Mink fur what is it

When wearing a mink coat, individuals should expect that it will not be appreciated by everyone. Furriers kill 60 female minks, or 35 male minks, to make one coat, so people who want to wear one should take other people's feelings into consideration and not flaunt it.

Nychole Price. Please enter the following code:. Login: Forgot password? The most common reversed fur is shearling. Once bulky think WWI aviator jackets , they are now made in a wide range of beautiful and sophisticated styles. Fur-lined raincoats or jackets can be worn year-round if you opt for a removable lining.

While full fur coats are not ideal for heavy rain, most good-quality beaver, muskrat, marten and other furs have long guard hairs whose natural oiliness repels water to a certain extent.

If your furs get wet, never dry them near radiators or intense heat. Just shake off excess water and hang your garment to dry slowly with good ventilation. But some are more durable than others. The least durable are furs without strong guard hairs, such as rabbit and chinchilla, which may shed if rubbed a lot think shoulder bag straps.

The most durable are otter, beaver, and mink, with raccoon, coyote, and marten not far behind. Natural furs tend to last longer than those that have been sheared, plucked, or dyed. So, you want a jacket that can survive 20 years of real-life use before being passed on to your son or daughter? Mink is hard to beat, but you can also try long-hair or sheared beaver, marten, coyote, raccoon, or fisher. Are you an attention grabber, or do you prefer to be discreet?

For men, long-hair beaver, fisher and coyote are bulkier and coarser, and often used for parka trim, but in a full-length coat give instant Mountain Man credibility. For more sophisticated elegance, nothing beats mink. But sheared furs — or a fur-lined jacket or parka — also give you the luxury and warmth of fur without making a big deal about it. For those who want something new, technological advances mean designers now have more room for creative expression than ever before.

The classic mink coat has been reinvented for a more modern look, but all furs can now be transformed with shearing, leathering, knitting, intarsia, dyeing and many other techniques. Knitted fur is also very light, and as flexible as a woollen sweater. Entry-level fur garments have two fewer zeroes, and accessories are half that again. The main factors determining cost are the type of fur, the quality of the pelts, the size of the garment, and the processing and manufacturing techniques required to make it.

The price of the same fur type can vary widely, depending on the quality of the pelts used and the workmanship involved. Top-quality mink, sable, marten Canadian sable , fisher, bobcat, lynx, and chinchilla are some higher-priced furs. Muskrat, possum, raccoon, and good-quality shearling may cost half that.

As for size, obviously a full-length coat costs more than a jacket, which costs more than a vest, and so on down. Many fur fans start out with fur-trimmed hoods, collars, scarves or mittens, which are not only affordable but also flexible in how they are worn. A fur vest, for example, can be worn under a jacket in winter, or on its own in spring.

Another cost factor to consider is cleaning. Darker furs hide dirt better, while long guard hairs are good at repelling dirt that might otherwise get stuck in the underfur. Bottom line: take your time when choosing the best fur for you. Visit several boutiques and, ideally, a specialized retail furrier.

Fur-working techniques and styling have changed so much over recent years that you will be surprised by the wide range of choices available. The research is a pleasure in itself. The price of a fur coat reflects many hours of skilled work required to produce it. Before designers ever see the pelts, there is the effort and knowledge of the trapper or fur farmer. The sewing and finishing stages are done by experienced technicians using specialized skills that have been perfected over generations.

Because furs are created by nature, no two pelts are exactly alike. The genius of furriers is their ability to create a homogenous fabric-like material, while skillfully using the natural character of the skins to enhance the design of each garment. The production of a beautiful fur coat may require hours of skilled labor, or more. That depends on the type of fur.

It is not unusual to see well-made mink coats that are still in good condition after or more years of use. Beaver and Persian karakul Lamb , as well as raccoon and coyote are also very durable furs. Chinchilla, the softest of all the furs, is more fragile. The use you can get from your fur is further extended by remodeling. Don't worry if your fur coat looks outdated. One of the outstanding advantages of fur is that it can be remodeled according to the latest fashion trends.

You can now easily give a new life to an old fur coat by completely transforming it: the coat is taken apart and restyled, the fur is sheared and dyed and a completely new look is created. Older furs can be recycled into vests, hats, pillows, knapsacks and a whole range of beautiful and practical new products. There are a few key elements that are important to keep in mind when browsing for vintage furs.

First, examine the piece carefully. Make sure there are no tears, that the hair does not come off easily and that the fur has not yellowed. This may mean that the fur has begun to oxidize, which is something you want to avoid. Secondly, the leather must be supple and the fur soft.

If the leather is brittle and crunchy, or if the back of the pelts do not have any elasticity, then the fur is nearing the end of its life and you should pass. The best way to ensure that your fur will last for many years is to have it professionally cleaned and stored through the off-season by your local retail furrier in a temperature- and humidity-controlled storage vault.

Rabbit fur has long been used to produce apparel and accessories, but it is not very durable and cannot compete with furs like mink or fox. Most of the high-quality rabbit fur is produced in Europe, particularly Spain and France, while China produces a more commercial grade. Production in North America is artisanal only.

In North America, there was a thriving commercial market for rabbit fur in the first half of the 20 th century when it was often dyed and passed off as an inexpensive imitation of more costly furs. However, with the tightening up of labelling laws and greatly increased availability of farmed mink, the use of rabbit fur declined and today there is no commercial market in North America.

Far more important nowadays is the market for wool produced from Angora rabbits, which are specifically bred for this purpose. But as only the hair is used, not the skin, this does not qualify as fur. Over the years trappers have sought to improve their traps so they would be both humane and capture-efficient. Today, foothold traps are used for different reasons like research and animal relocation. Traps are designed to hold an animal without causing injury.

