Fur Resource

Mink from the wilderness is referred to as wild mink. Farmed mink is referred to as ranched mink. Mink comes in a variety of colors, sometimes natural, and sometimes dyed.

The mink is a semi aquatic Weasel indigenous to North America, Siberia, China and Japan.

Mink was not trapped in any quantity until the 19th century and did not become fashionable until the mid 20th century.

Unless sheared, mink is a dense and lightweight fur with lustrous guard hairs and lush, soft under fur. Dark mink is the most recognizable even though, as early as 1930, breeders developed types such as clear light blue ‘Sapphire’, ‘Silverblue’ and white.

Female mink pelts are generally smaller, softer, silkier, lighter in weight, and have a higher luster than male mink pelts, however a female mink pelt is not necessarily better than a male mink pelt.

Made from the pelt of the Abyssinian, or Central African Colobus Monkey, the fur is very long (reaching lengths of 5 inches or so), sleek, shiny. It looks and feels eerily like human hair. Monkey fur was very popular from the mid nineteenth century through the 1940’s during which time the Colobus Monkey population dropped to alarmingly low numbers.

Commonly you will see Colobus Monkey fur used in various trimmings on late 1920’s capes and coats and later, in full and short monkey coats and short capes from the 1930’s to the 1940’s.

This little depression era fashion quote marks the climate of the times for this fur:

“When the big 1927 fad for monkey fur died down, the furriers put all their monkey surplus in warehouses, a dead loss. Now it is all out again. Cables have been rushed to Africa for more of the long, silky sophisticated hairs, and the depression times are boom times on the Gold Coast’. ‘Little Acorns.” Harpers Bazaar, April 1933.

There are five species of black and white Colobus monkey, ranging from all black (the most common fur you will find) to a skunk-like black and white pattern. Red Colobus monkeys are found across Africa from Zanzibar to Senegal. Their color is highly variable, ranging from brilliant white and red in East African to slate gray and orange in Western African monkeys. The little-known Olive Colobus is found only in the forests of coastal West Africa. It is the most drably colored of the African Colobus monkeys being a fairly uniform gray-brown.

Mostly found in North America, muskrats have long been prized for their fur and are the most frequently caught fur-bearing animal in the United States. Muskrat fur is made up of two kinds of hair; the long, coarse and glossy outer guard hairs protect the softer, dense insulating hairs from damage. Colors are mostly browns with lighter shades of grays or blonds on chest and stomach areas. The under fur traps air and prevents the muskrat’s skin becoming wet while it is in the water.

Before truth in advertising laws was applied to the fur trade, muskrat was often called ‘River Mink’, and sheared, dyed muskrat was often called ‘Hudson Seal’.

Written by Pauline Cameron & Katie Kemsley

Nutria are small rodents. Known to multiply quickly they start to breed at 6 months and have two litters per year.

They are semi aquatic and have glistening fur. Slightly smaller than a Beaver they are sometimes mistaken for them. Native to the coastal and lake marshes of Argentina, the population levels fluctuate with periods of drought and floods.

In Louisiana nutria inhabit the freshwater and partial salty marshes along the Mississippi River delta. Trapping nutria in Louisiana is vital to protecting their wetlands. In the early 1960’s Louisiana tried to solve the problem of overpopulation by encouraging trapping. Trappers were motivated by the price of the fur and more than a million pelts were sold for the German fur trade. In the early 1980’s the bottom fell out of the price of the pelts.

Written by Pauline Cameron & Katie Kemsley

The ocelot is probably the best known of the South American cats because of its pelt being the mainstay of the fur trade. The ocelot is much larger than its cousins the Margay and the Oncilla, although they bear a striking resemblance. Its coat tends to be more blotched than spotted. Its chain-like blotches and spots are bordered with black but have a lighter colored center. These markings run the entire length of the cat. The ground color varies from whitish or tawny yellow through reddish gray to gray.

The ocelot was frequently kept as a pet. However, ocelots are high strung and unpredictable, so humans have de-fanged, de-clawed, de-scented and altered these cats in order to make them conform to the ‘pet’ industry. Like all exotic cats, these creatures, male or female, altered or not, spray a foul smelling urine on everything they wish to mark as theirs.

As late as the 1980’s, ocelot fur coats sold for $40,000.00 and the live animal as a pet sold for $800.00. At one time more than 200,000 ocelots per year were killed for their coats. Today, with laws prohibiting hunting for the fur trade, there are no Ocelot coats for sale and the ‘pet’ ocelot is a thing of the past.

