Best way to clean Shark Jaws

Just saw the post about cleaning shark jaws and seems that most folks just don't know the # 1 way of getting the cleanest whitesrt looking shark jaws.I don't practice this much anymore because I release most of my sharks and those that die by coincidence I try and dispose of properly in one piece because I'm tired of being called a "shark killer" when in fact I promote the safe handling and release of sharks and encourage tagging of sharks by all interested anglers.No one will see me cutting up a shark to take a set of jaws -it goes against what I am promoting so this information I will share with youi all is based on personal knowledge gained in years past.Anyway from the many years of shark fishing and through trial and error when I was a young sharker in the 80's I have discovered the best way to do the job.I had to learn the hard way by making many mistakes before i found out the true secret.Making mistakes included listening to old wives tales and trying for myself it included burying the jaws in the ground so the ants could clean them (smelled like hell aftera few days but the ants refused to work for free)then another was boiling them (all the teeth popped out when the water boiled)and lastly soaking them in 20 Mule Team Borax(they turned yellow and had burn spots)

Dr Gordon Hubble was the key to the whole secret.

At one of the many shark tournamnents that we used to fish in the old days we met Dr Gordon Hubble who was in charge of diseting all the sharks and was also allowed to keep all the jaws for his extensive collection.Needless to say Dr Hubble sold alot of shark teeth and jaws back in the day but he kept the biggest and best of course .He has the most extensive collection of big shark jaws in the world including great white jaws.Dr Hubble befriended the very talkative and passinate shark hunter Rene de Dios and myself .One day Dr Hubble who lived at the time on Key Biscayne close to the Miami Seaquarium invited us to his house-- we just about flipped our wigs when we saw the walls covered in huge Tiger,great white bull shark,dusky and every other big shark known to mankind hung fom his walls .Today his great white shark collection most be worth well over one million dollars by itself.Anyway Dr Gordon Hubble showed Rene and I how to get the best finished jaws in the world just like him.

Dr Gordon Hubble with one of the many sets of Great White shark jaws he owns

Another set of Great White shark jaws not prepared correctly.notice the yellowish stains

The first step is to remove the jaws from the shark .Be very careful you don't cut ino the jaw cartilege as you are cutting off the jaws.Be very careful mnot to cut yourself with knofe or the sharks very sharp teeth.IT WILL HAPPEN .With expierience you will learn how to feel around when cutting ,as not damage the jaws while removing them .

SIMPLICITY.

Release your sharks but if one dies and you want to keep the jaws for a souveneir.

1)Cut off all the excess meat down to the cartilege.

2)Buy a pack of razors and take off the smallest pieces closest to the cartilege

3)With the same razors cut off the gummy fold that hides the extra set of teeth,both on the upper and lower jaw
-be very careful because the danger here is twofold from the shark''s teeth and the razor-

THE BIG SECRET -HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

4)after the gums are clean and all the meat is removed buy hydogen peroxide(no water needed) 4 to 8 bottles and place the shark jaws so they are totally submerged in the peroxide.Leave them in the peroxide 1 to 2 days.This will in no way harm the jaws ,,,the longer the whiter they get

5)take the jaws and submerge them in a bucket of fresh water for 8 hours in order to remove all traces of peroxide

6) place inside the jaws two pieces of wood that you have cut to fit the size opening of the jaws

7)Place the jaws in the sun for two or three days until they are totally dry and all smell is absent.

From trial and error and after many years expierience this is the best way to get a bone white orderless set of shark jaws.