Living in climatic zones where the temperature drops below zero for a long time is impossible without warm clothes. For thousands of years the best protection from winter cold fur clothes were considered. Despite the constant development of light and warm innovative materials, the high cost of natural skins, and finally, the active protests of wildlife defenders, fur coats, jackets, sheepskin coats and other natural fur products take pride of place in the wardrobe of our contemporaries. These useful and beautiful things are expensive, and even movie stars and millionaires update them relatively infrequently.

Therefore, the question of which fur to choose for a winter new thing will be very important for any woman who has planned such a purchase.

Sheepskin coats or fur coats?

A women's fur coat has traditionally been considered an indicator of the status and well-being of its owner. At the same time, triumphantly breaking into winter fashion sheepskin coats for more than half a century continue to be very popular and give rise to discussions about their advantages and disadvantages.

Of course, for most men, sheepskin coats are the most preferred type of fur clothing. As for the fans of sheepskin coats among women, they name such positive properties of this clothing:

• relatively low cost;
• good ability of a sheepskin coat to keep warm;
• resistance to moisture (with appropriate impregnation);
• variety of cuts and finishes.

However, sheepskin coats are quite heavy, and unlike fur coats, they lose their attractive appearance much faster, moreover, the variety of their cut and finish leads to a quick change in fashionable styles. Nevertheless, high-quality classic-style sheepskin coats will not only reliably protect their owner from the weather for a long time, but also delight her with their appearance.

What is the warmest thing in the world? And more durable?

In order to determine which furs are the warmest, one should remember where certain animals live.

1. The best heat-shielding properties are required in the Far North, and accordingly, the warmest fur in polar bears and reindeer. However, their skins are not suitable for tailoring.
2. But polar foxes (Arctic foxes), sables (especially Barguzin ones) and martens will provide reliable protection from the most severe frosts and hurricane winds.
3. The thermal insulation of a beaver, a steppe and forest fox, a raccoon dog is slightly inferior.
4. The muton (ennobled sheepskin) is also very warm, the thermal protection of nutria, mink, chinchilla, ermine, as well as traditional astrakhan fur is somewhat worse.
5. The furs of squirrels, marmots, rabbits, gophers are considered not too warm.

For areas with a temperate climate, the heat-shielding properties of a fur coat are not very relevant, but the question of which fur is the most wearable becomes a priority. According to experts, the main types of fur for fur coats have the following durability rating (according to the number of seasons):

• otter and river beaver - at least 20;
• mink, muton, sable - 10;
• arctic fox, marten, astrakhan fur - 7;
• fox and nutria fur - 5;
• protein - 4;
• rabbit, gopher - 2.

Of course, much depends on the quality of the feedstock and the technology of its processing. It is very important how often a fur coat is worn, and what weather conditions prevail in a given region. Furs suffer the most from water (for example, from melted snow indoors or from a blizzard that turned into rain). The highest water resistance properties are in the fur of waterfowl (beaver, nutria, sable, otter, mink), the muton is also practically not damaged by rain.

The most popular furs and their features

The most practical option "for every day" is considered a muton fur coat.

And although for our grandmothers a sheepskin coat (and more often a sheepskin coat) was considered warm, but not too beautiful, modern processing technologies make it possible to obtain a muton of a wide variety of colors and textures. The main advantages of this fur are:

• heat resistance;
• durability;
• ease of care;
• moisture resistance;
• affordable price.

The phrase "mink coat" has become a household word to denote elegance and luxury.

True, it should be noted that not all such coats are expensive and luxurious.

1. The most valuable "black diamond" furs have a purple or black tint and a thick down.
2. The tourmaline category is distinguished by a beige undercoat and a long brown awn, followed by blue, white, gray, black skins.
3. Brown, walnut red furs are considered the cheapest.

The price also depends on the method of selecting the skins - the most expensive will be a plate of large pieces, created using computer technology. Products from dissimilar colored fragments are relatively cheap - however, they will not last long.

The popularity of mink and the close attention of designers to it caused the emergence of special technologies for its processing. For example, plucked fur has a delicate velvety structure due to the fact that all outer hairs have been removed from it, while grooving and laser burning make it possible to obtain a surface with an unusual three-dimensional pattern.

Among the latest design proposals are mink sheepskin coats with a suede-like lining and perforated fur plates.

The fashion for knitted fur coats, created by weaving fur strips on an elastic basis, does not go away either.

Fluffy Arctic foxes and foxes are considered very stylish and warm.

They are often used as a decoration, and a fur coat or short fur coat made of such animals is not inferior in prestige to mink products and is a must-have in any winter collection of leading fashion houses. The most spectacular are the silver fox, but they are most often faked.
A feature of natural silver-brown fur is a three-stage color change along the length of the hair - a black tip, a white middle and a gray base.
Also very beautiful are the bright skins of the moth, sivodushka, Finnish golden fox. As for the arctic fox, its natural color in winter is white. Platinum foxes with a special brilliance are considered elite.

Despite all the changes fashion trends, sable has been the king of fur fashion for many centuries.

In addition to unique heat-shielding qualities and durability, sable is also very soft and beautiful, it has a silky thick pile, a special sparkling reflection, and is also very light.

The most expensive warm ones are Barguzin sables, which are distinguished by a deep dark color with “gray hair”, slightly cheaper than them - light Yenisei. Sables from North America and Canada are valued much lower, and they are often counterfeited, and the cheapest are skins obtained from fur farms.

How to choose so as not to be mistaken?

As you can see, the question of which fur coat or sheepskin coat will suit you best requires the simultaneous consideration of many factors.

1. First of all, you should proceed from your own needs and the conditions in which you will wear the desired new thing.
2. If you do not have the opportunity to update your wardrobe often, the most reasonable solution is to choose a classic cut from a reliable manufacturer.
3. When deciding which fur (mink, nutria, muton, etc.) is better to choose, one should proceed from one's financial capabilities, taste and needs, and to a large extent, age.
4. If you want to purchase an avant-garde model, then you should keep in mind that already next season it may turn out to be outdated and will require replacement.

What to look for when choosing?

