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Fur products have always been considered luxury items, but at the same time, in our climate they are necessary. In ancient times they were valued even higher than now, because there was no artificial materials, which can replace warm fur clothes.

In ancient times, animal skins were often used not only for making clothes - they were the equivalent of modern money.

However, not all furs are the same in price. The difference is due to the appearance of the fur, its shine and beauty, and its properties, such as wear resistance. What is the most expensive fur in the world? We have compiled a rating of the most expensive furs - of course, they are all very beautiful and practical.

10 Beaver

Beaver is the name given to beaver fur, while the animal is correctly called beaver. This fur is highly valued because it is beautiful and very durable. This silky, shiny fur is a little rough to the touch, but very dense thanks to the rich undercoat that does not allow moisture to pass through.

A beaver fur coat can cost up to 70,000 rubles. The color of the fur is from dark red to almost black, with beautiful tints; Ladies really like it, especially since you can wear such a fur coat for up to 20 years: it will not wear off or lose its appearance, even if it gets caught in the rain.

Usually women's clothing is made from plucked beaver. And in their natural form, the skins are used only for sewing men's fur coats.

9 Silver Fox Fur

Black and brown fox fur is in ninth place in our ranking, and this is not surprising, because it looks simply gorgeous! Silky, with long pile, always a little warm to the touch, it is perfect for the fur coat of a young girl or an elegant lady.

In addition, silver fox combines well with other materials, and fashion designers often use it to trim knitted or leather clothing. Often, black-brown fox fur is used plucked or clipped, which gives the products an extravagant look.

Black and brown foxes are raised in special nurseries, so their fur is not so rarely seen on the shoulders of fashionistas of any age. A silver fox fur coat costs up to 100,000.

8 Ermine

Since ancient times, ermine fur has been considered the privilege of crowned heads. As you know, hunters, in order to catch this animal, drove it to a muddy puddle. The ermine stopped so as not to stain its snow-white coat.

This concern for cleanliness inspired people with respect; Kings' robes were often lined with ermine fur as a symbol of purity. However, ermine fur is too soft, quickly wipes and wrinkles, thus losing its excellent appearance. Be that as it may, a “royal” fur coat will now cost from 70 to 170 thousand rubles.

In summer, the ermine is red, only in winter do the animals living closer to the north turn white, and only the tip of the tail always remains black. In places where snow is rare, stoats do not turn white. Surprisingly, if you bring such an ermine to the north, it will turn white in a few days.

Arctic fox fur has been deservedly popular for many centuries. Very
soft and beautiful, it is perfect for creating chic fur coats. The cost of such a product can range from 70 to more than 200 thousand rubles.

The fur of the blue fox is especially prized. This is not just an animal with a slightly different color, it is a separate breed. Blue fox fur is much stronger than usual; a fur coat made from it will last about 12 years, while products made from white fox will not last more than 10. But at the same time, blue fox is much more expensive and is rarely used to create a fur coat, and more often for decoration.

A relative of the arctic fox is the bluefrost, or fox dog. Bluefrost is an artificially bred animal from crossing an arctic fox and a black and brown fox. Its fur is very beautiful and is in demand by fashion designers.

6 Marten

Marten fur is very popular in our country, but still not nearly as popular as in the West, where it is in great demand. This is explained by the fact that martens are found only in a small number of countries, and they do not like captivity. At the same time, beautiful and pleasant to the touch marten fur can replace very expensive sable.

Marten fur will last quite a long time, at least 7 seasons. It is good not only in the form of a fur coat, but also as a trim or material for a small product: a hat, muff, vest, and so on. An amazing property of this fur is that it does not cause allergies: the special structure of the pile does not allow dust to accumulate on it. Thanks to this, people with allergies can afford products made from marten.

The cost of a fur coat made from this fur reaches 250 thousand rubles.

This is explained by the ban on hunting these animals. Small lots of skins are officially sold at auctions and are quickly snapped up by fashion designers. Although poachers still try to trade in the fur of valuable animals, violating prohibitions.

Mink fur is one of the most popular and in demand on the market. Both in our country and abroad, the cost of a mink coat can reach half a million rubles; black mink, which is grown in America, is especially highly valued by fashionistas, because the quality of this fur is higher than that of ordinary mink.