Written by Pauline Cameron & Katie Kemsley

The opossum is from North America and Central America, and is is often confused with it’s cousin the possum which is from Australia and also now inhabits New Zealand. American opossum is considered a pest by many as it lives in grassy lands, is often found hunting in urban waste bins, commonly crosses the road at the wrong time, and winds up being roadkill after being hit by vehicles. The fur is of two layers, a longer layer of silver gray guardhair and a shorter layer of underfur that is thick and white with black tips. The fur is sometimes tinted, dyed, sheared, or plucked, and it feels soft and thick. The fur can last many years if properly taken care of. Commercial use of opossum helps prevent habitat loss.

Water Opossum: Found from southern Mexico and Belize to northeastern Argentina. The fur is relatively short, fine, and dense. The back is marbled gray and black, the rounded black areas coming together along the midline. The muzzle, a band through the eye to below the ear and the crown are blackish; a prominent grayish white, crescent-like band passes from the front of one ear to the other, just above the eyes. The chin, chest, and belly are white. The long, rat-like tail is well furred only at its base and is black near the body and yellowish or whitish towards the end. The facial bristles are stout, long and placed in tufts.

Written by Furwise.com

Ostrich are native to the African continent but are farmed worldwide. Ostrich feathers have been used in fashion for thousands of years and were at one time worth more than their weight in gold.

The best plumes are from the African male bird and were used for centuries in men’s hats, then later after the late 18th century the millinery usage was exclusively for women’s hats. Also used for capes, hand fans, boas, muffs, and trimmings on a variety of clothing and accessories. At the peak of their popularity during the “feather fashion craze” of the early 20th century, plumes were found in dozens of sizes, made into fantastic shapes and amazing types. Sadly, most feathers today are plain and thin compared to the preferable antique variety.

Ostrich leather is highly prized for its strength and beauty and is used today for shoes, purses, wallets, luggage and other small accessories. The oil from the ostrich is also highly prized for cosmetic use.

Ostrich eggs are used for beautiful carvings and jewelry.

Contrary to popular opinion, an ostrich’s feathers are not plucked, they are cut from the body with sharp scissor like tools.

Sea Otter: “Sea Otters have absolutely the finest fur in the animal kingdom. They have an incredibly dense and beautiful fur, up to one million hairs per square inch. By comparison, a dog has about 60,000 hairs per square inch. Otters don’t have a blubber layer like most marine mammals, it’s the fur that keeps them warm and allows them to live in Alaskan waters.” Jim Bodkin, marine biologist.

River Otter: Known as the Land Otter, ranges throughout most of the Canada and the United States, especially throughout Alaska and the offshore islands of the Bering Sea. Adults weigh 15 to 35 pounds (6.8-15 kg) and are 40 to 60 inches (102-152 cm) in length. On average females are about 25 percent smaller than males. When prime, River Otter fur appears black-brown, with the belly slightly lighter in color than its back. The chin and throat are grayish. Otter fur consists of a very dense undercoat overlaid with longer guard hairs, which are usually removed by furriers.

Giant Otter: The South American cousin to the Sea and River Otters of North America, as well as those of Europe and Africa. It can grow to more than 6 feet (2 meters) long and 70 pounds (32 kg), nearly twice as large as its American counterparts. Giant Otters once were found throughout the tropical rain forests of the Amazon, down to Brazil’s Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland. Today they are found only in the most remote waters in tropical South America.

Sea Otters spend almost half their day grooming their fur in order to keep it waterproof and warm – dirty, matted fur would soon lose its insulating properties and put the Otter in peril from cold. This is because the Sea Otter has no insulating fat or blubber like seals and whales. Otter fur is the densest of any mammals, with over 800 million hairs on a large adult! Otter groups are called ‘rafts’.

It is the Otter’s fur that brought the animal to the brink of extinction. In 1745, when fur traders advanced from Siberia eastward along the Aleutian Island chain to Alaska’s Pacific coast, they were seeking Otter pelts for the Asian fur market. The result was drastic. A species that once numbered 300,000 and spread from the Baja Peninsula to the Sea of Japan had by 1899 dwindled to a few thousand Otters in Alaska and a few dozen in California. Attempts at raising them in captivity failed in the late 19th century.

Peacocks are colorful birds. The male bird is technically called a Peacock, the female is called a Peahen, babies are called Peachicks, and the entire group is called Peafowl.

There are Indian, Congo, and Green Peafowl. The most common is Indian. The Indian Peacock has some of the brightest feathers to attract a mate while the Peahen is more of a drab mottled brown so predators cannot see her while she is in the bushes incubating her eggs. Peafowl range in size from 27”-51” long. The males tails are called trains and are sometimes up to an additional 6 feet long!