It is better to buy an expensive winter item in a good store, and you should require a manufacturer's certificate.
As a rule, fur products of reputable brands have a lining that is not hemmed at the bottom, which allows you to evaluate the quality of the processing of the mezra, the number of sewn flaps and other important factors.
If the lining is sewn “tightly” and the seller does not want to rip it up, you are dealing with a fake.
Pay attention to the texture and uniformity of the front side, the quality of the seams, the softness and elasticity of the pile, its shine, as well as how quickly the hairs fit into place when they are crushed and smoothed in the opposite direction.
Mezdra, when compressed, should not make rustling or crackling sounds, and if the seller protests against such tests, this is the basis for refusing to purchase.
A high-quality natural fur coat should be heavy and dense enough, a creative product can be lightweight, but you should not expect warmth and durability from it.

Sable is recognized as the "king" of fur. It belongs to the most valuable types of semi-finished fur products. The cost of the skin reaches $ 800 and above.
In view of the fact that sable skins are expensive, they are more often used for finishing products - collars, hoods, cuffs, etc.
Sable is not only a beautiful wearable fur, it is, first of all, an image fur. The product looks respectable.

Sable is mined in taiga forests. Cellular breeding of sables only in Russia. The hairline of the skins is elastic, very thick, very lush, silky, of medium height (on the ridge 3-4 cm); the awn is longer than the down completely covers it over the entire skin and is almost in a vertical position. The length of the skins is 30-50 cm, the tail is 10-20 cm.

Males are larger than females by 30%.
The color of the hairline is from sandy yellow to dark brown and almost black, sometimes with “gray hair” (it is valued and in high demand). The most valuable sable - which has a very dark general color, black awn, down at the base and at the ends is dark blue.
The tail and paws are dark, the head and ears are lighter than on the ridge. On the throat of a sable there is a faintly expressed, blurry light yellow spot (the sable of cellular breeding does not have it).
Cage-bred skins are different from freestyle sable skins. The cellular hairline is darker, equalized.

The skins of the free sable are sorted, highlighting the area of ​​production - the ridge: Barguzinsky, Kamchatsky, Yakutsky, Sakhalin; Amur, Altai, Minussinsky, Yenisei, Tobolsk; Tuva.

Barguzinsky (Buryatia, Baikal, Chita, Irkutsk region) sable has the darkest hair color (the darker, the more valued). Skins of medium size, c.p. very thick, very silky.

Yakut sable - small in size, the quality of the fur is good.
Kamchatsky sable - lush, thick, awn high, coarse; (since last year at the auction "Soyuzpushnina" the price of the skins of this ridge is 20% more expensive than Barguzinsky).
Yenisei sable - skins of large and medium size, c.p. lush, less silky, has coarse pubescence, the awn is equalized of medium height.
Amur sable - the hairline is less lush and silky. The awn is low, equalized and dense. It has medium and small sizes; (since last year, the price has been higher than that of the Yenisei sable).

Marten fur looks like sable fur. It also looks like kidus fur (sable crossed with soft marten, does not give offspring).

Marten (Marten)

Marten skins are used both for finishing and for sewing whole products.

It looks like a sable, has the following differences: the hairline is less soft, less lush, less silky; the color of the hairline is similar, but has a distinct large teardrop-shaped throat patch.
The skins of soft marten (forest) and mountain marten (belodushka) are mined.
The soft marten is similar to the sable in height and color of the hairline (in the northern regions - a bluish tint, the down is gray, gray-smoky); the length of the skins is 40-50 cm. It has a teardrop-shaped yellow-orange throat patch. The underfur is dark in color to match the overall color.

The mountain marten is larger in size, the hairline is coarser, more rare. The underfur is light, covered by a dark awn (like a veil). throat patch white color, horseshoe-shaped.
When sorting skins, the following ridges are distinguished:

• Northern and Kuban (for soft);
• Caucasian and Central Asian (near the mountain).

According to the North American Fur Auction (NAFA) in North America, most marten pelts come from Canada (about 75%), with the rest coming from Maine (highlands in the western United States) and Alaska.

Fisher- ilki (or pecan, fishing marten). The largest marten. The color is dark brown, paws, tail are darker, on the head with a silvery sheen. The hairline is thick, long, but coarse.
Marten fur from Canada called - canadian sable.
The marten pelts of the northern zones of Canada and Alaska are larger in size and heavier in weight than those of the central and southern zones of the United States. Skins from the western United States - have a flat hairline, with a sparse underfur, with a blurry tone of color.

FOX (Fox)

Fox pelts are a long-haired type of fur. Often used for finishing products, for sewing hats. Now fox vests have come into fashion. Fox products are very warm and beautiful.
I prepare the skins of cage-bred and free foxes.

SKINS OF A FREE FOX

red fox - It has different types colors: Fire (bright red), Red (bright red spine, lighter sides; cruciform pattern on the shoulders), Scarlet (light red, cross on the spine), Light (sandy yellow spine; very light sides).
Less valuable: Red-grey (backbone gray color with a reddish stripe along the ridge), Gray (the ridge and sides are gray, the stripe along the ridge is dull).

Sivodushka- on the sides and ridge, the hairline can be dark brown, brown with a silvery awn or red-brown, on the neck and shoulder blades - a “cross”.

Krestovka- "cross" is more pronounced.
black-brown- dark with a brown tint, there is a "silver" - a white zone. Brown hairs at the base of the ears.

The ridge affects the size of the skin, the thickness of the skin tissue, the height of the hairline, density, softness, silkiness, color. More dense and lush vp, thin leather tissue in regions with a cold climate - Siberia, the Urals, the North. Less silky, less lush and dense, rough, small in size in areas with high humidity (in the south).

The following species of commercial fox are put up for auction at the auction:
Gray fox (Grey Fox); red (Red Fox); krestovka (Cross Fox); red fox, silver fox, polar fox.

KORSAK(Free steppe fox).

The length of the skin of the corsac is less than that of the fox (less than 55 cm), the tip of the tail is dark gray. The hairline is shorter, more equal, less lush, the awn is thinner and more tender than that of the fox. Coloring - mottled pattern, shades are different, depending on the habitat; the tips of the awn are dark in color, silver is well expressed, the belly is yellow or off-white.
Production areas: in the steppe and desert regions of Central Asia, in Kazakhstan (the hairline is long, soft, silver-gray in color, the fluff is light gray or light blue), in the Lower Volga region (the hairline is low, coarse, gray-sand or red - sand color).

There are MUTATIONAL FORMS OF FOX AND FOXS on sale (they are purchased as samples for fashion collections).

