How to determine the fur of a beaver? Kamchatsky beaver with valuable fur

Kamchatsky beaver (sea beaver, sea otter or sea otter) is a predatory mammal that belongs to the family of cuni, the species of animal is close to otters.

The first mention of the Kamchatka beaver

This animal became known in the middle of the XVIII century, after the long expeditions of Russian sailors to the south-western part of the Bering Sea, or rather, after visiting the Commander Islands. Stories about the uniqueness of the fur of this animal flew lightning fast, which led to the sad results - the beginning of the mass extermination of Kamchatka beavers.

Approximately two centuries later, in 1911, quotas were introduced by Russia and other countries in the territory of which the sea otter lives, for catching these mammals. But the situation did not help, the shooting continued to be carried out even illegally. In order to somehow increase the population of the sea beaver and resume the production of valuable fur, attempts were made to breed the beast in artificial conditions. However, they were unsuccessful due to the fact that in captivity the beast did not want to breed. To date, the animal is listed in the Red Book, so the beaver fur costs a lot of money.

Application of fur Kamchatka beaver in the production of fur coats

Currently, designers for their work increasingly use fur otter, preferring to use it only for finishing some details, as beaver fur is quite expensive and rare material. Also, animal advocates are increasingly advocating a ban on the use of any natural fur.

However, it should be noted that the fur coat from the beaver's fur is one of the warmest. But such clothes have one minus: when contaminated, it partially loses its ability to keep heat, the same happens when it gets wet. Most often, the fur of the sea otter is used by designers of men's clothing, but among the female half of lovers of valuable furs, there are often fans of beaver products.

Valuable properties of fur

Kamchatsky beaver with valuable fur belongs to the family of cunies, which can stay in the cold water for a long time. That is why his fur is very thick, dense and warm. Its main feature is that it does not let water and cold air pass to the skin of the animal, which does not allow it to freeze even in the most severe frosts. There is no subcutaneous fat in the animal, so fur is its only protection in the winter season.

Thus, fur coats and sheepskins in which beaver fur is used are some of the warmest, they are not afraid of moisture or fierce cold. But it should be emphasized that all these properties are preserved only under the condition of purity of fur. If the fur coat is contaminated, the water will easily penetrate into it. In principle, this applies to fur coats from any natural fur.

At first glance, when the fur for clothes is thick enough, the impression is that the product is massive. But this is not true. The beaver fur looks very elegant, it is very soft and pleasant to the touch. Such things are durable and beautiful, and their color can vary from silvery to dark brown.

Wear resistance of fur cover

Frost resistance is not the only advantage of a beaver coat. Its other advantage is wear resistance. If we turn to the reference index of the strength of fur products, the Kamchatka beaver with valuable fur is an animal whose products exceed these standards tenfold.

Regarding how the beaver's fur behaves in cold weather, feedback from consumers comes only the most positive. Experts have estimated that even after more than a dozen years, the fur coat from the beaver will look like it was recently acquired, but only with the proper care of it.

How long does it take to create a fur coat?

To date, the technology of making products made from fur has advanced far ahead. Now, in order to create a coat of monochrome color, you do not need to wait for the production of skins of uniform color. It should be noted that skins of young individuals are mainly used, and they are very rare, so if you wait for the material, it will take a month to create a fur coat.

Now, to reduce this process, use a material of different colors, applying the so-called procedure of plucking fur, which leaves untouched tanning tissue. The fur coat from the plucked beaver has a light weight, uniform color and has a high frost resistance.

Beware of fakes

The problem of fake fur has long been known, and it's not about creating an artificial one, but selling one material under the guise of another. Beaver fur is no exception and takes the place of one of the leaders on the substitution. Therefore, the question arises as to how to determine the fur of a beaver and not buy a fake.

Instead of a sea otter, sellers often sell rabbits or marmots, and instead of foxes they can give fur to foxes (a fox hybrid with fox-fox fur), only a fur coat from a real sea otter will serve the hostess for more than one year, and the rest - no more than 2-3 seasons in a row. Also, the substitute may offer fur nutria, which is not worse in its consumer qualities, but is cheaper than the Kamchatka beaver fur.

As for the fur of the nutria, in contrast to the beaver, there is no undercoat, which ensures the preservation of heat. One can distinguish one product from another by the method of palpation, in other words, to feel by hands. The mink hair is quite hard, but, for example, the rabbit hair, on the contrary, is very soft. At the marmot, the hairs of the furs differ greatly from each other, while in the mink the wool looks as if trimmed, even.

The fur of the beaver is also checked. First of all, you need to pay attention to the undercoat, there must be a layer of fluff. In order not to become a victim of unscrupulous sellers, it is necessary to consult with experts in the field of fur and personally check everything.

How to distinguish a beaver fur from a rabbit fur?

Knowing what a beaver looks like, it will certainly be easier not to make a mistake in choosing a product. Of course, you will not be able to find out what kind of fur you bought, in the end, without expert examination or expert advice. To buy products you need to have at least simple ideas about them.

It is only possible to feel the beavers' fur belonging to the touch. First you need to hold a hand along it along the wool, the hairline will be very soft. If you hold your hand against the growth of hair, then the hair will be quite prickly and stiff. For comparison: if you iron the rabbit skin against hair growth, it will still be soft and silky. The beaver is tighter in order and the leather fabric, while in the rabbit it is very soft.

The next criterion is the presence of the undercoat, which has already been mentioned more than once. Next, you have to rub the bottom layer of the skin, if crunches - before you a rabbit, if not - beaver. And the last factor is the geometry of the sewn skins. For this you need to be very careful and try to consider the sites. If the fur coat is sewn from the beaver, then the length of the side of the rectangular section will reach 40-50 cm, while for rabbit products - a maximum of 25-35 cm.