Furs: how they are made


A practice that is little known and with a lot of misinformation, the creation of a fur coat is a very ancient art. The best fur craftsmen are obviously Italian, and this too, like many artisanal jobs, is fading from generation to generation. How are furs made? Working on the creation of a fur coat requires a lot of time and above all dedication and passion. The stylistic study done for a fur pattern is much longer and more difficult than for any item of clothing, as in addition to the size and the "pieces" of fur, the type and length of the hair must also be taken into account. By continuing to read you will discover:
  1. Fur coats: how they are made
  2. The truth about fur coats

Fur coats: how they are made

The creation of fur coats requires a lot of care. Studying a pattern before making a fur coat is very important, as not all types of fur are suitable for the creation of a pattern. The first thing to do is therefore decide which pattern to make and then understand what type of leather we can use. Once the hide has been chosen, the skins are purchased at an auction, choosing the right size (size of the hide), and deciding whether to leave the hide with a natural color or dye it. Once the tanned hides have arrived, they must be selected by type of hair and quality, just imagine that in each batch of leather of the same quality the hides will never be the same. Once the hides have been selected, the next step is nailing and cutting the waste material to create the fur. The hides are soaked in a special grease that prevents the leather and hair from being ruined. Each piece of hide will then be sewn with the others to create the model. As soon as the fur is ready, it is placed on a mannequin and analyzed in detail to correct any defects, then it is cleaned with specific washes and the internal lining is sewn. Each step requires particular attention and above all time. Creating a fur in a short time is not the right choice, as the grease used to soften the leather will not dry completely and will make the fur very flaccid. The average production time for a fur coat is 10 to 15 days depending on the model.

The truth about furs

In 2018, being "green" is all the rage. Many people think that being an animal rights activist means being green, but that's not the case. The main belief of every animal rights activist is that there can be an "eco-friendly" fur that isn't natural. Synthetic fur, as the word itself says, will never be an eco-friendly product, because it is not eco-sustainable and will certainly not have a great impact on the environment both in the production and disposal phases. What is happening now is very reminiscent of the 80s and 90s, a fanaticism against fur, which at the time led to a collapse of the market, and many, many people who lost their jobs. As in those years, even today we are experiencing a period of "crisis" due to these animal rights movements, which often create real lies about furs. I mainly want to dispel these myths, just to tell things as they are: Furs are a fashion or luxury item, they are practically useless for those who do not follow this field. Here is the first mistake. Do you know which are the main fur-consuming countries? All the countries of the ex-Soviet bloc. Obviously the average temperatures during the winter are around -20° centigrade, maybe it is not exactly fashionable to wear fur but a need. Now you are thinking of all the people who buy it in Italy, right? Just know that there are different types of furs that have insulating properties, so a fur can also be good in climates that are not too cold, such as northern Italy. Are the animals killed in a horrendous and painful way or are they skinned alive? Here is another lie. This is not possible, as there are very strict rules on the matter, and they must be respected in order not to incur heavy administrative and penal sanctions. Obviously this happens in all civilized countries with normal controls. This also applies to the story of animals being tortured or living in small cages, none of this is true. Just think that in Denmark, Kopenhagen Fur, allows you to enter and visit their farms. The production of animals in farms is exploited only for fur, the meat is not reused and pollutes? Here too I am sorry to contradict you but, in addition to producing very warm fur, the farm manages to obtain energy, fossil fuel, fertilizer and food for other farms from the animal. Perhaps the "animal rights activists" are exploiting general misinformation or simply want to create confusion in one of the oldest sectors in the world.