In addition, the American species of this animal has a high ability to mutate, thanks to which it is possible to grow animals of unusual colors.

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However, it seems to the designer that this is not enough, and they change in every possible way appearance mink fur: it is cut so that it looks like velvet, plucked, dyed... You can’t list it all!

Mink fur can be worn for up to 7 years. It is very beautiful and practical.

4 Chinchilla

If we talk about the most expensive laughter in the world, then the chinchilla will certainly be among the most exclusive species. The fur of this animal is very light and delicate, it is perfect for any type of clothing.

The color of chinchilla fur is unusually beautiful: at its base, each hair gray, then there is a small white area, and the very tip is black. This creates amazingly beautiful shimmers.

For centuries, only aristocrats could afford clothes made from this exquisite material. And even now it is difficult to consider it democratic, because the cost of a chinchilla fur coat can reach 7 million rubles.

Some of the most elite and unique options for fur clothing can be obtained if you use lynx fur. It really is exclusive! This is explained by the fact that lynx are almost never raised in captivity, and the shooting of these animals is almost completely prohibited.

To make high-quality products, we use exclusively fur from the belly of the animal: it is soft, white, with chic black spots. Lynx fur does not wear out for a long time, it is durable and practical.

You can only see a whole lynx fur coat at a demonstration of models from an elite fashion house; such things are sewn exclusively to order and cost up to 80 thousand dollars!

High-quality skins are also used for finishing mink coats and other less expensive furs, but even then the cost of such a product is extremely high. A fur coat made from the backs alone, the fur of which is valued much lower, will cost about $1,000.

Inexpensive products that can be found in the markets are certainly fakes, because even the purchase of one lynx skin requires compliance with a huge number of legal formalities, in particular the provision of a certificate of origin of the skin. This is done to prevent poaching of rare and beautiful animals.

2 Sable

And finally, the most expensive fur coat in the world, of course, made of sable!

Sable is truly a national treasure of Russia. For centuries, the unusually beautiful iridescent sable fur was an indicator of the high wealth of those who could afford a magnificent new thing.

And even though sables are now bred on numerous fur farms, the fur of this animal remains the most expensive in the world. One sable skin costs from 50 to 70 thousand rubles. As for ready-made fur coats, only a millionaire can afford such clothes.

Sable fur does not wear off and is easily restored if it is slightly torn. It has a unique color: the awn is black and the undercoat is bluish. Gray-haired sable is especially valued, that is, one that has light inclusions.

The most expensive sable is Barguzin, with Kamchatka almost not far behind. As for other types (Yakut, Amur, and so on), they are darker and somewhat worse in quality. Typically, sable fur is used for finishing, as well as for making hats, collars, and boas.

You rarely see a sable fur coat - it will cost a lot! Although the rich have their own whims: some order car seat covers from exclusive fur...

1 Vicuna is one of the most expensive

Vicuña is in first place in the ranking of the most expensive furs in the world.

This animal is a relative of the llama, and its shooting is prohibited because there are very few vicunas left. Vicuña is even depicted on the coat of arms and flag of the state of Peru.

Now the population of rare animals has almost been restored, but they are still no longer killed for their skins. Vicuñas are carefully caught by specially trained people, shorn and released, and the shorn wool is used to make fabric of amazing quality and astronomical value. To the touch, this material resembles cashmere, only even softer and silkier.

The cost of a meter of amazing canvas reaches 200 thousand rubles. Considering that only enough vicuña wool fabric is produced per year to make enough for only 150 suits, it is understandable that its cost is extremely high.

It is absolutely impossible to obtain fur coats from vicuña skins through official means. Clothing even made from shorn vicuña wool is extremely expensive; only the most famous fashion houses sew it.

Natural fur. - the first material from which man learned to make clothes.

In prehistoric times, this was not a manifestation of aesthetics or everyday culture; a simple instinct of self-preservation and harsh natural conditions suggested to our ancestors that the skins of animals obtained by hunting could be used as warm clothing and blankets.

Millennia passed before people learned to truly appreciate natural fur and make beautiful, light and warm products from it. Fur dressing technology has come a long way from scraping skins with stone fleshing knives to bleaching, dyeing, tinting and plucking. The main discovery along this path was the tanning of leather and fur.