SKINS OF THE CELL FOX.
The skins of the caged fox have a longer hairline; higher elasticity of guiding and guard hairs (less frizziness of downy hairs); hair color is more uniform, no or less unwanted shades. In terms of length and area, the skins of the caged fox are significantly superior to the free ones, which explains their value and great demand.
Types of colors of the hairline of fox skins of cellular breeding:

Silver and black fox(Silver Fox)
Platinum hair - white base and black tip;
Silver hair - white base, silver ring, black tip.
If quantity bleached hair(silver and platinum) located from the root of the tail to the ears, then this is considered 100% silver.
The best color is blue-black covering hair, shiny down of dark gray color with a bluish tinge; the light zone (the distance between the tops of the down and the tip of the covering hairs) in the covering hairs is 10-15 mm wide, pure white with a sheen. A well-developed veil (black ends of the hair) covers the silver.

Platinum Fox - the hairline is gray or light gray, the guard hairs create a platinum color; the fluff is white, with a grayish-bluish tint; may be white-faced.
Gold Platinum - the hairline is ash-pink to dark tones; awn red, platinum, silver, black; down gray with reddish tips; may be white-faced.
snow white - the hairline is white with a creamy tint; awn with dark tops; the down is white with a grayish tinge at the base. Black back strap.
Northern Dawn- the hairline is white with a creamy tint; the awn is red with a transition to black; fluff like an awn, a belt (mane) on the ridge.
arctic marble - the hairline is white with a creamy tint. Wave-like black and platinum hair diverges from the ridge to the shoulder blades, down like an awn.
Dawn- hairline of red-gray color of varying intensity. Awn reddish brown to light scarlet; the down is dark gray with a bluish tint and red-yellow.
Ognevka- (red) - bright red with a dark tail.
Krestovka
Sivodushka
Kolikot (brown), Pearl, Sapphire, Burgundy Fox.

MINK

Mink skins are considered the "queen of fur".
The skins have a soft and silky hairline with well-developed downy (their number is 90-95%) and prominent guard hairs. The coloration is very varied.
In minks, males are much larger than females; they have a higher hairline and thicker skin tissue (when sorting, males and females are isolated separately). The difference in price is up to 60-70%.
There are two types of mink: cellular breeding and hunted (European and American mink).
The American mink is larger, the hairline is darker, lush and shaggy, while the European mink is more delicate and even.

Mink skins obtained by hunting (Commercial type - Wild Type) are divided into three ridges: Siberian, northern and Caucasian. Each ridge has different indicators of the size of the skins, the quality of the hairline. The color of the skins of the free mink can be black (with blue down), dark brown or light brown.
In a caged mink, the hairline is higher, softer and evened over the entire area than in a free one; the tail is longer and well furred; skins are larger.

At the heart of the entire mink breeding industry is the same American species, over the years of work of breeders, the properties of mink fur have become different, depending on the place of breeding. Thus, several types of mink arose, for example, Scandinavian, Russian, Canadian, etc.

Russian mink - a kind of mink, bred in Russia on the basis of imported wild North American mink. Over the years of breeding, the Russian mink has acquired certain differences from its progenitor - high outer hair and thick high underfur, which are very important for our climate. Due to this, the fur of the Russian mink is not afraid of moisture, products made from it are warmer, while the hairline is more shaggy than that of other types of minks.

scandinavian mink - a variety of American mink, today it is the most common in the world (about 80% of the world market for mink skins). The main differences between the fur of the Scandinavian mink are an even awn of medium height and thick underfur, while the Finnish mink marked SAGA FURS has a higher hairline, and the Danish variety of the KOPENHAGEN FURS brand has a lower one.
The Scandinavian mink is the most popular semi-finished mink product among Russian furriers, it is more suited to the features Russian climate than American.
In addition, the most valuable types of Scandinavian mink with a similar high quality are somewhat cheaper than American ones.

Finnish mink - one of the varieties of the Scandinavian mink, bred in northern Europe. The most common today are the various tones of the Finnish wild-type mink (beige group). Among them, the darker ones are called "scanbrown", the lighter colors are called "scanglow". The gray-brown, light tone of the Finnish mink is called "pastel" ("pastel").
Another group of mink is blue: "sapphire" ("sapphire"), "violet" ("violet"), etc.

North American mink - a breed that is bred on fur farms in the United States and Canada.
The hairline of the skins has a fairly low awn, which is practically invisible due to the dense and high underfur. Therefore, this mink feels like velvet to the touch. Occasionally, the North American mink with the so-called "super-short" hairline appears on sale. Such a mink looks like a plucked one.
Since the number of farmed North American mink is relatively small (and in demand), and the quality of its fur is very high, such a product is considered exclusive.
The North American mink is on sale at auctions: American Legend (USA, Seattle) and NAFA (Canada, Toronto). Mink is assigned one of two quality systems - American (trademark AMERICAN LEGEND® MINK ) or Canadian (trademark NAFA® MINK ).
The black mink at the auction (American Legend) has the following quality indicators: Blackglama; Glma Standard. Other colors have American Legend quality.
In the black mink at the NAFA auction, the following quality indicators are distinguished, for males and females separately: Black Nafa; Silver; unlabeled.
At the same time, the best black mink gets its own name: American- BLACKGLAMA® , and the Canadian BLACK NAFA® .

The Blackglama brand is only sold by American Legend. This mark is assigned only to a small percentage of the total amount of mink produced. After careful sorting by experts, only the best black mink receives a brand label and a passport. One lot (as a rule, these are 30 skins of females and 15 skins of males) - one label.

The main difference between the Blackglama mink and the Scandinavian and Russian mink is the length of the outer hair. It is almost the same as the length of the underfur, which gives the fur a special velvety look and texture. Natural Blackglama is a mink of a very dark, at first glance, black color. But if you look closely, you can see a slight brownish tint in it. Experts call this effect the “color of oil”. Leather fabric is light, plastic, without defects.
Since the Blackglam brand is one of the most famous and in constant demand today, it is often counterfeited.

For Blackglama (Blackglam) they give out any skins with a short awn, in which the hairline has been dyed black and the leather fabric has been bleached. Auction in 2011 Blackglam mink has risen in price significantly.

Blackknuff is the finest mink that comes from Canadian fur farms. Blackknuff and Blackglam are very similar, and they have no serious differences, their price is about the same. Like Blackglam, Blackknuff is a rich black color with a slight brownish tint.

