Help identifying two furs

D

diamonddog

Registered Guest
Hi! I've picked up both of these furs at thrift stores within the past few months and I'm unsure of what type of fur they are. I'm usually quick to identify certain ones because I have a little collection of rabbit, fox, mink, lamb, etc. fur coats and accessories and I also admittedly run my hands through just about every fur I see at my local fur shops and antique stores, but these ones feel a little different to me and they've obviously been dyed so it's a little tougher to identify them. Please note these furs are quite dark and I slightly overexposed the photos so the fur could be more easily seen. The lighting may make hairs appear much lighter or even white, but like I said, they're dark.

Here's an imgur album with photos: http://imgur.com/a/zI8pK

The first one is dyed a plummy maroon color (it's much more purple in person) and it fades out into black. The longer, darker hairs feel coarse and straight while the shorter, lighter hairs are somewhat crimpy and fuzzy.

The second one is dyed black, but it seems to be a faded black since it has greenish tones and I can see areas with brownish fur (the second to last photo was very overexposed to show the different tones). This was a cape but the silky lining was badly torn (along with some of the fur) and I removed it since I plan on using most of this fur for another project. It also had two strips of fabric with fur at the ends to tie with near where the sharp corners are.

Part of the fur feels similar to fox but it seems kind of "messy" or "wild" and less consistent in the direction of how the hairs lay compared to other fox furs I own or have seen (then again, the selection of types I've come across has been limited). The fur is also much shorter in some areas, as seen in the fourth to last photo. The longer hairs are silky and soft while the shorter hairs are somewhat crimpy and fuzzy, although much softer and thinner than on the first fur.

Thank you so much for any help, I appreciate it! Let me know if you have any questions.
 
Bear springs to mind for the darker one, it doesn't have the luster and looks too thick to be skunk? The reddish one is hard to tell because I think the dye has effected the feel of it by the looks of the photo. Do you know how old they are?
 
Arabella's Treasures said:
Bear springs to mind for the darker one, it doesn't have the luster and looks too thick to be skunk? The reddish one is hard to tell because I think the dye has effected the feel of it by the looks of the photo. Do you know how old they are?
Click to expand...
Thank you!

Bear seems like a possibility, but this doesn't feel as coarse as the bear fur I've felt before (to my memory). It does have similar movement, so I'm not ruling it out. I agree the dye may have affected the other one.

Unfortunately I'm not sure exactly how old they are, neither of them have any labels and they were simply thrift store finds with no background info. I'm not familiar enough with these types of pieces yet to give you an estimate of how old they are, either. I've only recently started becoming more interested in fur accessories, mostly to repair them for wear or to recycle the fur into new pieces.
 
My immediate thought on the first one is that it could be beaver.
I don't think the black one is bear, I agree, it would be coarser.
 
oh, and here is a beaver fur cape I have. I know for sure it's beaver, just from being able to handle it, etc. I think it looks quite similar to your first photo:
DSC02258.JPGDSC02264.JPG
 
Hello, The first fur is dyed Sable fur. It looks like it was originally dyed a dark Mahogany that has lightened over time. I can tell by the look of the guardhairs, the density, the color which is a commonly dyed color of dyed Sable fur, and what looks like velvet lining which is also a common lining for Sable fur collars. It is very dried out and the underfur which was once very soft is now nappy.
The second is dyed Rabbit. I can tell by the guardhair, the dye job, the fading of the dye job, and the placement of the fur. The fur looks like it has suffered from guardhair breakage breakage and the underfur on this one is nappy as well.
Due to the deteriorated condition of both of these the appearance and texture may look or feel differently to you than other like furs.
Determining age of these would be difficult because the Sable collar is a basic shape that has been seen in many eras throughout time and the Rabbit fur is only a small piece from a garment.
 
VintageFray said:
My immediate thought on the first one is that it could be beaver.
I don't think the black one is bear, I agree, it would be coarser.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much! Beaver hadn't even crossed my mind, I think you're right! It does look close to your cape. I also looked on several Etsy listings and read more about it just now, it has to be it. I know what sheared beaver feels like and I think I've actually felt unsheared/natural beaver once before as well. It was at a shop that sells hides and natural supplies. I'll have to go up there soon and compare it with mine to confirm!
 
