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Fur Terminology
Every fur represents weeks of specialized labour and fine hand craftsmanship.
Furriers have specialized skills which often have been handed down from
generation to generation.  The
creation of each fur requires meticulous workmanship. The following terms
describe some of the elements involved:
- Brightener added
-
A process which enhances the colour of a fur.
- Dyeing
- Process of applying dye to create a new colour. Dyeing is
sometimes also used to correct any imperfections and to improve uniformity.
Sometimes the pelt is leached white before colour is added. Guard Hair Long,
lustrous outer hair that protects the underfur.
- Knitted Fur
-
A new technique that produces a soft, comfortable, fur-in/fur-out look and
feel.
- Leathering
-
Insertion of ribbon, cloth or leather strips along with fur strips. May be done
for fashion or to lighten the weight of the fur.
- Letting Out
-
Cutting the pelt into diagonal strips and resewing it to make the pelt longer
and narrower. Sometimes referred to as dropping out. The effect is supple and
smooth flowing.
- Mutation
-
Natural furs of special colours that are produced by selective breeding.
- Plucking
-
To emphasize the velvet underhair of the fur. All guard hairs are plucked
before shearing.
- Shearing
-
Cutting the fur to a short, uniform pile.
- Shearling
-
Natural lamb pelts with the leather side often sueded and worn on the outside.
- Skin-on-Skin
-
Rectangular pelts are sewn together to create a box effect as an alternative to
the letting out process.
- Tip-Dyeing
-
Sometimes called blending. Dye is applied only to the tips of guard hairs to
produce more colour uniformity.
- Underfur
-
The underhair covered by guard hairs. This is the layer of the fur that acts as
insulation to provide warmth.
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