Fur Resource

The North American alligator has been removed from the endangered species list as of 1987. It is now raised on farms due to its commercial value. The Chinese or Asian alligator does remain on the endangered list. The quality of these skins is not as fine as the American alligator.

The alligator skin which is used today can be found in swamps and slow moving streams in Florida up to North Carolina. Alligator skin is very tough and durable. The actual back is ridged with many small bones which are called osteoderms. The belly however is very smooth and this is what we often see the higher quality handbags and shoes, etc. made from.

Some tips for identifying real and faux alligator purses are:

1) faux skin may show too much repetition of the same patterning
2) an authentic skin may show the umbilical scar

Written by [email protected]

There are more than 90 species of Antelope from Africa, Asia, and America combined.

The skin of Antelope is soft, supple, and pliable however the hair feels flat and stiff. Coloration varies from light brown to gray with white, dark brown or near black markings. Antelope is used to make coats, jackets, vests, belts, bags, and other garment related accessories. It’s not a durable fur as the fur rubs off easily when forced in the wrong direction but leather edging, trim, piping, prongs and/or metal feet are often added to areas that may come in contact with surfaces, and it’s a more affordable fur that may be a better choice for casual wear.

Written by furwise.com

Badger fur is long haired. It is usually left in it’s natural length with the exception of the grotzen hairs which are long mane like guard hairs that run down the center of the back which are plucked. Coloration varies from region to region with Canadian Badger having gray guardhair and pale white underfur, US Badger having gray guardhair and creamy underfur, and Asiatic Badger having grey guardhair and yellowish-brown underfur. The best Badger has a natural silvery tint. North American Badger is softer and fuller than other Badger.

Badger is very durable and can last years when properly cared for. It is heavy though so it is often leathered(a process where leather strips are added in between) which makes it much lighter but also less durable.

Written by Furwise.com

Bassarisk is a mammal found in the Southwestern United States and in Mexico. It has two layers of fur with the top layer being medium in length and the underfur being shorter. Coloration is light brown to yellowish brown with a lesser amount of gray or grayish white. The best Bassarisk has strong yellow tones. Not to be confused with ringtail possum, Bassarisk has trade names like ringtail, ringtailed cat, and miner’s cat because of the rings it has around it’s long bushy tail. It used to be called Rock Sable as well until the Products Fur Labeling act went into effect in 1952.

It is neither a cat or a sable but is in the raccoon family. Bassarisk is used both in its natural length or plucked. The best Bassarisk has strong yellow tones. Sometimes Bassarisk is bleached or dyed. It is not the most durable fur but it can last a long time with proper care.

Written by Furwise.com

Bears are hunted for a variety of reasons but the main ones are for clothing and food.
The hunting of black bear has been going on for centuries starting with the Norse tribes who as young men would hunt them with only a knife as a rite of passage.
Different tribes traded animal pelts as they were highly valued for clothing.

Russia was the main source of fur pelts before the discovery of North America. European explorers traveled along the eastern coast trading their wares with the native Indians for pelts.

Bear fur consists of two layers, the underfur and the outer guard hairs. The underfur is soft and is used mainly to insulate. The outer guard fur is thick and long, and is quite coarse.

Here are some uses of bear fur that we are familiar with:

A bearskin is a tall fur cap, usually worn as part of a ceremonial military uniform. Traditionally, the bearskin was the headgear of grenadiers, and is still worn by grenadier and guards regiments in various armies. The one that is most familiar to us is the British Foot Guards standard hat. This hat is 18” tall and it weighs 1.5 pounds. It is made from the fur of the Canadian black bear. The bearskin used by officers is actually made from the fur of the Canadian brown bear as the female brown bear has a much thicker and fuller fur. This brown fur is then dyed black. To make one hat (or as they are officially called caps) the entire skin of the bear is used.

Beaver fur is thick, soft, warm and hard-wearing.
Beaver fur is used in it’s natural length, plucked, or sheared.

Natural Beaver has a long shiny wirey top layer of guardhair and a thick softer layer of underfur. The coloration is brown, light brown, a combination of dark brown with lighter shades of brown on the sides, or silvery. The fur is very durable and makes great casual wear for both men and women.

Sheared Beaver is plucked and sheared to a soft, velvety pile. Natural coloration is the same as mentioned above. Sheared Beaver is also dyed a variety of colors. Sometimes the natural brown is dyed darker in the center with the lighter shades of brown being further lightened or bleached and sometimes the fur is dyed other fun colors, sometimes including colorful stenciled designs within the fur. The fur mats mats over time from moisture in the air and from getting wet.

