners is more expensive than many alternatives but we feel that the superior quality of the product is well worth the extra cost. Second, limitations of cheaper mass production techniques would cause a decline in the quality and anatomical accuracy that we feel is unacceptable. And finally Natural Choice ear liners are made by hand right here in North America using supplies also made right here in North America. By purchasing them you are supporting OUR economy instead of a foreign country.
Q: You state that Natural Choice ear liners are mirror images of actual cartilage. What do you mean by this?
A: Natural Choice ear liners are made from molds cast directly from the original cartilage. Great care is taken to ensure that the original shape is retained during this process. After the first casts are pulled they are compared directly with the original cartilage. In a side by side comparison Natural Choice ear liners must be identical to the original cartilage from every angle, front, back, top, bottom, tip and butt. No ear liner is put into production until it is shaped exactly like the original.
Q: If the material you use is so strong and durable, why have you slightly thickened the edge of the ear?
A: While the material used to make Natural Choice ear liners is very strong even at the actual thickness of the cartilage, it was felt that for commercial taxidermy it was better to slightly increase the thickness and produce an even more durable product without sacrificing anatomy or the thin feel and look of the finished ear. If you prefer a thinner ear edge, Natural Choice ear liners can be quickly sanded down and still be strong enough to produce a sturdy mount.
Q: Why are Natural Choice ear liners so thick on the upper flap of the ear and the bottom half of the ear?
A: These areas of Natural Choice ear liners have not been altered from their original thickness. Only the outer edges have been slightly thickened. These areas are naturally thicker to support the ear.
Q: You say the veins have been plumped, what does that mean?
A: As with any carcass cast when muscular tension and blood flow ceases and is drained, certain changes occur in a carcass. In the case of an ear that basically means that once the blood is drained from the veins they collapse. These collapsed veins are easily visible once the original cast has been made. They are then sculpted back to their original size before the production mold is made.
Q: You say there has been a small amount added to the edge of the ear. Doesn’t this affect the anatomy of the ear?
A: No it does not. Specimens of average width have been selected for Natural Choice ear liners. Once this small 1/8” – ¼” of extra material (depending on ear size) is added, Natural Choice ear liners are anatomically accurate for a larger range of ear shapes through trimming to match the cartilage from the animal being mounted. Conversely casting a narrow ear so that it would be usable as is for a larger variety of ears would affect the anatomy of average and wider than average ears by way of needing to “stack’ the skin on the narrow ear liner. If a wide ear was cast then average would fit accurately with a small amount of trimming but narrow ears would require enough trimming to affect anatomy. This was the thought process behind this feature.
Q: How does blending the inner ear to the blade of the ear make mounting easier?
A: This is explained in our How to use Natural Choice ear liners tutorial.
Q: How do I fit Natural Choice ear liners to my deer?
A: This is explained in our Selection and sizing of Natural Choice ear liners tutorial.
Q: What size Natural Choice ear liner do I need?
A: This is explained in our Selection and sizing of Natural Choice ear liners tutorial.
Q: Can I use Natural Choice ear liners for species other than the ones they were cast from.
A: While Natural Choice ear liners will work best for the species they were cast from, in certain situations they may work for others. Ex. A med-large whitetail ear liner may work for a Couse deer or a large whitetail may work for a Blacktail deer. However if using Natural Choice ear liners on species that they were not originally cast from pay careful attention to reference as you may need to alter the shape slightly. See our How to customize the shape of Natural Choice ear liners tutorial.
Q: Can I use lacquer thinner to clean Natural Choice ear liners?
A: No. Natural Choice ear liners may be damaged by lacquer thinner. Alcohol and acetone are both excellent choices.
Q: How do I remove the release agent from Natural Choice ear liners?
A: No release agent is used.
Q: I left my ear liners in my unattended vehicle in direct sunlight on a hot day and they are now distorted. What can I do to fix them?
A: Natural Choice ear liners will return to their original shape when heated sufficiently in hot water. See our How to customize the shape of Natural Choice ear liners tutorial.
Q: Once mounted will my Natural Choice ear liners distort on a hot day?
A: No. Under normal conditions a mount will not be subjected to temperatures high enough to soften Natural Choice ear liners. Natural Choice ear liners are still quite stiff and strong even when quite warm, once mounted the ears will hold their shape in the event that a mount is somehow exposed to extreme heat such as sitting in an unattended vehicle in direct sunlight on a hot day. (Although we do not recommend this for any mount)
Q: Why don’t your Whitetail ears have any flip at the tip?
A: While some whitetails do naturally have a small amount of flip most do not. Natural Choice ear liners are near exact replicas of the original. If you prefer a flip you may choose to add it yourself. See our How to customize the shape of Natural Choice ear liners tutorial.
Q: If Natural Choice ear liners are near exact replicas of actual cartilage, why do I need to trim them or change their shape?
A: Because all deer are as unique as people, their ears are all slightly different. Trimming or altering the ear shape is an option that you may choose to better match your Natural Choice ear liner to the actual animal you are mounting.
Q: I have a mount completed with Natural Choice ear liners and would like to send you a picture. Can I do this?
A: Yes, we love to hear from our clients. Your picture may be used on our website in the future. Please send no more than 2 photos of each mount and be sure that photos are no more than 200kb in size.
Antlers West Taxidermy
c/o Steve Tait
7592 S. 2350 W.
West Jordan, UT. 84084
Phone#: 801-694-1553
Email: awtaxidermy1@hotmail.com
