rhahn427 Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 I just bought a bunch of deer hair that I like ....... it's nice and long ..... just what I need for salteater lures. However when I got it home, I noticed that it was more of a creamy white instead of the pure white. THe question is how do I get it pure white ...... Thanks Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
braveviper Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 Bleach? Or RIT dye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 Whats wrong with creamy white?? Hehe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhahn427 Posted February 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 Whats wrong with creamy white?? Hehe. Nothing ......... infact I will tie a bunch of dropper flies in the creamy color but I'm just use to the bright white. Using bleach is ok with me but will it damage the hair in any way and is there a dilution I should use ......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 Ok, sounds like a plan to me. I have no idea about the bleach... It damages everything else so I'd figure it would do something bad to deer hair but I'm not sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaPala Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 Talk to your local hair saloon and ask them what they use to turn a brunette to platinum blond? They do bleach dark hair b4 dying it with a light color, since I haven't seem many bold women walking around I would assume the product is relatively hair friendly. --- at least for as many fish as the fly will last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian_Va Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 You need salon grade bleaching peroxide, not that stuff mama put on your boo boos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 If you use household bleach it will burn the hair and result in brittle hair which will not take any abuse at all. Not sure about salon type bleach as deer hair is quite different from human hair. Deer bodyhair is hollow. I keep in contact with a lot of local hunters and they let me know when they get a deer so I can pick out the hair I want including tails. Some deer have a lot of white body hair and some don't. It's much better if you can stick to the "natural" pure white hair. www.novalures.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 I was thinking of house bleach not salon bleach that's why I came to my conclusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian_Va Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 Household bleach only ruins your fur. You HAVE to use salon grade peroxide or a similar off the shelf product in the ladies hair care isle. Here, this is from Utah State: In humans and other mammals, the pigments that give hair its color are almost exclusively melanin.Melanins are a family of polymers that are formed as an end product during metabolism of the amino acid tyrosine.When hair is bleached with hydrogen peroxide, the melanin is oxidized in a process that changes the molecular structure in a way that the pigmentation is lost.Another result of the oxidation process is that the melanin polymer swells which in turn causes the hair shafts to swell.This is what causes hair to feel coarser after peroxide treatment.However,the idea that this thickening strengthens the hair is an illusion.The peroxide also weakens the bonds within hair shafts,causing hair to lose elasticity and to become brittle.After bleaching, hair becomes drier, more brittle, and often breaks off during routine brushing or combing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLT Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 I know guys that bleach their tails w/o any issues. Some even soak in a bucket of warm water with dish washing liquid and reported a whiter tail. (small amounts of bleach in it) Borax detergent is another item used. Make a bucket full of borax/water, put tails in until saturated. If your tails are fresh/not cured, the borax will also kill any little critters that may be hiding in them. After you pull the tails from either solution, put into a bucket of liquid laundry detergent/water mixture to clean, (I even put a few drops of fabric softener) rinse well, hang to dry. I buy those little clamps at Home Depot to hang them with to dry. I dye hundreds of tails a year, but myself have never tried to whiten the tails more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajun425 Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 BLT... what are you using to dye the tails with? I have tried the typicl fabric dye and it washes out?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLT Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 BLT... what are you using to dye the tails with? I have tried the typicl fabric dye and it washes out?? Was using Jacquard acid dyes. Just switched to Pylam dyes. They are more expensive, but they will custom make any color you want. Chartruese green not bright enough, but you want more hue also, they can do it. They will send you 2 oz. samples (up to 6 different colors if I remember right) to try. I just ordered 3 different pink samples to try. Per pound, any where from $75-$88 a pound, but the more you order the cheaper it gets. My 2 oz. sample should do well over a hundred tails the way it looks. Really happy with the color. Even the Jaquard works well. They hold up well in the saltwater, which 95% of my tackle goes into. How close to Lancaster are you? Your web site would not load up for me. I can give you some Jacquard dye to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
