Shaving bunnies

[bloc]

Just noticed that the hatter is the same as on this video, saved among my favorites

Great video, thanks for that.

 

[bloc]

Loving the beaver jokes. Had a few of those lately, a delivery of beaver felt to a little hat shop in West Wales has been the cause of much hilarity...

So, does all beaver fur come from trapped wild beavers or are they farmed at all?

 

[jhe888]

The video makes me ask something I've wondered about: why do so many orthodox Jews wear their hats so high on their head? Is that just the fashion among them?

I can't believe anyone is shaving bunnies, beavers, or nutria for fur for felt hats. I think rodents have to die to make felt.

I have never heard of any farmed beavers. I think they are all trapped.

 

[TheDane]

So they shave bunnies for the fur ... Well then how do they get Moth balls ??? < runs away and hides >

Hmmmm ... don't know, but I've been told that Lance Armstrong always were singing an old song while riding:

There's a big ball in Boston
A big ball in town
There's a big ball in Boston
Let's dance around

So, does all beaver fur come from trapped wild beavers or are they farmed at all?

The beaver has been extinct for many, many years in DK. Some years ago they were reintroduced to a few lakes and creeks (we don't have full blown rivers), but it's my understanding this was not a simple task. Now they're doing great and breeding, but I think they would be quite difficult to handle in captivity. Pure speculation on my part, though. I don't know for sure

 

[TheDane]

The video makes me ask something I've wondered about: why do so many orthodox Jews wear their hats so high on their head? Is that just the fashion among them?

Not long ago I saw a picture, Aaron (lotsahats) had posted. He was wearing a kippa underneath the hat (the pic was taken from behind, so it was clearly visible). That may move the hat higher on the head, but it may also be due to fashion/tradition. Maybe Aaron will elaborate on the issue

 

[bloc]

A bit of googling later and it looks like we might have wild beaver in Wales

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-19194917

And beaver farming has at least been proposed in the past

http://www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Beaver-farming-1927-pdf.pdf

 

[HudsonHawk]

I once dated a girl who worked as a bunny at the Playboy Club in Chicago. The bunny costume she had to wear required her nether regions to be 'fur free', so periodic shaving was needed. I was often called upon to undertake this task. So, I guess I could claim a certain level of expertise in this area.

When I first saw the title of this thread I thought "hmmm...I don't have a shaving bunny...maybe someone knows where I can find one." This thread is not what I thought it was. At all.

 

[HudsonHawk]

I had an elderly homeless woman stop me the other day and say "How are you doing handsome." You reach a certain age and you take what you can get.

A few months ago, one of the youngsters at work commented to me "you know, lately I've been finding a lot of older women attractive...I mean like 28 or 30 year old women." After I stopped laughing, he said "does that just continue as you get older...that when you're 40 or 50 you find 40 year old women attractive." I said "not to put too fine a point on it...but YES!"

 

[alanfgag]

A google search for "beaver attack" will cure you of any temptation you might have had to take a razor to one.

 

[tonyb]

...

ps - the website in the original post has been posted here a number of times over the years - comments followed on the detailing and the prices, which are quite high. Don't believe we have ever seen a live sample.

Indeed it has (been posted here before), and indeed there were (comments), and indeed they are (high prices, obscenely so), and indeed we haven't (seen any examples of the work), leastwise not any of which I'm aware.

And, as I recall, there was commentary on his claim that the critters aren't harmed in the gathering of their fur. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt, to chalk it up to something getting twisted about in translation. I'd really like to think that's a plausible explanation. But I don't.

 

[Lotsahats]

The video makes me ask something I've wondered about: why do so many orthodox Jews wear their hats so high on their head? Is that just the fashion among them?

Among the variety of groups of very Orthodox Jews (and there are many groups), there are differences in hats and other clothes, but the main idea is that clothes should be modest and not distracting. This is why men wear monochromatic suits, and women wear long skirts and sleeves to mid arm. Some groups even hold on to older styles of clothing, such as knee-high stockings for men. Hats fit in as a question of modesty; one wears a kippah to show respect for Gd, and then one covers the head to be modest. The emphasis is on blending in, so with few exceptions, you'll wear your hat the same way all the other men do. In short, it has everything to do with modesty and custom.

