fur descriptions

Badger - An extremely durable fur. Badger is quite heavy, warm and rugged. The long silvery guard hair covers a
dense underfur, which should be white or tan.

Beaver - Beaver can be plucked and sheared to reveal an amazingly thick soft underfur, the secret of its warmth. Or
the fur can be left "natural," its lustrous guardhair giving a completely different look and feel.

Calf - Lightweight and sporty. Look for brightly lustered, supple pelts with attractive markings and coloration.

ChinChilla - Originally from the mountains of South America, chinchilla used in the fur trade are now almost wholly
farm-raised. Most pelts are slate-blue, although other natural colours are becoming more widely available. The fur is
very lightweight and remarkably soft, dense and silky.

Coyote - Warmth, durability and a sporty look. The finest coyote is well covered with long, lustrous guardhairs over
dense, soft underfur. Colours range from pale grey to tan. Brightness is sometimes added by working with white fox.

Fisher - An exquisite Canadian fur. With relatively large hunting territories and low reproductive rates, fisher is not as
common as some other furbearers. Guardhairs are silky over a very dense underfur. Rich dark browns to almost black

Fitch - Look for a silky texture and clear colours when choosing fitch. Colours range from ecru to orange, with black
markings. Most fitch today is farm-raised.

Fox - Most wild Canadian foxes are a clear brilliant red. The winter phase of the Arctic fox, however, is almost pure
white. In addition, farmed foxes are now available in a wide range of natural colours, to which the dyer's art has added
a full palate of blushes, tints and hues. The world's first farmed foxes were the black and "silver" varieties raised on
Prince Edward Island, at the beginning of this century. When choosing fox, look for long silky guardhairs and soft dense
underfur.

Kid - Sometimes patterned to imitate Broadtail, kid should be silky with a short, flat, even texture. Most kid is imported
from China, Ethiopia and South America.

Lamb - This is actually a group of furs encompassing a wide variety of weights, textures and prices. From rugged,
water-repellent sheared Mouton, to playful, curly Mongolian, to elegant "Persian" karakul, "Broadtail" and Swakara.

Lynx - One of the most distinctively Canadian furs. Soft silky fur with magnificent colour and markings have made lynx
one of the most desired furs in recent years.

Marmot - Warm, thick-furred and quite coarse. Marmot may be natural or dyed in a range of colours. As with most
furs, one looks for "bluish" as opposed to "reddish" tones in natural pelts.

Marten - This North American cousin of the Russian sable remains one of the most exquisite of furs. Long silky
guardhair with dense soft underfur. Look for clarity of colour and soft, supple texture.

Mink - Still the queen of furs. Extensively farmed in North America, the Soviet Union and Scandinavia, more mink are
used in the fur trade than any other single fur. Always popular and worked in a complete range of styles, from casual to
dressy. Guard hairs shine with an unmistakable lustre; underfur should be lush and soft. Female pelts are smaller
(narrower bands in a let-out coat), silkier and have a lower pile. Excellent value and durabffity. Canadian mink are
world renowned.

Muskrat muskrat is characterized by very dense underfur.

Nutria - Good nutria may resemble beaver and can be worked in similar ways: natural longhair or plucked and
sheared. Watch for uniformity of texture and colour with sleek guardhair and plush underfur. Natural colours range from
the silver-blue of the more expensive ranched European ("spitz") nutria to the brown tones of North or South American
wild pelts.

Opossum - The North American variety has longer, silvery guardhairs. Australian opossum has a dense, shorter pile
and a blue-grey colour. Sometimes it is dyed brown or other shades.

Rabbit - Ranched rabbit is now available in a wonderful array of natural colours. Silky texture and uniformity of colour
are the qualities to keep in mind for the finest garment. The colours and choices between shearing, grooving and natural
rabbit present a generous selection of warm, soft fur coats, jackets, vests and hats.

Raccoon - Raccoon is characterized by long silvery guardhair over a very dense underfur. While it may be bleached or
dyed.

Sable - One of the rarest and most expensive of furs. Pelts are long, lightweight and well-furred. Crown sable is brown
with a bluish cast, while Golden sable glows like amber. The finest sables will often have silvery hairs dispersed
throughout the fur.

Skunk - Fine white markings on a blue-black ground and long silky guardhairs give this fur its tremendous visual
appeal. Often marketed as "Zorino,"

Squirrel - Squirrel is heavily furred yet low profiled and lightweight.

Tanuki - Imported from Japan, the tanuki is actually a member of the raccoon family. It is sometimes dyed to mimic
cross fox, which the fur resembles. Something different to consider if you are looking for character and quality.

Weasel - A member of the mink family. The feel of mink shorter-haired and lightweight.