BEAVER FUR

[jeboat]

I was in Cody, Wyoming last week on the way to Yellowstone park when I dropped in a typical touristy dry goods store. What I saw on the third floor was, however, anything but typical. It was a beaver pelt cover made to fit a queen sized bed.

It had about 20 matching (in color and size) beaver pelts sewn together with all the appointments needed for royalty. The fur was unbelievedly smooth and luxurious. It was tagged at $14, 400.00 for just the cover. It also had beaver pelt throw pillows for decoration at $300.00-400.00 each .

Now I know why beaver pelts are the best material for hats! The fur is awesome...

jeboat

 

[J.T.Marcus]

We recently watched the movie, "Buffalo Girls" (again). There is a scene where two old beaver trappers (Bartles and Jim) have gone to London with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Walking around town, they discover a "top hat" in a store window. The sign with it says, "Genuine Beaver." One of the trappers says, "So that's what they do with them." Now, both trappers are wearing felt hats. If the movie is accurate at this point, their hats were made of something else (wool or rabbit). I do remember learning in elementary school that it was the market for men's "top hats" which caused the North American beaver population to be trapped to near extinction. (they have since made a comeback.) Evidently beaver fur was only used in our favorite hats, after "top hats" went out of style. If that's the case I'm glad they did.

 

[fatwoul]

That's really interesting, JT. Some time ago I posted a thread on COW asking why beaver fur in particular was favoured for felt hats, and unfortunately it disappeared under a pile of jokes and daft comments, but at its heart was a genuine question which went unanswered. That question is: What properties of beaver fur make it so suited to felt hats? There are lots of other animals that are trapped/hunted for their fur, but I don't ever hear of them being used for hats. Is chinchilla ever used, for example? Or how about otter fur? Some otters get at least as big as beavers, and they lead similar lives, so probably have similar coats.

What about bear? Is bear fur really different from beaver fur?

I thought maybe these days it was to do with endangerment, so what about raccoon fur? They're considered pests in most places, and aren't protected, so a person could shoot or trap as many raccoons as they needed to make a hat.

 

[Undertow]

That's really interesting, JT. Some time ago I posted a thread on COW asking why beaver fur in particular was favoured for felt hats, and unfortunately it disappeared under a pile of jokes and daft comments, but at its heart was a genuine question which went unanswered. That question is: What properties of beaver fur make it so suited to felt hats? There are lots of other animals that are trapped/hunted for their fur, but I don't ever hear of them being used for hats. Is chinchilla ever used, for example? Or how about otter fur? Some otters get at least as big as beavers, and they lead similar lives, so probably have similar coats.

What about bear? Is bear fur really different from beaver fur?

I thought maybe these days it was to do with endangerment, so what about raccoon fur? They're considered pests in most places, and aren't protected, so a person could shoot or trap as many raccoons as they needed to make a hat.

I've been wondering this myself, more or less. I know there has been some discussion recently on nutria but what about things like Raccoon or Bear, or even perhaps Opossum?

 

[Colby Jack]

Fats...think furry animal that spends it's time almost completely in water...what better fur to use for hats that wont fall apart when they get wet...Nutria is another animal that lives in the water here....

 

[indycop]

Aren't nutria and beaver just big rodents? For that matter why aren't australian hats made from platypus? Aren't they just like a beaver?

 

[LEUII]

When I was growing up I used to trap furbearers. Paid off a good bit of college that way. Beaver still brought a pretty good price at that time. From what the buyers told, it, otter, and seal made the best felt for hats. The consistency of the fur, the inherent oils, the length and diameter of the under hair, and more had something to do with it. While a beaver pelt is a luxuriant thing of beauty in the right time of the year in is just the insulating under fur that goes into felt, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Barry]

A number of old Hat Corporation of America patents are easily available through Google Patent Search. There are some interesting tidbits in the patents. Apologies if I am reposting info.

Fabric, Hat and the Method of Making the Same
#2322255

This article discusses beaver, rabbit, wool and mixing in various fibers with fur felt to reduce costs.