Here's an interesting site that provides pictures for the variety of hats: http://wernercohn.com/hats.html

 

[Lotsahats]

Oh, and I should add: Ole has one part of it right: a kippah changes either your hat size or the way you wear your hats. For me, it adds about a half size to the hat. Often I slip my kippah into a pocket when I put my hat on; otherwise, I'll wear the hat pushed back, showing more forehead, so to speak. Personally I'm not a fan of the higher-on-the head style where it looks like you're wearing a little kid's hat.

A

 

[KingAndrew]

Aaron--Thanks for the excellent information. Outsiders often wonder about the Orthodox hats and your answers and that web site were very interesting.

As for the shaved-rodent thing, it does seem unlikely that the larger wild species like nutria or beaver could be easily shaved without being rendered unconscious. In previous posts, the opinion was offered that naked rodents have a tougher time of it than sheared sheep. Certainly they would be very exposed to weather and any camouflage function of their fur would be negated by shaving. Also, since the underfur is the most desirable, they would have to be shaved very close, which could get into razor burn, cuts, and other nastiness.

I seem to recall Graham Thompson of Optimo saying that wild fur is preferred, because it is of higher quality. Since I'm not sure there are any commercial-size beaver or nutria farms, it would probably be the only option for those furs. Rabbit could go either way, although in Akubra country I think all rabbits are seen as invasive pests, so I don't think there are many "pet" bunnies downunder. Although I've met a few teenagers with pet rats in the USA, so anything is possible.

I wonder if anyone has tried making rat felt? And if so, was it any good? It seems like that's a species that won't ever be endangered and doesn't evoke much sympathy from the public.

 

[hatsRme]

I wonder if anyone has tried making rat felt? And if so, was it any good? It seems like that's a species that won't ever be endangered and doesn't evoke much sympathy from the public.

We have an abundance of skunks (AKA polecats), also with lovely fur. Anyone?

And, to pile on with Aaron's insightful post above (and for all the wannabes) here is one of the many vendors selling Rabbi-approved hats at DISCOUNTED prices (Nu?! Why pay retail).

http://www.fersterhats.com/

 

[TheDane]

Since I'm not sure there are any commercial-size beaver or nutria farms [...]

There certainly are (or were) commercial-size nutria farms in US. Their natural habitat is in South America, but escaped farmed nutrias have made them a highly invasive pests in some of the Southern states. Like mink they are produced in extremely small cages and killed/skinned - not sheared.

This very-post-teenager has had two pet rats (named "Cow" and "Chicken") but never tried to make rat felt. I really doubt the fur would be usable, but don't know for sure. I'm quite sure though, that the general public have no sympathy for rats - although they actually are just as intelligent animals as most dogs. That's the reason they can be such a hard pest to get rid of.

To be completely honest they actually belonged to my youngest daughter, but she partly lived with her mother and had the rats living at my home

 

[jhe888]

Thanks for the insight.

 

[alanfgag]

... In short, it has everything to do with modesty and custom.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, Aaron.

I've always thought the shtreimel was an interesting exception. Perhaps these are more of an expression of love and devotion than modesty.

 

[mayserwegener]

Side note: Muskrat (similar to Beaver and Nutria) fur was used for making felt hats.

 

[TheDane]

Side note: Muskrat (similar to Beaver and Nutria) fur was used for making felt hats.

Yes, I was told that the Canadian redcoats' hats are made from muskrat(?) Originally it is an American animal, but it was introduced in Central Europe for hunting in the early 1900s. Today it's a seriously invasive pest all over Europe.

As some of the Atlantic European countries have lots of coastal areas below sea level - and the muskrat undermines dikes - it's considered a very serious pest. In DK it's not legal to keep muskrat in captivity - neither as pets nor as fur animals.

 

[Lotsahats]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, Aaron.

I've always thought the shtreimel was an interesting exception. Perhaps these are more of an expression of love and devotion than modesty.

The shtreimel is a whole other thing; you're supposed to increase your joy on Shabbos--Saturday, the Sabbath--and on the holidays, so you wear a fancier hat and usually a nicer set of clothes. Some have the custom of even adding in some color to their wardrobe:

Shtreimels are really expensive. Usually made of fox fur, they're something you hold on to for your life.

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