Written by Furwise.com

There are several varieties of the Bird Of Paradise, and most are found in inner jungles of Papua, New Guinea.

The Greater Bird Of Paradise is the one most often seen on women’s hats from the Edwardian Era. Like the Great Snowy Egret or Heron, they were prized for their stunning and colorful fine plumage, and were once hunted to the point of extinction for use in the millinery trade.

Whole birds were often used on lady’s huge hats, as well as the tail plumage. Male birds were the most prized, and were killed during mating season when their plumage was at its peak of beauty. The male is quite large, and his pale yellow and wine colored tail feathers are long and extremely fine and were sometimes dyed black or other colors.

It is illegal to hunt or export the birds today, but their numbers continue to dwindle as their habitat is slowly being destroyed by man.

Written by Rue de la Paix/www.ruedelapaixhats.com.

American Bison is also known as American Buffalo.
The fur is shaggy, long, dark brown in winter, and a lighter weight, lighter brown in the summer.

The term Buffalo is sometimes considered to be a misnomer for this animal as it is only distantly related to either two true Buffalo, the Asian Water Buffalo and the African Buffalo. The Wild Water Buffalo is considered to be a different species, is brownish-grey, and is on the endangered species list.

Written by Furwise.com

Burunduki is a small chipmunk that inhabits Northern Asia, Eastern and Central Europe. The fur is short and coarse. Coloration is brownish gray, with a yellow and/or whitish tint, and stripes that run down the head, back, and sides.

The pelts are small and sewn together into plates to make garments. Burunduki does not offer much warmth and does not have enough durability to wear well as coats. The fur is occasionally used to make shorter jackets but is more often used to make linings, handbags, skirts, matching accessories, and trim.

Written by Furwise.com

The reference calf refers to the young of mammals in the Bovinae subfamily such as cow, ox, bison, buffalo, and other related animals.

The image shown below is the calf of cow. Natural coloration is black, brown, white, a combination of some, or all. It sometimes dyed and stenciled to have the appearance of other animals. The hair is short and sleek. It feels smooth when brushed along the grain, but feels stiff when pushed against the grain, and rubs off from surface contact. For this reason leather trim is often added to areas that come in contact with surfaces. The leather is very soft. Coats, belts, handbags, gloves, hats, shoes, and other accessories are made from calfskin. Parchment documents and book bindings have been made from calfskin as well.

Written by FurWise.com

From the Hindu word Chita meaning “spotted one”, the cheetah’s coat varies from a tawny to golden tone covered in a pattern of solid black spots. It is coarse to the touch rather than silky.
The throat and abdomen are a creamy white in color.

The Cheetah has a small head with high set eyes and short rounded ears tipped with white on the back. The most well known characteristic is the distinct black ‘tear mark’, which runs from the inside corner of the eye down to the corner of the mouth.

The King Cheetah has a fur pattern mutation, which turns the small rounded spots into large connected black patches. This mutation is caused from a lack of genetic diversity.

Written by Pauline Cameron & Katie Kemsley

The Chinchilla is a rodent from the Andes mountain range of South America and is known for its long, dense, extremely soft fur. The tiny animal was given the name chinchilla after the Inca tribe conquered the Chincha tribe in the 15th century. At the time the meat was used for food and the fur was used for blankets and robes. In the 16th century the Incas were conquered by the Spaniards. Story has it that the Spaniards made demands and through their demands a box of jewels wrapped in a chinchilla fur robe was given to the Spaniard’s queen. The queen loved it and soon after chinchilla was introduced to the civilized world and every woman in Spain wanted to have the luxurious fur that the queen had. chinchillas became prized all through Europe and as a result the chinchilla was almost endangered by 1914. In 1924 a few breeding pairs were imported into the US. Farmers then started breeding and ranching chinchillas instead of hunting them in the wild. Nowadays, all chinchilla is ranched.

Chinchilla fur is incredibly soft, silky, and dense. It has more than 20,000 hairs per square centimeter giving it the highest hair density of any animal. Pests and parasites like fleas cannot live on chinchilla because they will suffocate. A chinchilla has 50 hairs per folicle whereas a human only has 1 per folicle. Despite it’s density it is still very light in weight. Chinchilla’s have gray fur on the sides, black fur on top, and white bellies. Some chinchillas are a slate blue color which is considered to be the best. It is often enhanced with brighteners. Mutation colors are now also reproduced and some rex rabbits are bred and ranched to look like chinchilla as well but are not. Chinchillas are small and the skin is fragile but it is still one of the most luxurious furs today due to the soft, silky feel, light weight, and ability to provide warmth given the density.

