Beaver
Semi-aquatic builder of dams and certainly one of Canada's favorite
animal icons! Natural beaver has very long, lustrous hair, but sheared
beaver is also a favorite with designers who create elaborate, surface
effects of varying color and pattern.
Chinchilla
Originally from South America, but now farm-raised in both North and
South America and in Europe, chinchilla has always had snob appeal,
though it is also quite fragile. It's very silky (in fact no fur is
softer) and is mainly grey to slate blue.
Coyote
This wily North American critter has a hardy kind of fur. Dense and
durable, it's creamy, tan or grey and often used for men's jackets.
Ermine
The winter phase of the weasel, this silky white fur with telltale black
tips, was once the fur of European nobility who swept about with it
decorating their capes and trains. Traces of this medieval tradition
survive in the ceremonial robes of judges and academics.
Fisher
An unusual wild North American fur, fisher is longhaired, dark and
silvery.
Fox
The majority of fox fur sold in North America is farm-raised (often from
Scandinavia), and is available in the widest range of natural colors of
any fur, apart from mink, including silver, crystal blue, red, grey and
white. Running neck and neck with mink in the popularity race, this
luxurious fur makes an ideal trim for collars, cuffs, wraps and stoles.
Lamb
Lamb is the chameleon of fur with a host of personalities. The queen of
lamb is broadtail: of Russian origin, it is sleek, lightweight, shiny
and flat, with a slight wave, like fine moiré fabric. Mongolian is an
extroverted fur that is both longhaired and curly. Often white, its
silky hair is frequently dyed in a kaleidoscope of hues. Mouton pelts
are sheared closely for a soft, thick flat fur. Persian lamb is farmed
in both Asia and South Africa and pelts are prized for their soft, wavy
curls with natural colors of black, brown and grey. Shearling is natural
lamb pelts with the leather side sueded or leatherized and worn on the
outside, and the curly fur worn as a lining.
Lynx
Wildly furry, lynx has an exaggerated edge to it and is indigenous to
both North America and Russia. The whiter the fur, the higher its value.
Marten
A close cousin to Russian sable, American marten has long silky hair and
varies from dark brown to golden in color. Baum is softer, silkier and
shinier than American and Stone, the finest variety, has a bluish-brown
coat and pale underfur.
Mink
Mink has never been knocked off its pedestal as the all-time diva of
furs. Soft and lightweight with lustrous guard hair and dense, soft
undertur, it is primarily farm-raised. Female pelts are smaller in size
and have a softer, silkier feel than the larger male pelts. Mink is
available in a wide range of natural colors and may be sheared for a
sporty, casual look. It is a very durable fur despite its luxurious
look.
Muskrat
Muskrat is a North American wild fur that is popular for its natural
color and can also be dyed rich jewel shades. New Jersey is lighter in
weight with contrasting colors while Northern has longer guard hair and
heavy, thick underfur and is often worked skin-on skin. Southern is
flatter with little underfur and is usually pale in color.
Nutria
Found mainly in Argentina and the Southern USA, it is also farmed in
Poland and the Czech Republic. Similar to beaver, it is often sheared
for a sporty, more lightweight feel. Because its underfur is very soft
and plush and its fur can be dyed in a variety of shades, nutria is a
popular fur for linings and trims.
Opossum
Woolly and coarse, opossum is often used for liners and men's coats. The
very different American variety has long silvery black-tipped guard hair
with thick underfur while the New-Zealand variety has a short, dense
plush-like fur in colors ranging from yellow-grey to natural brown.
Rabbit
Rabbit generally has medium length guard hair in a variety of natural
colors and is often sheared or grooved. While not very durable, this is
a very reasonably priced fur.
Raccoon
Long gray/black guard hair with silvery tips over a woolly, dense
undertur makes it a very durable fur. Finn raccoon has long, thick tan
guard hair with black tips and dense underfur.
Sable
Russian sable is still the most prized fur in the world, renowned for
its legendary silky quality, rarity and light weight. Brown with a
silver cast, it is the most expensive fur, especially when there is an
abundance of silver hair. Canadian sable (brown or golden) is somewhat
less expensive.
Tanuki
Also called Japanese raccoon, has very long guard hair and a full
texture. Color is light amber brown with dark, distinctive markings.