The length of the outer hair of the Blackknuff and Blackglam minks can vary greatly: there are also parties with long hair, which strongly resembles the Danish mink, but only has a denser underfur. There is a mink with extra short hair when the awn is even lower than the down. Such a mink looks as if it has already been plucked. But no matter what type the mink under the Blackknuff brand is, it always has excellent external characteristics: hair evenness, elasticity and silkiness.

The peculiarity of both North American minks is that batches of skins coming from different farms on the continent can differ significantly from each other. Various conditions of feeding, keeping, climatic conditions influence.

Because of this, mink from different batches sometimes cannot even be used in the same product - they are so different in shade, hairline height. Because of this, bidding at auctions goes by lots for individual farms (unlike the Scandinavian mink, which does not take into account the origin when sorting). So the real mink of Blackknuff and Blackglam, depending on its origin, can even differ in shade: from black to almost brown, which is closer to the color of mahogany. Such a mink with a clearly present brown tint is allowed to be tinted in order to obtain the necessary black, which is the hallmark of this type of mink.

The natural color of the cellular mink is very diverse due to genetic work in animal farms (more than 100 colors and shades). They have a different cost, depending on demand (with the same quality).

Colored minks are classified into groups:

1. Beige group:

   • Pastel (Pastel) - the darkest, chocolate color with a smoky blue tint.

   • Topaz (Topaz) - lighter shade of coffee with milk.

   • American Palomino (Palomino) - very light like tea with milk (may be from light beige to dark beige)

   • Pearl (Pearl) - light beige with a gray tint.

   • Lavender (Lavender) - beige with a pale lilac tint and very light underfur.

   • Pink - light beige with a brownish-pink tint.

   • Walnut - a shade of Scandinavian mink natural brown.

   • Scanbrown (Scanbrown) - "Scandinavian brown" (darker shade).

   • Scanglow is a light brown Finnish mink with a darker shade towards the spine (if the color of the underfur is too light gray, such a mink is considered defective and is sold at a lower price). Approximately 20% of all mink fur at the Finnish Fur Sales Finnish Fur Sales is 'scanglow'.

   • Demi Buff (Demi Buff) - a brown shade of Scandinavian mink.

   • Mahogany (mahogany) - the classic natural color of mink (both American and Scandinavian) is a very dark rich brown hue with a darker stripe along the ridge. The cost of mahogany mink is somewhat higher than other dark brown shades of mink (for example, the same mink "skunglow").

2. blue group

   • Silverblue - Russian mink is pure gray and bluish gray (but often with a dirty tint).

   • Aleutian - dark blue

   • Sapphire (Sapphire) - pure blue color, blue underfur.

   • Blue iris (Aleutian steel) (Blue Iris).

   • Violet (Violet) - the lightest of the blue group of Finnish mink, has a light gray tint and a less noticeable transition from light sides to a dark ridge. Violet is not suitable for everyone because the light gray-blue shade is too “pale”.

3. white group

   • Hedlund (American white) (White) - pure white with blue.

4. Darkening the main color

   • jet

5. Lightening base color

   • Shadow (shadow)

   Krestovka (black, sapphire, etc.): "black cross" is a natural color, on a snow-white background a black ridge in the form of a pronounced cross. Can be found at fur auctions and others beautiful options cross mink - blue (sapphire cross), brown (brown cross), pastel ("pastel cross"), gray mink Silver cross (silver cross). Such parties are sold quite rarely, and are much more expensive.

   • Silver-sable (polar mink) is a very rare mutation of the Finnish mink. Its fur has a very high underfur and brown awn, with a pronounced ridge, while the head and paws are lighter (more like a sable).

6. Standard dark brown (STK) is a Russian mink, has a color from dark brown to brown, down to match the outer coat. The cost of skins is relatively low.

7. Standard black (SCH) - covering hair is black, down is dark gray, has short and even hair.

8. Scanblack (Scandinavian black) - the name of the natural color of the black Scandinavian mink (has a slight brownish tint). In terms of cost, it is inferior to black mink "blackglam", so products from it are somewhat cheaper and more affordable.

9. Black (BlackGlama) (BlackNafa) - American mink natural black.

Gold (Gold) - Gold - is made from the Scandinavian variety of mink. This shade is not natural, it is obtained by bleaching fur (like lightening hair). And the darker the raw material was, the darker the final shade of "golden" will be. Thus, a palette of the most diverse shades is obtained: from very light brass and “white gold”, to the color of copper and slightly greenish bronze. At the same time, the transition from a lighter shade of the side to a darker color of the ridge is preserved in the color of the fur, which leaves a feeling of "natural" color.

10. Marble (Marble) is a unique hybrid mink that has a dark yellow color with chocolate stains. Like some other hybrid minks, the "marble" is produced in very small batches, so it is expensive.

11. Glow (Glow) - "glow"

12. Jaguar ("Jaguar") - unpainted skins of white color with black spots of uneven shape.

dyed mink
Especially often dyeing (toning) is used when it is required to obtain an imitation of a more expensive dark brown mink from a mink of a relatively light brown tone. Thus, some fur manufacturers may even mislead their customers by presenting dyed mink as a more valuable type of fur.

Both simple dyeing technologies and more complex multi-layer dyeing technologies are used. For example, a light-colored mink can be dyed with a reservation of the top of the awn, and then the effect of the so-called "snow top" - "snow-top" is obtained on the skin.

In the conditions of modern production, by bleaching fur (as lightening hair), various shades of "golden" mink are created. And the darker the raw material was, the darker the final shade of "golden" will be. Thus, a palette of the most diverse shades is obtained: from very light brass and “white gold”, to the color of copper and slightly greenish bronze. At the same time, the transition from a lighter shade of the side to a darker color of the ridge is preserved in the color of the fur, which leaves a feeling of "natural" color. This color gives the impression of real "soft gold".

In addition, various methods are often used to enhance the color of the ridges in order to distinguish them from the background of the lighter side of the skin.

Screen dyeing of mink allows you to paint it like a leopard, tiger and other tropical predators. Today, with the help of computer staining, any multi-colored patterns can be applied to the mink. Such skins can be used not only for making clothes, but also in the interior.