Fur dressing still includes the same basic operations as thousands of years ago, but in general, modern technologies use one and a half hundred in various ways processing of skins. The main difference of the modern fur industry is the automation of all processes and industrial volumes of fur dressing. Despite this, the value of fur is still very high, and the possession of products famous brands one of the most expensive types of natural fur is a sign of a person’s material security and success.

Wearability and wear resistance of fur.

The most important characteristics of natural fur are durability and wear resistance. Most sock fur is an otter, its wearability is taken as 100 points, products made from otter are worn for 20 seasons without repair or restoration. The second place in terms of wearability is occupied by the beaver, and the fur seal is in third place. The wearability of sable, mink and arctic fox is 80, 70 and 60 points, respectively, and products made from these types of fur are worn for 12, 9 and 7 seasons (the duration of the season is four months). The lowest wear rates are for the fur of a hare (5 points), a long-haired rabbit (10 points) and a marmot (25 points). Products made from these types of fur will last 0.8, 2 and 3.5 seasons, respectively.

The wear resistance of furs depends on the strength of the hair, the skin (skin tissue) and the strength of the bond between the hair and the skin. Of particular importance is the strength of the bond between the hair and the flesh; it depends on the type of fur, the season of extraction, and compliance with the technology of dressing the skin. The fur of different animals has an unequal indicator of the strength of the bond between the hair and the flesh; for example, otter fur has this characteristic much higher than that of rabbit and hare fur. During the molting period, the strength of the bond between the hair and the flesh decreases significantly, so fur obtained in late autumn has the best characteristics.

Additional factors that determine the wear resistance of fur are: the thickness of the skin, its density, the thickness of the epidermis and subcutaneous tissue, the nature of the weaving of fibers in the dermis, the degree of development of the hairline and its density, chemical and protein composition, the presence of fur defects. An important factor in the wear resistance of fur is the type of processing. For example, dyeing fur reduces its wearability by 10-20%, and cutting fur, on the contrary, increases wear resistance by a third.

Thermal protective properties of fur.

The heat-protective properties of fur are determined by the number of air bubbles present inside the hairs, the amount of air between the hairs, and the looseness of the inner layer. Most high heat resistance has the fur of arctic fox, reindeer, raccoon dog, fox, marten, mink, astrakhan fur, but sheared rabbit, marmot, ermine and goat are much worse at keeping warm.

Loose flesh significantly reduces the heat-protective properties of a fur product. Often, the leather fabric of the skin is greatly stretched to reduce the weight of the product. As a result, the heat resistance of the fur decreases, since the distance between the hairs increases and the layer of air between them decreases.

The heat-protective properties of fur depend on the creaseability of the hairs - in low-crinkle types of fur they are higher. It is also important to know that products made from the skins of female animals are lighter and more elegant, but the heat-protective properties of such fur are lower than those of male fur.

Fur weight of different animals

The weight of natural fur depends on the type of animal. The thickness of the inner layer of each fur is different; depending on this indicator, furs are divided into:

Hard or thick-skinned: seal, beaver, raccoon dog, sheepskin;

Soft or medium-chested: astrakhan fur, mink, nutria, weasel, rabbit;

Very soft (thin-skinned): arctic fox, squirrel, broadtail, fox, mole.

Comfortable fur products should combine lightness and coziness, so very light fur coats made from thick fur types will not warm their owner due to the fact that the stretched fur will increase the distance between the hairs and the fur coat will become cold.

Fur processing and dressing

The technology for manufacturing natural fur consists of preparatory operations, dressing and finishing. Preparatory operations include sorting fur and fur raw materials and identifying defects. Technological processes for the production of fur raw materials can be divided into two large groups. The first group includes operations based on chemical and physical-chemical processes: soaking, pickling, tanning, degreasing, fermentation, drying, neutralization, pickling, dyeing. These operations significantly change chemical properties raw materials.

To the second group technological processes include operations of mechanical influence: fleshing, breaking, cutting, beating, carding, ironing, etc.

Fur factories produce undyed and dyed skins; a significant part of the raw materials is subjected to imitation, giving inexpensive types of fur the appearance of valuable fur. During the process of imitation, the fur is cut, plucked, straightened, and dyed.