Written by Furwise.com

Throughout history and all over the globe, the extraordinary pheasant has been hunted for game and sport, prized for its tail feathers and pelts, as well as being used for food and kept as pets. There are over 15 different species of pheasants, and many sub species. The most well known to the Western fashion world are the colorful male peacocks of Asia, the Long Tail pheasants such as the common RingNeck, and the Ruffed Lady Amhurst pheasant. Many more exotic pheasants such as the majestic Firebacks, the colorful Monals, the Grand Argus, and Japanese Mikado, are less well known, but equal in their beauty.

In Edwardian times the entire bird, head and all, could be found decorating a lady’s hat. Today, Long Tail pheasant feathers such as the Ringneck’s are the most commonly seen and are popular for use in millinery, but not to the extent as in former decades. Ringneck pheasant feathers are inexpensive and widely available, as they are farmed domestically and hunted for food use. Also occasionally used for jewelry and fashion accessories and trimmings.

See also: Peacock

Written by Rue de la Paix Hats, www.ruedelapaixhats.com

Pigskin leather is a medium-weight leather used for many items including
gloves and jackets. Generally it is softer than other leathers, but it
can be finished in the same way so it is difficult to identify a pigskin
article simply by looking at it. Using a microscope, the hair follicles
of a pig go vertically right through the skin. With a cow hide the hair
follicles are at an angle.

Written by The Vintage Fashion Guild

Ponyskin is a misnomer that comes from 1960’s fashion trends. In reality, pony skin as termed by designers usually means calfskin. Used as a flat, shiny fur for skirts, suit jackets and outerwear. It is not an inherently expensive pelt but prices depend on who’s selling it, its designer, colors (the natural black and white pattern is less expensive than any dyed colors) and the amount of material used.

Written by Pauline Cameron & Katie Kemsley

Australian Possum: The possum is often confused with it’s cousin, the opossum. The fur of possum is a bit silkier though. It feels soft and has a slightly singed like appearance due to fur damage that it has most of the year. Possum fur is naturally shades of deep brown, rusty brown, and a rich blue gray however it is sometimes bleached, dyed, or sheared. There are many species of possum. Possum is native to Australia. The Brushtail Possum was introduced to New Zealand from Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales to broaden it’s use in the fur industry. Possum now inhabits both Australia and New Zealand. Possums used to primarily live in rainforests, where there were bushes, hollow trees, and logs. Now though, they have made themselves at home in inner city neighborhoods, becoming pests in the similar ways as the American Opossum. They are nocturnal animals that are known to sleep during the day and hunt for food at night. Some of the rarer species are threatened, but commercial use of most possums today help to preserve the forest, surrounding environment, and protect other animals such as birds; their eggs, chicks, and animals that provide dairy and meat sources.

The fibers of possum fur are also sometimes added to Merino wool to make the wool warmer and stronger to prevent the wool from pilling.

Brushtail Possum: Originally from Australia, now commonly seen in New Zealand the Brushtail Possum gets it’s name from it’s bushy tail. It is the size of a large cat, has black guardhairs with grey fur tips, a cream colored underbelly, and a black bushy tail. The underside of the tail has less fur so it can grip onto trees. The male has a reddish brown marking in the chest area.

Australian Ringtail Possum: Found in Eastern Coastal Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. Named for the curve at the end of its tail. They are the size of a house cat and generally gray brown beige on the belly with a white patch behind the ears.

Written by FurWise.com

Rabbit fur is the long-haired fur of a rodent found nearly everywhere in the world. The look and feel of this fur is sleek, flat, and soft, varying from white to black with every permutation in between. Rabbit furs are often dyed or marked to resemble other furs. However in the 1970’s the fur was appreciated for its variety of beautiful markings and this appreciation has continued to the present. Names that were often used for this fur are Coney (Archaic) and Lapin (French).

Angora is from the downy coat of the Angora rabbit. Extremely soft and fluffy.
Comes naturally in all colors from white to black. Used mostly in sweaters, suits, hats, gloves, and knitting yarn. The angora fur can be brushed out or sheared from the rabbit.

Orylag – In 1985, two researchers at NIRA (National Institute for Agronomic Research) set out to develop a new fur that would be both technically ideal and ethically acceptable. For this, they worked on the Rex Rabbit, crossing, selecting and perfecting it until they created a new breed. The introduction of Orylag required 15 years of scientific research and enabled a fur with the attributes of being light, warm, soft, silky, fine (15 microns) and incredibly dense – 8 to 10000 hairs to each square centimeter. It is similar to Chinchilla in appearance and feel and has a natural luminosity with subtle tones that have attracted both furriers and the press.