However, when buying a dyed mink fur coat, one must take into account that the effect of chemicals that make up the dyes somewhat reduces the wear resistance of the fur.

plucked mink
The desire of designers to expand the possibilities of using mink fur leads to the fact that it is not only dyed in a wide variety of colors, but also the texture of the fur is changed. Pinching - the outer hair is removed from the fur, after which only a velvety underfur remains on the skin. A mink pinch can be combined with a haircut.

sheared mink
Mink haircut - the length of the mink guard hair is shortened. As a result, the fur becomes shorter, but as soon as you run your hand over the skin, you will immediately feel a tingling sensation, especially if you stroke against the growth of the hairline. Very often, shearing is combined with other mink processing technologies, in particular, with pinching. In this case, after plucking the awn, the resulting “velvet” is additionally trimmed to the desired height. And from such a “velvet” you can make a “velveteen” texture by applying the technology of multi-level fur shearing. Laser cutting allows you to apply a variety of three-dimensional patterns to mink fur.

FOX (Arctic fox)

The fur of the polar fox is very warm, long-haired and thick-haired. It is used, as a rule, for finishing products, for sewing hats.

Harvest the skins of polar fox cellular breeding and hunted.
Whites are mainly hunted, they are valued; little blue is harvested.
Blue foxes are bred. The caged blue fox was obtained from the Norwegian fox.
Blue foxes are: veil (Norwegian) and silver (state farm). Sizes of skins: females length 60-65 cm, males 65-70 cm.
There are crossbreed skins between veil and silver, as well as between foxes and arctic foxes.

The skins of the arctic fox have a very thick underfur. Hairline of medium height. Graphite color of the tip of the awn. It is important that the awn is not weak (short), as the underfur falls off (there is a defect in the wooliness of the fur - partial or complete absence of the awn).

According to the color of the hairline, the fox skins are white and blue.
Whites are divided into two varieties: extra - (pure white) and first (with a slight creamy tint). White fox skins are dyed in different colors.

The skins of blue foxes are divided into three grades according to color: extra (dark blue), first (light blue), second (dark brown and light brown).

White fox skins are sorted by ridges:

Skins of caged blue fox have a very thick and lush hairline, with elastic, frequent covering hair equalized in height. No signs of frizziness or split hairline.

On the skins of the veil fox, it has platinum hair: the awn is white, and the tip of the awn is graphite. The tops of the downy hair are white to bluish, meaning they match the highlights of the platinum hair.
The skins of the silver fox have a white awn with a dark gray tip, and the down is gray.

Types of coloring:
Veil foxes - hairline of varying intensity is pure gray, without a brown tint. The intensity of the platinum hair is great, they are evenly distributed throughout the skin, forming a pronounced veil of graphite color. The underfur is light blue, zoned. Undesirable stepped silver (depends on evenness).

Silver foxes - pure gray skins of varying intensity. A slight brown coating on the belly and paws is allowed. The intensity of the platinum hair is large, the silver is not open. Platinum hair is evenly distributed over the entire area. The underfur is grey.

At the Finnish fur auction put up for auction:
blue fox Shadow (Blue Shadow Fox)
blue fox (Blue Fox)
Arctic fox Blue Frost Fox

RACCOON (Raccoon)

The currently popular type of fur was brought to Russia from North America. Traditionally, the skins are obtained by hunting, but cell breeding of the raccoon has also become widespread.
American raccoon fur is quite warm, has a beautiful appearance. Wear is 75%.
The hairline of the skin is harsh with a dark brown and yellowish-brown awn (colored in a zone), brownish down; hairline of medium density with a significant predominance of downy hair.
Tail with transverse black-brown stripes. Often the skins of the striped raccoon are ennobled by lightening individual guard hairs in order to imitate a silver-black fox.

The leading exporters are Canada, China, less Lithuania, Finland, even less Italy, San Marino.
At the Finnish fur auction - skins of the Finnish raccoon are presented.
The North American auction also has a raccoon.
We do not breed a raccoon-poloskuna.

raccoon dog (Ussuri raccoon) - freestyle and cage breeding.
Skins differ from skins of a raccoon: a striped tail and a "mask" on the muzzle. The skins of the raccoon dog have a strong zonality of the hairline, the awn is coarser.
The leather is thicker. 2 types are bred: golden (with orange underfur) and silver (gray underfur), there are mutational forms - white.
The fur is very warm, the hairline is very thick, the down is close to the down of goats, and longer than that of the arctic fox.

OTTER

Very wearable fur - taken as 100% standard.
The skins have a dark chestnut hairline to light brown; awn height 3cm, down 2cm. The down is very soft, silky; the awn is dense, frequent, shiny, durable. The heart is very valuable. Throat patch with silver. The hairline on the belly is 1.5 times lower than on the ridge, but thicker. The length of the skins is up to 1m. Thick leather fabric. It is considered "male fur", for women's products - plucked skins are used ..
There are two ridges: northern (hairline is dark brown) and southern (hairline is more yellowish).

NUTRIA (Nutria)

Nutria skins are used for tailoring products. Skins of plucked nutria look like mink.
Homeland - South America, Spain. Cellular breeding in many countries.
Skins of males are larger than females by 10-15%. The tail is long and not pubescent (scaly).
The hairline has a dense short tortuous underfur, the awn is coarse, long, has a small angle of inclination to the skin tissue. It is often plucked out. In skins, the belly is especially valued, the awn on the belly is less rigid and long, the underfur is thick. The color of the hairline of wild nutria skins is brown, the awn is ash-gray at the base and dark brown at the top, the down is brown.
Many colored rocks: smoky, cream, straw, white Severin, beige, white Italian, mother-of-pearl, silver, golden, white Azerbaijani, black (Poland), lemon, snow, pastel.

The best quality of the hairline is of medium height with elastic covering hair, completely covering the underfur on the ridge, sides, and belly. The underfur is silky, very thick on the coat. The difference in the length of the down on the belly and the ridge is less than 2 mm.

MUSCAR (Musquash)

Muskrat skins are used both for tailoring and for finishing.
The hairline is quite thick, consists of an elastic awn and soft silky fluff; the coloration is dark brown or light brown and silvery white on the belly. Downy hairs are smoky gray at the base and brownish at the ends. They produce skins natural and dyed in Brown color(under the mink).

BOBR (Beaver)

Beaver skins are used both for tailoring and for finishing.
It is considered "male" fur, as it is heavier (not sheared and not plucked).
Very beautiful jackets, short coats are made from plucked and sheared beaver, they have a delicate, velvety, shiny surface. Products have increased wear resistance.