New technologies open up limitless possibilities for fur; they change the texture and structure of fur, which changes the approach to the design of fur items, their shape and volume. The latest developments allow you to twist and burn fur, combine it with various materials, inlay.

Russia has always been famous for its fur. Precious skins were called “junk”, were considered the most convertible currency and were literally worth their weight in gold. The value of fur has not been lost today.

Ataman Ermak made sable fur a cult product. His gift to the Tsar, consisting of “2,400 sables, 50 beavers and 20 black and brown foxes,” became the most significant contribution to the treasury of Ivan the Terrible. This is where the famous expression “it was not Ermak who conquered Siberia, but the sable” that came from.

The fact is that the appropriation of land for “ stone belt"(Ural) was not part of the priority interests of the Russian state, but after this gift, merchants ahead of service people rushed to Siberia. Today, sables are raised in specialized farms. The most expensive sable is the Barguzin sable, which lives in the east of Lake Baikal. One of his skins is valued at two thousand dollars at auctions. A fur coat from this animal can be purchased for one and a half million rubles, if you are very lucky.

In second place is mink fur. Sellers claim that any Russian woman's mink coat precedes the appearance of a sable fur coat, they say, this is a democratic luxury accessible to many.
Statistics show that in developed countries of northern Europe, nine out of ten women wear mink outerwear. There is every reason to believe that Russia is striving for this ratio. As for the quality of mink fur, it is often unstable. This applies not only to Russian varieties of fur.

“American mink is most often raised,” says farmer Ilya Krasnov from the Leningrad region, “but one can only guess what kind of fur it will be. Much depends on random factors. Diseases, feed, weather and even stress - everything affects the quality of the skin. It’s not for nothing that recognized fur factories prefer to purchase furs at auctions.”

In other words, buying in a boutique mink coat famous brand, it is extremely difficult to determine where and by whom the animals were raised.

The most objective indicator of the value of a particular fur is its consumer value. According to this indicator, after sable and mink, the marten ranks. Fur coats made from it are reminiscent of sable, although not as thick in pile. At the same time, the skin of this animal is unique, since marten fur is ideal for allergy sufferers.

Among Russian producers, the most famous are the fur farms of the Tula region. Unlike foreign fur coats, with the marker “made in Greece or Italy,” here fur clothes are not sewn using the “unraveling” technology, which is not intended for the Russian climate. The more labor-intensive technology of Tula residents leads to higher prices for fur coats compared to “European” ones, however, at the same time, the wearing life of our fur coats is significantly increased.

The history of arctic fox coats begins in ancient Rus'. The fur of this animal has unique heat-protective properties and saves from the cold even in frosts of sixty degrees. That is why the skin of the Arctic fox in medieval Russia was called soft gold. Russian manufacturers They supply the markets with skins from such breeds as Voile, Shadow, and Polar.

Silver fox

A review of the Russian market of fur products showed that, in addition to sable, fur farms mainly sell the skins of fox, nutria, rabbit, mink, arctic fox, squirrel, ferret, raccoon dog, and many farms focus on fox. The reason is the beautiful long-haired fur of these animals.

Such world cinema stars as Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor adored fox fur coats. To be fair, fox fur products for a long time did not enjoy the favor of Soviet consumers. “I had a red fox fur coat,” recalls pensioner Irina Vasilievna Smolnaya. – I bought it because it is much cheaper than sable. She wore it for only five years, after which the fur coat became bald.” And indeed, the new fox fur is very beautiful, but, alas, it is short-lived.

Raccoon fur is sometimes called genet fur due to its resemblance to the genet animal. IN Soviet era fur coats made from it were in quite high demand, but in our age of “glamor”, city residents prefer not to buy it. And yet there is a stable demand for it. In the North and Siberia, especially in rural areas, genet coats are worn with great pleasure because of its heat-protective properties. The animal is raised by small animal farms. At the same time, reviews of the fur market in Russia indicate increasing volumes of its production.

Thumbnail: © Wally McNamee/CORBIS

In general, based on the value and beauty of furs, they are divided into three groups.

To the first The most expensive include the fur of black and silver fox, sable, chinchilla, American mink, marten, beaver, otter, bear (all types), white and black wolf.