Written by Pauline Cameron & Katie Kemsley

The raccoon is easily recognized by its ringed tail and black mask across its face. Although its habitat ranges throughout all of North America, but for tundra and desert regions, it is most easily found by the nearest garbage can at night.

Its fur is long, varying from silver and iron gray to blackish brown tones with a dark stripe. It is hardwearing and was very popular during the 1920’s and 1930’s with a further vogue in the 1970’s.

The common Raccoon has a secure conservation status. They are extremely common although many of them become victim to death from fast moving vehicles on the highway. The raccoon treats the oncoming car as they would a predator-they freeze. In some areas, hunting raccoon is common, but regardless of this their population is stable

Written by Pauline Cameron & Katie Kemsley

One of the most rare and expensive furs, the finest Sable is found almost exclusively in the Soviet Union. Even today the export of pelts is limited and the export of live animals is forbidden. Each pelt is extremely light, long and narrow. Crown Sable is brown with a blue cast. The Golden Sable has an amber tone. Look for soft, deep fur in dark lustrous brown with silky dark hairs. The finest Sables have a silvery hair dispersed throughout the Sable

Written by Pauline Cameron & Katie Kemsley

An aquatic mammal found in colder regions of the world. Hair Seals are hunted for their skins and fur seals found in the North Pacific for their fur. There are many varieties of seal, identifiable by their markings, including the species: Harp, Hooded, Ringed, Bearded and Grey.

Easily confused with sheared and dyed Beaver, furred seal has a shinier luster which sets its apart.

The most valuable and prized is the fur of the baby Harp Seal when the pelt is soft, white and spotless, yielding a luxurious fur known as the white coat, which is also the name given to the young of this species.

“Commercial sealing off Newfoundland dates from as early as 1800, with an annual catch, in its heyday, of about a half-million seals. The average (American) catch during the ten year period before the Second World War was nearly 170,000 seals annually, and in 1948 it was 96,782 seals taken by 13 ships. The blubber is just as valuable as the pelt. It yields a fine oil used in soaps, lotions, and lubricants.” – Ole Friele Backer, “Seal Hunting Off Jan Mayen”, The National Geographic Magazine, January, 1948

Written by Pauline Cameron & Katie Kemsley

The serval is a medium-sized wild African cat that is a descendant of the lion.

Although their are all black serval’s and some rare white servals, the most common and coveted for their hide, is the spotted serval whose spots closely resemble that of a cheetah. In fact, it is believed that the cheetah is a descendant of the serval.

The spotted serval has a distinct pattern. The pattern starts with 2 or 4 stripes that run from the top of their head down over their neck and back turning into spots. The back of their ears are black with a distinctive white rectangular patch.

The serval is protected in most countries and trade is being closely controlled. It is extinct in the South African Cape Province and rare north of the Sahara but is common in East and West Africa.

Written by The Vintage Fashion Guild

Skunk fur is rather long, with coarse, glossy guard hairs of about one to two inches, which have the qualities of strength and longevity. Normally the under-fur is grayish underneath the black guard hairs and white underneath the white guard hairs. If the more valuable all-black pelts were not used or available, the entire pelt was dyed a uniform, glossy black.

Skunk fur has been used in the fur industry as early as the mid 1800’s, gradually increasing in popularity into the 1900’s when it exceeded production of the most traded fur – Muskrat. As the United States recovered from the Great Depression a strong market for fur trimmed cloth coats created a demand for skunk, with pelts doubling in price into the early 1940’s. Previous to the 1950’s it was sold under different names including Alaskan sable, and American Sable.
After the identity of the fur was known, Skunk took a dive in popularity. This continued into the early 1970’s at which time the offbeat, unconventionality of it seemed to restore its appeal for a brief time after which it went out of use again. An upsurge in the popularity of Skunk fur has taken place with fashion houses such as Prada and Fendi using the black or brown-and-white varieties in items from handbags to throws and long, sweeping coats.

“The hop growers loved the skunk because they ate the hop grubs that damaged the hop vines. The hop growers of the state, centered in Madison County, petitioned the State Legislature to pass a law giving the skunk a closed season. Thus the skunk became the first New York State furbearer to have legal protection!” “Many times a farm boy could earn more in a season’s trapping than his father made in a year on the farm. Skunks saved some farms during the Depression by the income from their pelts.” Norman Evans, Stories From Old Georgetown

Written by Pauline Cameron & Katie Kemsley

Snake skin is often seen in footwear as well as in purses and belts It
is also used for decorations like hat bands, or trim for vests and other
wear. The most common snake skins used in handbags and accessories
include cobra, karung, and python.

Written by The Vintage Fashion Guild