[rhahn427]

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

[braveviper]

Bleach? Or RIT dye

[Crimson_Death216]

Whats wrong with creamy white?? Hehe.

[rhahn427]

Originally Posted by Crimson_Death216

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 .........

[Crimson_Death216]

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.

[LaPala]

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.

[Brian_Va]

You need salon grade bleaching peroxide, not that stuff mama put on your boo boos.

[nova]

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

[Crimson_Death216]

I was thinking of house bleach not salon bleach that's why I came to my conclusion.

[Brian_Va]

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.