To the second group, average in cost, combine the furs of red fox, squirrel, muskrat, wolverine and ferret.

To the third group fur is considered to be Russian mink, hare, rabbit, mole

Conventionally, there are 5 groups of furs.

The first group of fur products is the most wear-resistant, the last group of fur products is the least durable.

The first group of fur products made from skins: otter, beaver, cat.

The second group of fur products made from skins: astrakhan fur, mink, muskrat.

The third group of fur products made from skins: sable, marten, sand squirrel, sheepskin, smushka.

The fourth group of fur products made from skins: squirrels, ermine, rabbit.

Fifth group of fur products made from skins: hare, gopher, hamster, mole.

Directly from one of the main qualities of fur - its wear resistance, or as experts say - “fur wearability”.

Wearability is determined in “seasons”. To put it simply, it is the number of winters during which your fur coat will not go bald, will not fade, and will not fray in public transport. Here are data on the durability of some furs, established in two values ​​- in “seasons” and as a percentage. Do not consider it a mistake that the same number of "seasons" can correspond different meanings wear as a percentage and vice versa.

The value and wear resistance of fur

The value of furs is determined by five hair parameters.

DENSITY

The density of fur hair depends not only on the number of hairs, but also on their thickness. Based on fur density, the following groups are distinguished:

• especially thick-haired: beaver, otter, arctic fox;
• thick-haired: sable, muskrat, rabbit;
• medium density: marten, squirrel, fox;
• sparsely haired: gopher, hamster.

HEIGHT

According to the height of the hairline, the skins are divided into groups:

• long-haired with a hair height of more than 5 centimeters: fox, arctic fox;
• medium-haired with hair height from 2.5 to 5 centimeters: sable, marten, rabbit;
• short-haired with a hair height of less than 2.5 centimeters: mole and gopher.

Skins that have high and thick fur are the warmest.

SOFTNESS

The softest skins are mink, squirrel, arctic fox, muskrat, sable, fox, marten, nutria and otter.

SHINE

The sheen of the fur can be either glassy, ​​sharp, or silky, that is, softer. The most valuable is fur with a silky sheen.

WEARABILITY

The durability of fur is a combination of the wear resistance of the hair, leather tissue and the bond strength of the hair. The durability of fur is determined not only by its natural properties, but also by the skill of a furrier.

The wear resistance of fur products largely depends on the type of fur from which they are made and the method of its processing.

Bringing the values ​​of real fur wearability as close as possible to “ideal” ones is a rather difficult problem that can only be solved by observing two conditions:

Purchase fur products only from reputable manufacturers who provide the entire cycle of technological operations for processing and sewing fur.

Properly care for the item you purchased.

Everything you need to know when buying a fur coat

The quality and durability of fur coats depend primarily on the quality of the fur. The fur should be “winter”. At this time of year, the animals' fur is very dense and has a thick down.

Secondly, the fur must be well prepared, that is, the inner side - the reverse side of the skin - must be soft and elastic. The flesh of undyed skins should be white. If the flesh is yellow, it means the fur is old.

And thirdly, the durability of fur coats depends on the type of fur. Otter fur has the highest wearability, followed by beaver, raccoon, sable, mink, astrakhan fur, nutria, muskrat, etc. The worst wearability is for rabbit, goat, and hare fur. For some types of fur (for example, nutria), it is especially important whether the fur is from a wild animal or raised in a cage. That is why Argentine nutria is valued, it is wild.

HOW TO CHECK THE QUALITY OF SEWING AND FUR TRAINING? In a nutshell, we can answer this: the fur should be thick, shiny, elastic, without bald spots, the flesh should be white, soft, and not rattling. If the fur coat manufacturer is not afraid for the quality of the products, the lining is not sewn tightly - you can see the quality of the skins from the inside. When choosing and purchasing a fur coat, firstly, you need to decide where to buy. It is better to do this in a store that has been operating for several years. If you find defects during the warranty period - which is almost a whole calendar year - you can exchange the fur coat or get your money back. This is very problematic when buying on the market.