The color of the hairline is always brown, in the southern regions it is slightly lighter. The down is very dense, soft, the awn is long, hard.
On the belly, the hairline is denser, the awn is shorter, softer, lighter. Long covering hair is often sheared.
Leather tissue is dense, thickened.

HORI (Polecat)

The skins of the polecat are beautiful - golden with a dark awn. They are used both for sewing whole products (outerwear, hats) and for finishing.

Black (forest) polecat - mined in the European part, in the Urals.
The color of the ridge is black-brown, the belly and sides are light, the down is grayish, the tail is black-brown. The height of the hairline is greatest on the ridge (4-5 cm), less on the belly, even less on the head and neck.

White (steppe) polecat - in the forest-steppe and steppe zone.
The hairline is lighter, the fluff is white, cream; awn black-brown (more rare along the ridge than black). The tail is two-tone: white at the base and dark at the tip.
The following ridges are distinguished: Orenburg, Saratov, Southeast, Central Asian.

Cellular polecats - different crosses of white and black polecat, column and polecat, polecat and mink. Honoriki (ferret + mink) are dark as sable. Albinos - furo, African polecat, fretco. They were crossed with a black polecat to improve the color, they received golden polecats, mother-of-pearl (more valued than golden; cream-colored underfur), pastel (beige-brown underfur, brown awn).

WOLF

(Timber Wolf - timber wolf)
Skins of the Polar wolf - have a thick, high, light (gray-blue) hairline. The skins of the wolf from the steppe zone have guard hairs of sand color.
There are wolf skins - melanist (black hairline); albino (pure white); chromist (reddish).
In wolf skins, the hair is zonal colored (up to 5 zones). The leather is thick and rough.
The skins of the wolf have a mane, the hairline on the belly is lighter than on the ridge; hair streams go straight (not to the center).

Since there is a large geographical variability in the size of the skins, the color of the hairline: in the polar - the hairline is light gray, more magnificent, soft, high;
- in the forest - dark color, thick hair but rough;
- in the steppe - the hairline is low, sparse, has a sandy tint; skins are small.
The following ranges are distinguished: Polar, Siberian, Kazakh, Central, Southern.

JACKAL (Jackal)

Skins are mined in Central Asia, Kazakhstan. Smaller skins, lower hairline; the color is dark gray or rusty gray, the husk is lighter than the ridge.

COYOTE (Coyote)

Coyote fur (Canada) is traditionally considered a male fur, along with wolf fur, from which the coyote differs in the softness of the guard hair and the density of the underfur. Coyote is also used to make collars and cuffs. IN last years many world-class designers have turned their attention to this rare type of fur, and coyote products can be seen in their collections.

Lynx Cat (Lynx Cat)

The skins of a lynx cat are a rare type of fur, they are mined a little. The cost is high.
Skins of small wild cats:

1. Skins of a forest cat - the hairline is soft, thick, silky; patronizing coloration, black "belt" along the ridge,

   swamp green color; the tail is ringed. Production areas - in Europe, northern Asia and Africa, found in the CIS.

2. The skins of the reed cat are large in size, the hairline is less soft, silky, the awn is coarser; "belt"

   brownish; the worm is lighter - yellowish-gray; ear tufts. The mining area is from Asia, Transcaucasia to the south-west of China. We are on the coast of the Caspian Sea.

3. Steppe cat skins - the hairline is less dense, low, but soft, silky; sand-colored with dark spots over the entire area, blue fluff; the tail is zonately colored (rings). Cherevo whitish with spots. Mined in the steppe regions of Africa and the Middle East.

4. Skins of the Amur cat - the hairline is thick, soft, reddish-red with dark spots; The belly is yellow-white, red stripes on the dorsum (transverse). The tail is bushy with dark rings. Mined in the Far East.

LYNX (Lynx)

This is one of the most expensive and rare types of fur. Lynx fur has a very beautiful natural color. In the skin of a lynx, the skin is especially valued. The hairline on the belly (abdomen) is lighter and softer with dark spots (the brighter they are, the more valuable). This fur is used mainly for decoration, however, whole products are also sewn.

The size of the skin can be different, the hairline is thick, soft, silky.
The color is very beautiful, from ash-blue to light gray, depending on the area of ​​production, there is a pattern - stripes, spots.
Mined in Siberia, in the Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland).
There are ridges: North and South.

CHinchilla (Chinchilla)

One of the most expensive furs. As light as thistledown. Wear resistance is not high (2-3 seasons). The fur is very hygroscopic, not suitable for wet weather.

Object of mass cage fur farming, in Western Europe, Australia, South America.
Two types are bred: a large, or short-tailed chinchilla (body length 35 cm), and a small long-tailed (body length 25 cm).
The hairline of chinchilla skins is very thick, dense, very soft and silky, equal in height. The hair is dyed in shades of grey. The leather is very thin. Skins are small.
Breeds of rabbits similar to chinchilla were specially bred - rex, Soviet chinchilla, orilag.

RABBIT

It is one of the inexpensive and popular types of fur semi-finished product.
The fur industry processes the skins of rabbits of fur breeds, suitable for the height, density and elasticity of the hairline for dressing fur. The rest of the skins go to the felt.
The properties of the skins depend on the breed, age, climatic conditions, slaughter season.
The height of the covering hair is 3-4.5 cm, down 2-2.5 cm. Density depends on the type of skins. The area of ​​most skins is 3-12 sq.dm.
The natural color of the hairline depends on the breed. The heat-shielding properties of rabbit skins, especially long-haired ones, are high, but the wear resistance is rather low (5-15% of the wear of an otter). During the operation of products, the awn breaks off, the appearance of the fur deteriorates, worn areas appear in the areas of greatest wear.

According to the method of finishing the hairline, the skins are uncut, sheared and with a removed awn, natural and dyed in color.
Long-haired skins are dyed in various colors to imitate various valuable types of furs (under mink, sable, marten, chinchilla, fawn, polecat, blue fox), a pattern is applied by screen dyeing under leopard, ocelot, etc.
Sheared skins are also dyed to look like a cat, nutria, stencil drawings are applied on a white background and after dyeing.
Special equipment allows you to cut original patterns with different hairline heights. Sometimes a film coating is applied to the leather fabric.