Flocked Thermoplastic Fabric Hat
#3365727

This one gives a little background on rabbit fur in the late 1960s. Possible substitutes for fur felt are offered.

 

[fatwoul]

I've been wondering this myself, more or less. I know there has been some discussion recently on nutria but what about things like Raccoon or Bear, or even perhaps Opossum?

Thanks Ut - I'm glad I'm not the only one! lol

I guess the reason people don't use raccoon or opossum probably has as much to do with connotation as much as the fur itself. Those animals are generally seen as pests, and I guess people would no more want their hat made of them than of rat, for example. But I'm sure those connotations don't have much to do with the original decision on which fur to use, since the view of raccoons and opossums as pests is probably a more recent one, in the same way as foxes are seen as pests here now that urban areas have encroached on their habitat to the point that they now live in the towns.

Fats...think furry animal that spends it's time almost completely in water...what better fur to use for hats that wont fall apart when they get wet...Nutria is another animal that lives in the water here....

You're absolutely right, CJ, I'm sure that's the reason, but see, over here otters are very similar in terms of their coat and what demands it has to face. I'm just curious as to why an animal from America would be used to make the felt for hats that were being sold in huge numbers in Europe. Afterall, none of these animals were protected when fur felt was first developed, so felters would have been free to use any animal they liked.

I was talking to someone earlier this evening, who suggested that it may be a tradition, and that animals whose furs were originally used for coats and "trapper" hats etc may have been the natural choice for the pelts to make fur felt too. But coyote were used a lot in the fur trade, and yet we never hear of coyote fur felt.

Aren't nutria and beaver just big rodents? For that matter why aren't australian hats made from platypus? Aren't they just like a beaver?

They are? I didn't know that. See, that's the sort of thing I mean. Why did English felters never use otter in the same way. Or maybe they did.

When I was growing up I used to trap furbearers. Paid off a good bit of college that way. Beaver still brought a pretty good price at that time. From what the buyers told, it, otter, and seal made the best felt for hats. The consistency of the fur, the inherent oils, the length and diameter of the under hair, and more had something to do with it. While a beaver pelt is a luxuriant thing of beauty in the right time of the year in is just the insulating under fur that goes into felt, if I'm not mistaken.

Ahh so otter and seal were used for the felt trade. That's great LEUII thanks for the info!

A number of old Hat Corporation of America patents are easily available through Google Patent Search. There are some interesting tidbits in the patents. Apologies if I am reposting info.

Fabric, Hat and the Method of Making the Same
#2322255

This article discusses beaver, rabbit, wool and mixing in various fibers with fur felt to reduce costs.

Flocked Thermoplastic Fabric Hat
#3365727

This one gives a little background on rabbit fur in the late 1960s. Possible substitutes for fur felt are offered.

Ah splendid some more reading for me as soon as my work quiets down a little. Thank you Barry.

 

[carter]

This looks lijke a good place for this question.

I've seen some hatmakers on-line advertising hats made of "pure beaver belly fur".

My question is, does anyone know of a felter(s) that actually separate beaver belly fur from the rest of the beaver fur?

Has anyone ever seen a Pure Beaver Belly Fur hat?

 

[WideBrimm]

Aren't nutria and beaver just big rodents? For that matter why aren't australian hats made from platypus? Aren't they just like a beaver?

Just now googling platypus: The platypus is officially classified as "Common but Vulnerable" in Australia., according to the Australian Platypus Conservancy, which also says the platypus was used for fur, and is now banned from private captivity. The government bans the export of the species. Here's a link http://www.platypus.asn.au/distribution_and_status.html

As for rabbit, its common knowledge the rabbit is considered a pest in Australia.

 

[fatwoul]

...As for rabbit, its common knowledge the rabbit is considered a pest in Australia.

Together with most other places, I should imagine. Silly little things with their big ears. Who are they kidding?

 

[HATCO]

This looks lijke a good place for this question.