You also need to clearly understand where you will mainly wear your fur coat. If you are driving a car, a short sheepskin coat or jacket made of short-haired furs (mink, otter, etc.) is suitable. If you have to walk with your child in a stroller in winter, take a long and warm fur coat made of beaver, fox, arctic fox or mink.

Buyers often ask the question: what is better - a fur coat “in loose” or made from solid plates? Both of them have the right to life. If the flesh is thick, like that of a beaver, nutria, or raccoon, dissolution is better. Then the fur coat sits more comfortably and does not stand up. If the inside is thin, say, like that of a mink, a loose fur coat can be slimming overweight women(but this is not a rule). It all depends on the specific model, length of the fur coat, color, etc. Naturally, you need to pay attention to the quality of the fur and its dressing.

IS IT WORTH BUYING DYED FUR? Here it is necessary to distinguish why the fur was dyed. If, in order to hide defects in fur and its dressing (for this, as a rule, dark colors), this is unacceptable. But there are other purposes for coloring. For example, for wild nutria, fur dyeing is necessary, since the natural color is very unattractive.

In addition, fashion dictates the expansion of the color range of furs and fur tinting or dyeing it in one or more colors is very often used. Considering high level modern technologies and high quality dyes, such dyeing does not significantly affect the quality of fur. Therefore, if you like a fur coat made of bright red mink or purple fox, feel free to buy it.

However, with all other qualities being equal, dyed fur will not last as long as natural fur. Check the color fastness: wrap a tuft of hair in a handkerchief and rub it between your fingers. If the slightest trace remains, the fur coat will get dirty when worn.

WHAT TO CHOOSE - A FUR COAT OR A DEEP COAT? It's a matter of taste. But, objectively speaking, a fur coat is more practical. She is not afraid of rain, dirt, and the fashion for fur coats is more conservative. Buy it today, and in five years you won’t look like a black sheep.

HOW TO CHECK THE QUALITY OF MAKING? Wrinkle any part of a fur product - it should almost immediately return to its original shape. The skin should be soft, the hair shiny and crumbly. If this is not the case, most likely you are looking at fur made in an artisanal way. Smell: “self-made” always emits a sharp, unpleasant odor. Stroke the fur against the grain - long hairs should not break, the down should be thick enough. Fur hairs should not easily separate from the skin. Don’t believe it if they assure you that the tuft of hair remaining in your hands is normal, “from stitches” and “it always comes out like that at first.” It will climb constantly, and after a couple of seasons the new fur coat will turn into a leather coat.

QUALITY OF TAILORING. Rule No. 1: the fewer seams, the stronger the product. The days of Greek fur coats, sewn from many pieces, are long gone. Their great popularity in Russia was determined by their relative cheapness and attractive appearance: computer technologies for cutting skins “into small pieces” make it possible to obtain surprisingly light, “flowing” furs. Few people paid attention to the abundance of seams. But in vain - the lifespan of such a fur coat is only from six months to 2 years! Then few people will undertake to repair it! If possible, when purchasing a fur coat, look under the lining, check for defects in the seams in the sleeves, on the yoke, under the collar. Check to see if the hanger is securely sewn on and pay special attention to the markings. One “label” on the back of the lining is not enough! A fur coat sewn by the hands of craftsmen from reputable and well-known companies has special “identification marks”; they must certainly correspond to each other:

Branded label with the logo (trademark) of the company, its details, a sign of compliance with Quality Standards and back side an adhesive label with basic data on the product and a barcode printed on special equipment (it cannot be erased from the label mechanically or otherwise);

Buyer's Reminder where you will find useful tips fur care;

Soft markings, sewn into the side seams of a fur coat or into the seam of the lining of a headdress, have the company logo and data that matches the data indicated on the special “sticky” label;

Expensive products have lining material with the company logo.

Whose fur is the best?...

So, you already know what affects the wearability of fur, how to check the quality of its manufacture and the quality of tailoring, you can distinguish a fake, you can imagine the “lower bar” of average market prices, by looking at the Prices section, it remains to find out which fur is the best:

If you like warmth, choose furs with high heat-protective properties. These are reindeer, arctic fox, raccoon dog, wolf. Whether you will be warm depends largely on the density of the fur down and the thickness of its hair, which in no case should be dull. It is easy to check the density of the down - just blow on the fur. And the longer the hair, the warmer the fur, the higher its quality. Ideally, in a fox, raccoon, arctic fox, and wolverine, the hair should reach a length of 40 mm, in a mink - 25, in a sable, muskrat - from 25 to 40 mm.