IN in kind use skins that have a beautiful appearance and good quality hairline.
Bred a large number of breeds of rabbits of various colors.
For skins go:

Rex- a breed of rabbit, in which an even thick and very delicate hairline is located perpendicularly

leather tissue. Usually has a combined color: dark back and white sides; There are white and colored varieties. Rex rabbits are bred in Germany and China. Products are made from skins, very often the Rex rabbit is used in knitting technology (weaving on a mesh base).

The first short-haired rabbits appeared in 1919 in France. In short-haired rabbits, the hairline, and the outer and downy hairs are almost the same length, almost half as long as in long-haired rabbits.

orilag- bred only in France. The orylag fur is warm, wears well and is very beautiful. Larger skins than chinchilla skins. Leather fabric is thin, light, elastic, but dense. The hair is very soft and thin. The color of the hairline is red-brown (“beaver”) and gray-white (“chinchilla”, the latter being rarer and more expensive.
Rex rabbit and orylag skins are dyed in different colors.

ASTRACT-SMUSHKOVO-MERLUSHEK SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCTS

These are the skins of lambs of a certain age of various breeds of sheep with primary hair: astrakhan, astrakhan (obtained from astrakhan or crossbred breeds); smushka, lambskin, webbing (from lambs of fine-wooled, semi-fine-wooled, semi-coarse-wooled and coarse-wooled breeds).
Broadtail - skins with a very low shiny silky hairline, which gives a beautiful moire pattern on the surface of the skin. The leather is very thin and elastic.
Karakul - the hairline is higher than that of broadtail and is formed in the form of full-fledged curls. The shape of the curl can be different: bob, mane, valek, so the pattern on the skin is different. Skins with overgrown hair (with fuzzy untwisted curls) are not classified as astrakhan when sorted, and such skins are no longer valued. The hairline of the astrakhan skin is soft silky. In the skins of purebred astrakhan fur, the hairline is very shiny, very silky, which differs from the skins of non-purebred ones. The skin tissue of broadtail skins is thicker than that of broadtail, but at the same time soft and plastic.
Karakul (lark kulcha) is divided by color into black, gray (light gray, dark gray, black-gray, blue), color (brown, white, pink, sur, motley).

FUR SEMI-FINISHED SEA

These are the skins of the White Sea, Baikal, Pacific and Caspian seals of various age groups:

• Belek - skins of baby seals up to 15-20 days old, with soft, long, dense embryonic hairline of white or cream color, sometimes with a grayish or greenish tint.

• Khokhlachenok - the skins of a young hooded seal of a dark silver color.

• Serka and sivar - skins of pups and young seals with a secondary hairline (shiny, low, smooth), gray or silver-gray; in the Baikal seal - with a greenish tint.

• Mink fur

  It is considered the most traditional, common and familiar type of fur. If we talk about furs, then the fur of the mink immediately comes to mind. It has many advantages, but there are also some disadvantages that are usually ignored.

  Initially, mink furs became popular in Hollywood in the 30s of the twentieth century. It was in films that ladies dressed in mink coats began to appear more often. Then the popularity of the mink coat quickly spread among the wealthy population. Mink created a rather elegant and excellent image. Later, fashion designers became interested in him, and it turned out that mink fur is quite plastic and suitable for creating various types of clothing.

  Later with mink fur began to sew

  • Coat
  • Jackets
  • Capes

  Now, as before, mink fur is not inferior in popularity and price, its main features

  • Elegance
  • Velvety
  • Shimmery sheen on the top of the pile

  Under mink coat It is not difficult to pick up a hat, boots, gloves. It comes with many accessories. In addition, with proper care, mink fur can last a long time. But on the other hand, in terms of its thermal properties to keep warm, mink fur is significantly inferior to many other furs. True, the ability to keep warm and keep out the cold still depends on the type of mink fur. If it is northern mink fur, then it will be warmer. The fur of the southern mink is the least cold and is more suitable for autumn coats.

  Sable fur

  Many fur manufacturers seek to get this type of fur. As before in Russia, he personified wealth and luxury. So now it is considered a symbol of elitism, the upper class. It is still considered the most beautiful and best type of fur.

  At the beginning of the twentieth century, the price of sable fur in America was comparable to good home. Later, marten fur began to be faked under sable fur, since it is similar in appearance and not everyone can distinguish it. Sable fur is beautiful in itself and does not need dyeing, it is rarely dyed. And more appreciated for the natural look. Dark types of sable fur are more expensive than light types of fur.

  Sable fur is also quite durable and wear-resistant. But for the price, of course, not for everyone. But on the other hand, it is used not only for sewing fur coats, but also for creating beautiful boas, capes, collars.

  marten fur

  It has long been used for sewing various fur products.

  Good for

  • Cuffs
  • Vorotnikov
  • caps

  It is rarely used in its natural form. Most often dyed to match the color of sable fur. But for the price, of course, much cheaper. With the exception of the mountain marten fur. It is usually not dyed, and it is valued on an equal footing with sable.

  Astrakhan fur

  Began to gain popularity in the late nineteenth century. Initially, only the wives of politicians and those who belonged to the upper class could wear it. The special value of astrakhan fur is that it allows you to create a strict, serious look.

  Then astrakhan fur began to be used

  • For cuffs
  • Vorotnikov
  • caps
  • Poncho
  • Jackets

  An equally important advantage of astrakhan fur is that it does not make you fat, because there is no long pile in it. It is considered a traditional type of fur for ladies of the Balzac age.

  Sheepskin fur

  Traditionally, it is a less popular type of fur. There was even an opinion that this type of fur is more suitable for the poor, who cannot afford the beautiful fur of mink, fox, sable, arctic fox.

  But thanks to modern methods of processing, really beautiful fur coats are created from sheepskin fur.

  Benefits of sheepskin fur

  • Ease
  • Plastic
  • wear resistance
  • High heat retention capacity
  • Waterproof, moisture resistant

  But cleaning things from sheepskin is a rather laborious process.

  What fur is the most wearable

  The most wearable furs are fur

  • seals
  • Seal
  • Beaver
  • Nutria

  In addition to wearability, such furs have good ability to keep moisture out. The fur of seals and seals is less popular and it is rarely possible to see a fur coat from it. But from the fur of nutria and beaver fur coats are more often sewn and such furs are the most popular.