Farmed mink eat a number of by-products, and it varies from area to area. In the Midwest we have a lot of cheese. And in that case, this is all product that is not fit for human consumption.

And then also the by-products from the pork and poultry and beef industry. In some areas, animals that once existed no longer exist and some provincial and federal organizations decided to re-introduce animals to those areas. In order to reintroduce an animal to an area, the animal needs to be trapped and caught from other areas.

The live holding device that is used to do this is a trap, and this is how traps are used for relocation of animals. The US mink industry operates under a strict set of guidelines for best management practices.

There is a myriad of laws, both at state and federal level to prevent animal cruelty and promote animal welfare. Mink farmers must abide by these laws like other sectors of farming. If cases of abuse or neglect arise — and they are very rare -- they have consequences, just like for anyone else. Furthermore, Fur Commission USA has developed standards for animal care and certifies mink farms that meet or exceed them.

Canadian mink and fox farmers — like other sectors of animal agriculture -- follow recently updated Code of Practice to ensure the welfare of their animals. The Codes of Practice were developed by veterinarians, animal scientists, farmers and animal-welfare authorities and provide farmers with clear guidelines for raising healthy mink. Under the auspices of the National Farm Animal Care Council, the industry is now developing an inspection and certification system to provide additional assurance that the codes are being properly implemented in farms across the country.

While most people eat meat, some suggest that using animals for other purposes may be less defensible. From an ethical perspective, however, what is important for the animal is that it be raised and, if necessary, slaughtered in a humane way. The environmental impacts should also be considered, because farmed mink and foxes are fed by-products from our food production that would otherwise end up in landfills.

And while fur is the main product, mink oil is also valuable for leather preservation, while the carcasses, manure and soiled bedding are composted or used to produce organic fertilizers and even biofuels. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but ethics also should include the obligation to respect the right of others to decide for themselves if they choose to wear fur What is important in each case is that the animals be treated responsibly. In the case of mink, it is also important to know that fur is not the only product.

Although fur is the most important product, mink oil is also important it is considered to be the best conditioner for leather , while the manure is a valuable organic fertilizer. Mink carcasses and soiled bedding straw are also composted to produce fertizers. And on the Pacific North-West, fishermen prize mink remains as the best crab bait.

The whole principle of carrying capacity is that if you let animals flood their environment they are subject to diseases, shortage of food, and starvation in the winter months. The trapping principle is that in the fall of the year, when the population is at its highest, you remove some individuals. In doing this, you remove the competition of food, you remove the severity of winter on the individuals that are left, and their reproductive rates are great They are in good shape in the Spring as opposed to when they are overpopulated and the population bounces back.

You have a sustainable population rather than a boom and a bust, and that is the purpose of wildlife management. Trapping today is a strictly regulated activity. Trapping practices are controlled by laws that ensure strict animal-welfare standards as defined by veterinary pathologists.

We have humane standards and certified traps. Most animals are now captured in lethal traps that can kill virtually instantly.

Larger predators are taken in modified live restraint traps that generally cause few injuries. Only a few furbearing species are still captured with modified restraining or cage traps, which have been shown to cause few or no injuries.

Scientific research established cage sizes to ensure that mink are provided with a comfortable living space in a farm environment. Farmed mink are domesticated animals, and farmers are responsible of ensuring their welfare with proper nutrition, housing and care.

Ranchers work hard to raise healthy animals; in fact, their livelihood depends upon it! The way in which farmed mink are raised has been refined and perfected over many years.

This work is guided by research to determine optimal cage size and design, nutrition and recommended husbandry practices, in order to ensure the health and well-being of the animals. Because mink are like any other domesticated animal, they require farmers to take care of them for basic needs like food, water and shelter. When farms are attacked by animal rights extremists, both the animals and the people living on the farm suffer. Farmed mink have been raised in captivity for more than generations; they are not prepared to survive in the wild.

Many will die of starvation or dehydration unless rescued quickly. By supporting fur-free designers, we can all help to put the business of animal cruelty out of fashion. For a full list, check out the Fur-Free Retailer website.

Share Click to share on Facebook Opens in new window Click to share on Twitter Opens in new window Click to email this to a friend Opens in new window. How many animals are killed globally on fur farms? Global fur farming statistics from Canada — total 1.

Have any countries banned fur farming? Have any countries banned fur sales? Is fur farming cruel? This is an enormous boon for designers and consumers alike. The choices just keep on growing. And finally, the one class in which American mink comes top: reliability and flexibility of supply. Designers, manufacturers and retailers base their collections on materials they know will be available, and in the fur trade that means mink.

Pelts of several wild mustelids were on offer: 42, ermine, 30, marten, 25, mink, 5, fisher and 4, otter. By contrast, no fewer than 4 million farmed mink were offered. American mink is locked in a self-perpetuating cycle of success. All of its other merits created demand, which in turn stimulated supply, and now the entire industry is invested in creating more demand.

But it ranks high in every class, which is why people want it, and the industry wants you to want it — and no other fur can compete with that! A really interesting report, I liked to read it. Since I love fur over everything, Mink is not my favorite, fox, Oppossum, are for me unique, they dress me well and are also warm enough for Europe. Mink is the worlds most favorite fur because: It is soft to the touch but also soft to the eyes.

Persians, sheared furs are soft to the touch but harder on the eyes. Plus mink is short hair so it looks good no matter what the fur. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. But how does it really fare against the competition? Photo: Mwanner. In the s, Hollywood was a giant advertising billboard for fur. But fox was the star, with mink in a supporting role.

Sea otter is the densest and softest of all furs. At the height of the North Pacific hunt, even the hunters enjoyed this luxury, though style took a back seat. If ice fishing in the Arctic is your thing, leave the mink at home! Nothing beats caribou fur. Photo: Francesc Bailon Trueba. Wear bear!