If, due to your busy schedule, you expect to spend a lot of time outside in unstable weather, then, undoubtedly, you should give preference to a fur coat made from the fur of “aquatic” animals - beaver, nutria, otter. When a fur coat is needed as clothing of prestige, mole, chinchilla or ermine are more suitable. You only risk freezing, because such products are often sewn on a thin lining and are not insulated with batting or synthetic padding. The table shows that the furs of aquatic animals are the most resistant to wear.

Which fur is the most wearable?

Below is a table of wearability of various furs according to the Research Institute of the Fur Industry. It should be noted right away that these data are of Soviet origin, and in some ways they are a little outdated.
The most wearable fur is otter fur, its wearability is taken as 100%, all other furs are less wearable and their wearability is determined as a percentage of the wearability of otter fur.

This is explained by the fact that dyed fur becomes tougher, dyed hair loses its elasticity and becomes more brittle. Trimming long-haired fur prevents the hair from breaking and prevents felting - the interweaving of hairs with each other and the formation of fur lumps.

The wear resistance of fur products largely depends on the finishing of the skins - cutting and dyeing. Dyeing reduces the wearability of fur by 10 - 20%, while cutting, on the contrary, increases the wearability of fur by 20 - 40%

Wearability and wear resistance of fur.

The most important characteristics of natural fur are durability and wear resistance. Most sock fur is otter, its durability is taken as 100 points, products made from otter are worn for 20 seasons without repair or restoration. The second place in terms of wearability is occupied by the beaver, and the fur seal is in third place. The wearability of sable, mink and arctic fox is 80, 70 and 60 points, respectively, and products made from these types of fur are worn for 12, 9 and 7 seasons (the duration of the season is four months). The lowest wear rates are for the fur of a hare (5 points), a long-haired rabbit (10 points) and a marmot (25 points). Products made from these types of fur will last 0.8, 2 and 3.5 seasons, respectively.

The wear resistance of furs depends on the strength of the hair, the skin (skin tissue) and the strength of the bond between the hair and the skin. Of particular importance is the strength of the bond between the hair and the flesh; it depends on the type of fur, the season of extraction, and compliance with the technology of dressing the skin. The fur of different animals has an unequal indicator of the strength of the bond between the hair and the flesh; for example, otter fur has this characteristic much higher than that of rabbit and hare fur. During the molting period, the strength of the bond between the hair and the flesh decreases significantly, so fur obtained in late autumn has the best characteristics.

Additional factors that determine the wear resistance of fur are: the thickness of the skin, its density, the thickness of the epidermis and subcutaneous tissue, the nature of the weaving of fibers in the dermis, the degree of development of the hairline and its density, chemical and protein composition, the presence of fur defects. An important factor in the wear resistance of fur is the type of processing. For example, dyeing fur reduces its wearability by 10-20%, and cutting fur, on the contrary, increases wear resistance by a third.

Thermal protective properties of fur.

The heat-protective properties of fur are determined by the number of air bubbles present inside the hairs, the amount of air between the hairs, and the looseness of the inner layer. Most high heat resistance has the fur of arctic fox, reindeer, raccoon dog, fox, marten, mink, astrakhan fur, but sheared rabbit, marmot, ermine and goat are much worse at keeping warm.

Loose flesh significantly reduces the heat-protective properties of a fur product. Often, the leather fabric of the skin is greatly stretched to reduce the weight of the product. As a result, the heat resistance of the fur decreases, since the distance between the hairs increases and the layer of air between them decreases.

The heat-protective properties of fur depend on the creaseability of the hairs - in less-crinkleable types of fur they are higher. It is also important to know that products made from the skins of female animals are lighter and more elegant, but the heat-protective properties of such fur are lower than those of male fur.

Fur weight of different animals

The weight of natural fur depends on the type of animal. The thickness of the inner layer of each fur is different; depending on this indicator, furs are divided into:

- hard or thick-skinned: seal, beaver, raccoon dog, sheepskin;

- soft or medium-chested: astrakhan fur, mink, nutria, weasel, rabbit;

- very soft (thin-skinned): arctic fox, squirrel, broadtail, fox, mole.