I've seen some hatmakers on-line advertising hats made of "pure beaver belly fur".

My question is, does anyone know of a felter(s) that actually separate beaver belly fur from the rest of the beaver fur?

Has anyone ever seen a Pure Beaver Belly Fur hat?

that double eagle I showed you was pure belly fur.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

I once had to set a (humane) trap for a skunk that had gotten under a church building. I never caught the skunk; did however catch six cats and two opossums. Turning them loose, I had a chance to see the fur up really close. Frankly, I don't think anybody here would buy a hat made of 'possum fur, even if you didn't know what it was. Same thing with racoon, the hairs are just too coarse! Now cat fur, on the other hand...

 

[scotrace]

The cat in the cat hat? lol

 

[fatwoul]

...Same thing with racoon, the hairs are just too coarse! Now cat fur, on the other hand...

This leads to the other question I was asking over on COW. Do you actually need the pelt? Or is the fur enough? I mean, the fur gets seperated from the hide anyway.

Anybody here who has pet cats or dogs knows what an incredible amount of fur they drop every spring. We're still filling the vacuum with dog hair, and our bassett hounds died 18 months ago.

I know felt cones for making hats are pretty huge, but I also think that the amount of hair an average cat or dog sheds in their lifetime is considerable.

If a forward-thinking pet owner was able to collect and store the molted fur from their animal during its life, would it be useable in the creation of hat felt?

I suggested on COW that a hat made from the dropped fur of your dog or cat might be a nice way to remember them, certainly better than stuffing them and putting them on a wooden mount.

I made the point that being able to effectively take your dog on walks long after they are gone might appeal to some people, but I was quickly laughed into silence.

I still don't think it's bad idea, but what do you guys think?

 

[Undertow]

You know, I got to wondering last night about different fur bearing animals that could be used for hats and I kinda started to feel like Montey Burns when he wanted to kill those pups for a coat.

If rabbit fur is used, why not Chinchilla as prev. stated? Chinchilla fur seems much softer to me. And I realize Beaver is expensive but we farm everything else out there, why not set up Beaver farms?

Coyotes, foxes and wolves? Mink? Weasels (stoats, in particular were quite popular back when)?

I can tell you for a fact that coyotes in Iowa are considered a pest. I could go out during Coyote season and shoot as many as I like, turn them in and get $1 a head. Why not use their fur for hats (at least in some sort of mixture, in place of wool)?

 

[fatwoul]

...I can tell you for a fact that coyotes in Iowa are considered a pest. I could go out during Coyote season and shoot as many as I like, turn them in and get $1 a head. Why not use their fur for hats (at least in some sort of mixture, in place of wool)?

Definitely. I mentioned on the first page how I had been discussing this with another member of the forum, who made the good point that what animals are used may have been an overhang from the days before fur felting, when the animals furs were used directly. Coyote was used extensively, so what was it about their fur that meant they were unappealling to the felter? I suspect the clue may be in what you just posted, Undertow - coyotes are considered a pest, with a low value, and maybe people want their fur to come from a more "noble" animal. Having said that, rabbits are pests, and in many places, so are beavers.

I dunno. This will continue to bug me. But I appreciate the response to this I have received in this thread. Thanks everyone.

 

[J.T.Marcus]

You don't have to kill the animal to get the hair. Sheep will allow themselves to be sheared. Beavers, nutria, coyotes, racooons, et. al. are not so inclined. Would you want to hold a beaver, and give it a haircut? Tranquilizers are expensive. The easiest and cheapest way to harvest fur, therefore has always been to kill and skin the animal, and ship the pelt to the processor. For previous generations, this did not present ethical problems.

As to making a hat from your pet's fur which you have saved after shedding, that should be feasible. You may have to make the felt, yourself, though. I recently read an article on the process. It's fairly simple. Good luck.

 

[HATCO]

It's been explained to me that furfelt hats are made from the undercoat also known as guard hair. Guard hair is a finer hair/fur that felts much better than an animals upper fur coat.