Fur

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

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

Squirrels are rodents and their fur is soft, fluffy and short. They are found on almost every continent of the world. The fur is naturally dark gray blue or red and it is frequently dyed a pale brown.

In the early 14th century Europe, it was discovered that lush, gray-white northern squirrel fur was an ideal compliment to high quality, brilliantly colored woolen fabrics. Squirrel was relatively inexpensive compared to Sable or Marten, and therefore was available to an economically and socially diverse population. As a result, squirrel pelts, which came from Scandinavia and Northern Russia were in demand. In 14th century London, the highest prices paid for fur were for winter Squirrel pelts imported from Novgorod, which was the principal supplier of squirrel fur to Western Europe.

Written by Pauline Cameron & Katie Kemsley

Although the resemblance to the Raccoon is startling, the Raccoon Dog (or Tanuki, in Japanese) is not closely related to a Raccoon, but rather is a member of the dog family.

The legs are short and covered with a coat, which is almost black. The tail is short and bushy. The body is dark brown and yellowish because of the yellow tips of the hairs. Among the dog family this species has the least blade-like teeth and there is often an extra upper molar, bringing the total number of teeth to 44. The length of the head and body is about 24 inches with a tail of about 7 inches. It weighs about 16 pounds.

Native to southeastern Siberia, Manchuria, northern Indo-China, China and Japan, Tanuki were introduced to the western parts of the former U.S.S.R. for fur farming. Some escaped (or were released) and since the 1950’s have spread westward into Scandinavia and south even as far as France.

The Tanuki is the subject of innumerable amusing and intriguing myths and folk tales. Often linked with the teakettle because of its pot-bellied appearance, its image is that of a jolly, carousing and womanizing character. Like the Kitsune (red fox) it is a master of shape changing and disguise. The term Tanuki-gao is often used to describe women with rounded facial features. This is in comparison with the more tapering Kitsune-gao or ‘fox-face’. In the past it was hunted in Japan for its meat, its black-brown fur (used for making brushes) and its bones, which were reputed to have medicinal qualities.

In Kabuki Theater, the Tanuki often changes himself into a handsome young man in an effort to seduce a young lady. However, his efforts never quite succeed because she usually has the good sense to put him to a test. The Tanuki is so fond of sake that the mere scent of it causes his tail to rise. When the young lady offers him a drink, he is immediately and unceremoniously exposed as a fraud.

The Wallaby is from the Macrapod Family of Australian Marsupials which includes, kangaroo, wallaroos, tree-kangaroos and forest wallabies.
Of the 16 Species of Wallaby, many are now a protected endangered species, and export of fur/skin products is strictly controlled under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.Wallaby Fur colour varies widely from grey to reddish brown with some wallabies having distinctive darker or lighter noise, tails and feet.
Kangaroos are not farmed in Australia, and only exist wild, apart from in Licensed Zoos.
When used for commercial reasons they are shot in the wild by licensed hunters. Only four species of Kangaroo are permitted to be used for Commercial reasons.
The Export of Wallaby Fur in the earlier to mid 20th Century however, was not tightly controlled and an obvious factor in their now mostly protected status. Wallaby and kangaroo fur is prised for its warmth whilst being light weight. Kangaroo Leather is used world wide in the production of footwear due to its high strength and durability.
In the past Wallaby and Kangaroo Fur was used for Coats, Hats, Purses, and other clothing items along with Rugs and soft furnishings.

Written by sewingmachinegirl

The graphic, thick bold stripes of the zebra have made their skins highly coveted throughout time.
Hard to believe, but their stripes are actually white and very dark brown!

Not only is zebra hide visually pleasing to look at it is very durable, making it a great hide to use for purses & handbags, wallets, belts, and shoes. Rugs are actually the largest market.

Make sure that the zebra skin you are purchasing comes from the non-endangered Burchell’s zebra and NOT from the endangered Grevy’s or Hartman species.

Always purchase from a reputable dealer and ask for legal paperwork and or documentation that should accompany your purchase.

Written by The Vintage Fashion Guild.