Comfortable fur products should combine lightness and coziness, so very light fur coats made from thick fur types will not warm their owner due to the fact that the stretched fur will increase the distance between the hairs and the fur coat will become cold.

Fur processing and dressing

The technology for manufacturing natural fur consists of preparatory operations, dressing and finishing. Preparatory operations include sorting fur and fur raw materials and identifying defects. Technological processes for the production of fur raw materials can be divided into two large groups. The first group includes operations based on chemical and physical-chemical processes: soaking, pickling, tanning, degreasing, fermentation, drying, neutralization, pickling, dyeing. These operations significantly change the chemical properties of the raw material.

The second group of technological processes includes mechanical operations: flaying, breaking, shearing, beating, carding, ironing, etc.

Fur factories produce undyed and dyed skins; a significant part of the raw materials is subjected to imitation, giving inexpensive types of fur the appearance of valuable fur. During the process of imitation, the fur is cut, plucked, straightened, and dyed.

New technologies open up limitless possibilities for fur; they change the texture and structure of fur, which changes the approach to the design of fur items, their shape and volume. The latest developments make it possible to twist and burn fur, combine it with various materials, and inlay it.

Useful tips: how to choose a fur product.

Fashion for fur products is influenced by five determining factors: type of fur, style, design, combination of furs and new fur processing technologies.

Basic concepts.

The awn is the thicker part of the hair, the upper layer of fur. The underfur is the thinner part of the hair, lower tier fur. The mezdra is the bottom layer of the fur skin.

The warmest fur: beaver, mouton, sable. Coldest: ermine. The best to wear: otter, seal, beaver. The most short-lived: chinchilla, rabbit. Dyed furs wear out 10-20% faster. The durability of sheared fur is 20-40% higher.

When purchasing a product from well-known European brands, you should remember that parameters such as durability, practicality and durability are not decisive for them. In the first place is the name of the fashion designer, brand, and unusual design. If your level of well-being does not allow you to change your fur coat every season, it is better to choose more practical models.

Most objective factor product quality is wear resistance of fur, from which it is made. The service life of products made from natural fur is determined by its wear, therefore, when choosing a fur coat, take an interest and compare the service life of products made from the fur of different animals.

Good, high-quality fur should be thick, shiny, and have the same hair height. Hair should not fall off the product when shaken. The strength of the connection between the hair and the flesh can be checked by taking the product by several hairs and holding it in weight. If the hair is firmly connected to the flesh, the product will not fall.

Fur dressing and high-quality tailoring are the main features good product. You can determine whether a fur coat is a factory-made product by smell. Unpleasant smell I must warn you against purchasing. If it is possible to look at the leather fabric, do so by unscrewing the lining of the product. The flesh should be soft and elastic to the touch, not rustle under your hand like paper, and have no visible defects. Good fur, when crumpled, immediately returns to its original shape. You can stroke the fur against the grain - long hairs should not break, and the undercoat should be thick and soft. The skin of an unpainted product should be light.

A high-quality fur coat should be made from solid plates measuring 15 by 15 cm. If the pieces of fur are smaller, then the price of the product should be about a third lower. A product made from small pieces will not be durable; over time, the pieces will begin to fall apart.

What furs are most often counterfeited, how to distinguish a fake

Sometimes expensive types of fur are replaced with cheaper ones, skillfully giving them the desired appearance, for example, marten is passed off as sable fur.

Nutria is faked as fur river beaver. However, the beaver has longer guard hairs and thicker underhairs than the nutria.

They often try to pass off rabbit or marmot fur as mink. You can distinguish a mink from a rabbit by its hardness - the fur of a rabbit is much softer. A marmot's fur consists of hair of unequal length, while a mink has perfectly even hair and does not prick at all.

Conclusion

The love for natural fur lives in our genes - from those ancient times when our ancestors first realized its warmth, softness and comfort. You can talk endlessly about natural fur - soft “gold” has such magic. Wear fur products with pleasure, they will give you warmth, comfort, style, and emphasize your status and taste.

Dobryanskaya Tatiana

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