FUR

fine, soft, hairy covering or coat of mammals that has been important to mankind throughout history, chiefly for warmth but also for decorative and other purposes. The pelts of fur-bearing animals are called true furs when they consist of two elements: a dense undercoat called ground hair, and longer hairs, extending beyond that layer, called guard hair. The principal function of ground hair is to maintain the animal's body temperature; that of guard hair is to protect the underlying fur and skin and to shed rain or snow. Pelts that lack either element are not true furs, although they are still used commercially as furs. Persian lamb, for example, has no guard hair, while kid and pony possess no ground hair. Furs have been used principally to fashion outer garments; this is also true for the modern fur industry. A variety of animals are bred or trapped for their pelts, including those that bear the luxury furs (sable, chinchilla, ermine, and mink) and others whose fur is of lesser value (such as rabbit and squirrel). Other commercially important furs include the various species of fox and lamb; beaver, marten, raccoon, skunk, otter, and seal; as well as leopard, lynx, ocelot, and wolf. Animals were originally hunted or trapped for food, and their pelts were rendered to provide protective clothing. As civilization developed, furs became less a necessity and more a luxury. The finer and more exotic furs were a symbol of affluence and status in the ancient societies of China, Greece, and Rome. Over the centuries furs remained a prized and commercially important commodity. The trapping and trading of furs became a major business enterprise among early North American settlers, and those who pursued it were responsible for much of the exploration of the northern United States and Canada. A large and profitable international market for furs has developed; among the major producers are the United States, Canada, and the Scandinavian countries. Fur-bearing animals that are bred and raised on fur farms (or ranches) include mink, fox, marten, and chinchilla. Mink pelts constitute some 70 percent of the furs produced annually; the vast majority of them come from mink ranches. Using scientific methods of breeding, planned diets, and other specialized procedures, the operators of farms have been able to produce lustrous furs of the best quality. Controlled breeding has also resulted in thousands of desirable mutations. Animals commonly trapped for their furs include raccoon, beaver, skunk, and muskrat. The chief trapping method employed is the use of baited and concealed traps that are usually placed during the season that the coat of a particular animal is at its fullest and richestfor most animals, at the beginning of winter. Trapping methods are regulated and catch quotas are set by the governments of many countries in order to preserve the various species of animals. Some aquatic mammals, such as fur and harp seals, are also hunted for their furs. Raw fur pelts are sometimes sold to skin merchants, who supply manufacturers and retail furriers. Most pelts, however, are sold at auctions to merchants, manufacturers, and their brokers. Major auction centres are New York City, Montreal, London, and St. Petersburg. The first step in processing raw pelts is dressing. The dressing of furs involves several steps, the exact number of which is determined by the particular fur being dressed. Generally speaking, a fur is cleaned, softened, fleshed (extraneous flesh is removed), and stretched. The skin is tanned by a process called leathering. Many furs are then dyed, bleached, or tipped (dyeing the guard hair only) using various synthetic compounds called fur bases. These chemicals enable fur dressers to create a wide variety of rich and uniform colours. The making of dressed furs into such garments as coats, stoles, wraps, hats, and collars is called furriery. The entire process of rendering a garment is done almost entirely by hand. The cutter matches pelts according to colour and texture and cuts the skins to conform to the designer's pattern. After cutting, the skins are made up into sections that are dampened and then stretched and nailed to fit a pattern on a wooden nailing board. They are left to dry on the board and then are sewn together. Sewing, performed on power-driven machines, requires great skill. Many of the custom furriers design, style, manufacture, and sell their furs directly to the consumer. Fur coats are made by one of two processes: the letting-out technique or the skin-on-skin method. The letting-out process involves slicing a skin into narrow diagonal strips and then sewing them together to form a longer and narrower strip that will run the full length of a coat. The skin-on-skin process is much simpler and consists of sewing one full skin to another. After sewing, a fur is glazed, which is accomplished by dampening the fur, arranging the hair in the desired direction, and then slowly drying it to keep the hairs aligned in that direction.