  Nutria fur

  There are 5 colors of nutria fur

  • Golden
  • Brown
  • The black
  • Beige
  • White

  The fur of wild nutria is most valued, but it is almost always dyed in other colors. Sometimes it is dyed to match the color of beaver fur.

  • Nutria fur properties
  • Affordability
  • wear resistance
  • Thermal insulation properties
  • Strength

  beaver fur

  Its properties are softer and fluffier than nutria fur. But also wear-resistant, does not allow moisture to pass through and retains heat well. In addition, if wet snow falls on the beaver's fur, then it becomes the most fluffy.

  What fur is the warmest

  Raccoon, fox, polar fox furs are among the warmest and most beautiful, luxurious furs. In their beauty, they are not inferior to sable and mink fur. But in terms of their ability to keep warm, protect them from the cold, they are largely superior. And all because their fur is long, thick, which allows them to keep cold frosty air out and keep warm for a long time.

  Even such furs with a long pile are capable of transmitting a large charge of sexual and emotional energy in contact with the body. Fur coats are lush, beautiful, luxurious. And the image itself is feminine, soft, sensual. But such fluffy fur coats will not fit overweight women, because they will fill up even more. But for slender girls who do not have problems with being overweight, such fur coats will be just right.

  Less warm furs include rabbit and marmot furs. As for lynx fur, fur coats are rarely sewn from it, and for the most part it is in short supply. But expensive in price. Ermine and chinchilla furs are also considered expensive, but you can’t get warm in them, and they are not intended for frosty weather.

  What fur is the warmest and most wearable

  The warmest and most wearable fur is possessed by animals that live on far north. These are reindeer, wolf, marine mammals. The high thermal properties of fur are explained by the fact that they allow animals to survive in harsh climatic conditions. But coats made from such animals are most popular among residents of the far north.

  For the rest of the territory, where the climate is mild, with a predominance of frosty weather and thaw, such fur coats will not work. But in any case, in order to choose the warmest and most wearable fur, you should pay attention to the habitat of the animal. The colder the habitat, the warmer the fur will be. Even if you take, for example, the same fox. The fur of the Norwegian and Swedish black-brown fox will be significantly warmer than the fur of the red, southern fox.

  What furs are there

  • ferret
  • Bear
  • Mole
  • wolf
  • Squirrels
  • muskrat
  • badger
  • Kalana
  • otters

  The most important advantage of any fur coat is natural fur. Not only aesthetics are important here, but also an important property - to warm. Since ancient times, natural wool and fur have been considered the warmest materials. And, despite the huge varieties of clothing, fur coats take first place among winter clothes. Natural wool gets wet, and if it gets wet, it dries very quickly. Natural fur coats are quite expensive, so even wealthy people do not change them so often.

  The wolf is one of these animals. Its coat has two layers and a good length. One layer is responsible for cleanliness, the second for frost resistance. The color of the wolf is varied, from light to dark and brown shades. Wolf fur coats look quite stylish and unusual, due to the color and texture. Foxes also have long hair. There are a lot of types of colors, as well as breeds of foxes. There are over 20 colors, the most popular being red with black spots. The fur is double-haired, due to this it shimmers beautifully in the sun.
  Silver fox fur is another rare species. The hair has 3 colors, the whiter the middle, the more expensive. Such foxes live in the northern regions, the fur is very warm and of high quality, worn for at least five years.
  The arctic fox is very thick, the hair is long. Blue serves about 12 seasons, white a little less, about nine. The thicker the pile, the better and warmer the fur coat. The fur of the yak is very long, the animals are huge, the color in nature is very dark. The material has useful properties, it is elastic and will sit on any figure.

  short haired animals

  The mink is a shorthair. Animals also live in water, which means that the fur is resistant to rain and various weather conditions. Wool shines beautifully in the sun, the most delicate among other fur coats. Mink is bred all over the world, so the color range is very wide. The most expensive fur coat is from black mink, it is very rare. The mink is bred all over the world and has several types: the Russian mink is very furry, not afraid of low temperatures. The Scandinavian mink is very dense, the pile is even. Finnish is a subspecies of the Scandinavian. North American - velvety and tender. Mink can be plucked and sheared. A pinch is needed so that the fur is as soft as possible. They cut so that the pile is uniform, or to apply a pattern. Dyed furs lose their properties, but look unusual. Sable is one of the most valuable furs. There are about seven different colors, light colors are the most common and black ones are exclusive and very expensive. Wool is thick, elastic, you can wear more than 10 seasons.

  Pets

  Pet fur is not considered valuable. First they need to be processed in order to increase their useful qualities. Rabbit fur has poor wear resistance, but it is warm enough. With constant wear, the hairs of the fur can break. It is better to take natural models, not painted. Can be worn down to -15 degrees. Rabbit skin will delight fashionistas with various color combinations, low prices and ease. There are separate types of rabbits with short fur, it is difficult to distinguish them from chinchilla fur.

  Chinchilla is very expensive, the pile is delicate, soft, warm and very light, the wool is thick. Color smoothly transitions from black to white. Despite the high price, such a fur coat will not warm in very coldy and worn like a rabbit for no more than two years. Mouton and astrakhan are considered better in quality, especially if they are well processed. Mouton does not deteriorate from the rain, it is warm, durable, easy to care for and the prices are very reasonable. Karakul is worn for about seven seasons, muton up to ten.

  aquatic animals

  The fur of such animals has good water resistance. The material of seals and otters are considered the warmest, worn for more than 20 seasons. Beaver fur is long, the pile is hard, previously only men wore such fur coats, because of the weight. But now they make excellent beaver female models. The color scheme is brown, there are several shades. Wear times are the longest.

  Most popular types

  The types of fur coats are different, there are many varieties for different shapes and heights of hostesses. The butterfly fur coat has wide sleeves, flared in itself. Suitable for body shaping fat girls but not warm in cold weather.
  Fur coat for autolady - shortened, maximum hip length, it is very practical, but not very warm. The year coat is fitted, there is a hood available, the model will never go out of fashion. Classic fur coat - straight, or trapezoidal, can be with or without a hood. Cleopatra - a fur coat with inserts and details on the collar and sleeves. A well-chosen fur coat will favorably emphasize the figure.
  The most important thing in a fur coat is thermal qualities. You have to make a choice based on that. But if a girl moves by car, you can see a decorative fur coat short length. Fur coats are very durable, waterproof, stylish, they should be in every woman's wardrobe.