Furwise said:
Hello, The first fur is dyed Sable fur. It looks like it was originally dyed a dark Mahogany that has lightened over time. I can tell by the look of the guardhairs, the density, the color which is a commonly dyed color of dyed Sable fur, and what looks like velvet lining which is also a common lining for Sable fur collars. It is very dried out and the underfur which was once very soft is now nappy.
The second is dyed Rabbit. I can tell by the guardhair, the dye job, the fading of the dye job, and the placement of the fur. The fur looks like it has suffered from guardhair breakage breakage and the underfur on this one is nappy as well.
Due to the deteriorated condition of both of these the appearance and texture may look or feel differently to you than other like furs.
Determining age of these would be difficult because the Sable collar is a basic shape that has been seen in many eras throughout time and the Rabbit fur is only a small piece from a garment.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much! I'm not familiar with sable fur so I've been looking at lots of photos. I haven't been able to find anything that looks similar enough to the fur length, do you have any examples you could share? Could you also signify the differences between sable and natural beaver fur? I feel like the fur I have has guardhairs more similar to beaver, like in this photo I found on an Etsy listing, except black. I measured them and they range from 2 to a little over 3 inches long if that's any help. However, the fur color and dye job make me think it's sable and you seem really to know what you're talking about. :)

Ooo, I wasn't expecting rabbit but it makes sense! I agree with the breakage and I think the age/quality has made it tougher to identify something as simple as rabbit, haha.

I'm not too hung up on the age or quality, I would be if I were selling them but they're just a few pieces in my collection I was curious about. They were only a few dollars each and a fun way to familiarize myself with more vintage fur. :)
 
You are most welcome and sure. Natural Beaver guardhairs are long, have a wet shiney look, and each of the individual guardhairs feel thick, coarse, and wirey as it ages like the bristles on a brush. Sable fur is also long, the length varies from region to region, starts out very soft, and it's very dense. It's fullness and density though is due to it having more fur per square inch rather than each individual guardhair being thick. Coloring or dying Sable and storing it improperly dries the fur out, causes it to lose it's softness, and the underfur gets nappy.

Here is a natural Sable fur collar that I have. It doesn't look the same because it does not have any added coloring and it is still in silky soft condition but you may be able to see the long length that is present and density.
sablecoll.jpg


and while I could not find one in the same condition or exact color as yours I did find a Sable jacket in eBay's completed sales that was dyed in a color that was closer to yours. Again the texture does not look exactly the same as yours because of the difference in the condition of the fur.
Code: 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Natural-Russian-Sable-Fur-Bolero-Swing-Jacket-/251449239010?pt=US_CSA_WC_Outerwear&hash=item3a8b8ae5e2&nma=true&si=73pKaK0XMqgrGeRziznzU4x3C%252Bk%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
 
Furwise said:
You are most welcome and sure. Natural Beaver guardhairs are long, have a wet shiney look, and each of the individual guardhairs feel thick, coarse, and wirey as it ages like the bristles on a brush. Sable fur is also long, the length varies from region to region, starts out very soft, and it's very dense. It's fullness and density though is due to it having more fur per square inch rather than each individual guardhair being thick. Coloring or dying Sable and storing it improperly dries the fur out, causes it to lose it's softness, and the underfur gets nappy.

Here is a natural Sable fur collar that I have. It doesn't look the same because it does not have any added coloring and it is still in silky soft condition but you may be able to see the long length that is present and density.
View attachment 25626

and while I could not find one in the same condition or exact color as yours I did find a Sable jacket in eBay's completed sales that was dyed in a color that was closer to yours. Again the texture does not look exactly the same as yours because of the difference in the condition of the fur.
Code: 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Natural-Russian-Sable-Fur-Bolero-Swing-Jacket-/251449239010?pt=US_CSA_WC_Outerwear&hash=item3a8b8ae5e2&nma=true&si=73pKaK0XMqgrGeRziznzU4x3C%252Bk%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
Click to expand...
Wow, you're amazing, thanks again! Very helpful photos, too. The length does vary and everything you described sounds just about right, so sable it is! :)
 
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