subject: Shopping For Fur Coats? Learn To Tell A Rabbit From A Mink [print this page] If youre looking for the ultimate in luxury, quality and warmth, you can look no further than fur coats. Quality fur coats can last you a very long time and are a great investment. But like most things in life, there is an abundance of options when youre shopping for fur coats and if youre not educated on the specifics of these options you could end up getting swindled. Its always a good idea to brief yourself on the product youre planning on purchasing before you go out and buy it, especially if its a bigger purchase like a fur coat that way when someone is trying to sell you the top shelf mink, you know what to look for to verify its authenticity. You dont want to end up with a coat made from coyote if youre looking for chinchilla. Here are a few fur identification tips to help you make the most educated purchase.
1) When youre out looking at fur coats, feel the texture. Sable and mink are extremely soft and shiny. Sable is generally lightweight and very silky. As its one of the rarest and most luxurious furs, sable coats are extremely expensive so you want to be sure what youre looking at is the real deal. Mink is has a rich feel and is deeply tinted, smooth and fluffy. A key identifying characteristic with mink and sable is their ability to stay soft, even when you stroke the fur against the grain. Other furs generally feel coarse, but mink and sable remain soft no matter what direction you stroke the fur.
2) Another trait to study is the thickness of the fur coats. Typically, otter and raccoon coats are the thickest, with several layers of fur. These are especially durable and make great protection as outerwear. These tend to more coarse than the other furs, but if warmth from the cruel winter elements is what youre after otter and raccoon can be your best bet. These furs come in tan, black, grey, light brown, dark brown and silver.
3) You should be familiar with the most commonly used furs for coats. Rabbit and fox are two extremely popular fur varieties used for anything from coats, stoles, hats, gloves and more. Foxes and rabbits are some of the easiest animals to breed for fur, and for many retailers, are the easiest to sell. The fur is extremely soft and is medium in length. Rabbit fur coats also tend to have a grooved pattern.
4) For new buyers, it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference between a fake fur coat and a real one. One way to do this is to rub the fur against the grain and study whats underneath. Does it look like porous, woven fabric or a leathery, animal hide? In addition to studying the under part of the coat, you can also rub a little bit of the fur between your fingers and see how it feels. Real fur tends to roll easily and while fake fur coats are extremely stiff and coarse.
