Fur variety- mink, nutria, rabbit
Mink fur
is durable. The hairs are rather short, but very thick and soft. The
guard hairs do not break readily, nor has the underfur a
tendency to
become matted. Sunlight gradually fades its original dark brown color a
warmer tone, making it less attractive.
Nutria, fur
is traditionally sheared, dyed and plucked. Its light weight makes it
suitable for linings as well as coats, accessories and trims. Sometimes
is now used without shearing or plucking, with the most valuable furs being in the richer browns. It is sometimes promoted as a 'guilt-free' fur, as it is considered a pest in the southern United States
Rabbit fur is commonly considered a byproduct of the process of breeding rabbits for meat, and as such is produced in large quantities in England and France more than seventy million pelts a year in France alone. However, the quality of fur
from these rabbits tends to be low, as the rabbits are slaughtered
before reaching twelve weeks old and still have the infant coat.
In temperate climates, the highest-quality furs are obtained in winter from rabbits over five months old, when the thickness of the fur is even; at other times of year, varying degrees of hair shedding causes uneven patches in the fur. The coat is also at its thickest at this time of year. The highest quality pelts are suitable for clothing, and typically constitute less than half of all pelts collected. The
hair of the Angora rabbit is preferred due to its length, caused by an
unusually long growth phase in the hair cycle.