Written by Furwise.com

The Civet may look like a cat but it is actually part of the Mongoose family.
There are 35 species in 20 genera. The African Civet is the largest of the Civets.

The Fishing or Aquatic Genet, or Congo Water Civet, is rare and inhabits small rivers and streams of the Central Africa forest. The common Genet can be found in France, Africa, Iberian Peninsula, and Palestine. The Genet’s tail makes up half of its body length and their coloration helps them avoid detection by their prey.

Written by Pauline Cameron & Katie Kemsley

While leather can be made from the skins of sting rays to the skins of
kangaroos, most leather comes from cattle skin. The prime advantage of
cattle leather is its large size. It is used for everything from watch
straps to floor-length coats. The specific treatment of the hide can
create different effects, Many people prefer this leather as it can
breathe, making it ideal for shoes, purses, and other accessories

‘Slink’ is leather made from the skin of unborn calves. It is
particularly soft, and is valued for use in making gloves.

‘Nubuck’ is top-grain cattle hide leather that has been sanded or buffed
on the grain side, or outside, to give a slight nap of short protein
fibers, producing a velvet-like surface.

The US is the largest producer of bovine hides and skins.

Written by The Vintage Fashion Guild

Coyote, a member of the canine species, can be found across North America and parts of Central America.

The fur is a long with thicker underfur. Coloration ranges from yellowish-gray or grayish-brown mixed with white, sometimes a bit of red, and dark brown to black tips.

It is a durable fur that makes great coats for men and women.

Written by Furwise.com

Although the use of Crocodile skin has been banned in many parts of the world, it is still available and it is still being used in the making of purses, belts, shoes etc.

It is very pliable as well as being a very sturdy leather. The saltwater variety is the most desirable, the Crocodile Porosus.

This is actually the largest reptile and can grow to be 18 feet in length. These are found in South East Asia and the northern Australian coastline. The skin of the Porosus is that which is used in the making of the Hermes Crocodile Birkin bag, which is as top of the line as you get. These particular crocodile skins fetch large sums of money on the leather market.

The tanneries which deal in crocodile leather have to be issued special licenses and they are located mainly in Italy. That being said, there are not many genuine crocodile handbags being produced today and so the cost to purchase one is very high.

Crocodiles have sensory hair on their scales, during the tanning process, the hair is removed but you can see the pores. The skin of the crocodile is more consistent in its patterning than that of the alligator.

Deerskin leather is extremely strong but at the same time very soft and supple.
It has a tendency to stretch over time and can loose its shape with rough wear.

Popular skin used for boots, moccasins, jackets.

Written by The Vintage Fashion Guild

Eel skin has been used to make clothing for centuries. The Native Americans were the first to use it. The use of eel skin was also in use in the Victorian Era. During the
1880s it became popular in the making of the very tight trousers which were favored by men who were known as Mashers – this was the term which was coined at the time for the Dandy, the well-dressed Gent.

The majority of the Conger eel skin, which is used today in the making of purses, wallets, shoes and garments is raised on farms in South Korea. The South Koreans do eat the meat of the eel and in turn the skins are sold to manufacturers. This makes this leather a very sustainable product.

Eel skin is lightweight but very strong. It’s also very supple which makes it easier to cut and shape than regular cowhide or pigskin leathers. It also absorbs dyes very easily and the colors are very vibrant due to its natural sheen.

It is gaining in popularity with many top designers due to its unique grain, ease of use and the fact that it is eco-sustainable.

Written by [email protected]

Elephant leather is primarily produced from the body of the African elephant. These skins are called panels. Other parts of the elephant are also used but in much smaller quantities.

Common colors include black, dark brown and tan but it can be dyed in a variety of colors. The leather is prized for its depth of character and texture, durability and softness.

Elephant leather is used to make belts, shoes, boots, jackets, upholstery, gun holsters and pool cues.

Written by vintagedevotion

The Ermine has chocolate brown fur in the summer but in the winter it grows a pure white coat of moderately fine fur. Only the black tip of the tail remains the same color year round.

Ermine is found in the north temperate and frigid sectors of Eurasia and North America.

The fur is usually prepared by having the black of the tail inserted at regular intervals, so that it contrasts with the pure white of the fur.

Fur traders prize the white pelt. The fur, with or without the black spots, has been used historically for trimming ceremonial and royal garments. In England, the robes of high court judges are trimmed with ermine that stands for the perfect rectitude essential to the judge’s office.

Written by Pauline Cameron & Katie Kemsley