Things we miss

[White Fox]

I am always totally amazed at the info on this site and how little of it so many of us take the time to see. Have a look at this link. It is in the native section. The parkas here are absolutely beautiful, and they are mostly real life photos. Not the made up fashion shots in on a fashion runway.

 

Just click for the first page and enter the word "Fur" on the search box and I think that you will be quite amazed at what you see.

 

http://www.arcticphoto1.co.uk/

 

So often here we forget about the fantastic information available in the different areas of the Den.

 

White

[Worker 11811]

I'd love to have a caribou skin coat like this:

 

http://www.arcticphoto1.co.uk/search/previews/qq1721-11m.jpg

 

It'd probably cost an arm and a leg.

[AKcoyote]

Worker,

My guesstimate is the parka shown would cost about $1400 - $2100. While a caribou or reindeer parka may seem desirable, there are several factors that make them not the best choice for a fur garment. First the hides (leather) can be rather thick making for a heavy garment whose weight could be uncomfortable. Second the hollow hair is very brittle and can break easily, meaning the garment would not wear well. Third, the thick hide and dense hair make sewing the pelts difficult, which adds extra labor costs to the manufacture of the garment.

[Guest]

I think you will find a genuine one from Nunavut or something would be free of some of your concerns. It may be heavy weight but as you know many women are put off fur when thy pick it up because of the weight but when on this weight is evenly distributed. Also it depends what you want it for. If you areplanning a trip to Yakutsk in wintr I strobly recommend something like this. Your more "wearable" furs will be useless.

[ReFur]

I agree with AK's assessment. A friend of mine bought one on eBay that I just felt in love with, UNTIL I picked it up. She reported it was very stiff and heavy. Did not have a "flow" when worn. But, it was a gorgeous piece.

 

AK is also correct to say that it does not wear well. I got online a researched the fur, as I do when I stumble upon a new one.

 

I would think this hide could be used to make a gorgeous man's vest, though. It would be large enough to show the wonderful character and markings.

 

Linda

[Guest]

Okay judge for yourself which ....are you saying garments such as these are not hardwearing?

 

http://www.arcticphoto1.co.uk/gallery2/arctic/peoples/yakut/rv0020-07.htm

 

(looks like a mix of caribou, dog and sealskins there actually)

 

If its good enough for a yakut cowboy working in minus 67 (a point at which most horses brains freeze) then I think native furs are generally more hardwearing.

Edited April 1, 2007 by Guest

[AKcoyote]

The main reason the natives of the far north use caribou or reindeer for parkas, etc is availability of the pelts. Subsistence lifestyles dictate that one use what nature provides for ones needs. The animals are hunted mainly for their meat. Native cultures require that out of respect for the animal, as much of the animal be used as possible.

 

While caribou or reindeer pelts do make a nice looking warm garment, durability is definately a problem. Sealskin makes a much more durable garment, but most types are not as warm due to the short hair length.

[Guest]

Quote:

The animals are hunted mainly for their meat

 

end quote.

 

Caribou were the first domesticated animal ever. The reason they were domesticated was not primarily for their meat. If you check the time line you will see the first northern cultures moved north and were advanced because of their ability to use and trade furs. Of course well before that the animal was hunted and its hide used for dwelling coverings...again to show how strong and durable it is.

If it was meat they wanted there was no need to leave Africa! Human expansion was probably driven by curiosity and also the huge herd migration and fur became a neccesity in this push.

 

If you think native subsistence is just about meat it is the same kind of nonsense written by PETAphiles who excuse them because of that. Cherokee in Mississippi are forbidden to hunt deer for hide though can for meat. Since this would involve waste and meat is readily available elsewhere then they are not able to hunt them by their beliefs. The primary motive in deer hide is for crafts and clothing not meat. Why would a bald eagle be worth $55000 to a first nations person? For the meat??

 

if you don't believe me read it in their own words (from CBC news this week):

 

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Mary Simon, who is participating in the tour on behalf of Canadian Inuit, said Friday that they don't want a repeat of the 1980s, when seal pelt prices plummeted due to aggressive anti-sealing campaigns.

 

"There's some indication in Europe that some countries that are part of the European Union … are actually passing resolutions and legislation to ban import of seal skins, even though they say they are not against aboriginal sealing. Past experience shows that bans that include so-called Inuit exemptions have proven not to work," Simon said.

 

Simon said she wants European government officials to know what a negative impact anti-sealing campaigns can have on the economic well-being of Inuit.

 

Meanwhile, an Inuk seal hunter who returned from an anti-sealing protest earlier this month said Inuit must be more aggressive and strategic if they want to send their message to Europeans.

 

Aiju Peter of Iqaluit, who wore a traditional sealskin outfit and took her son to a March 15 protest in The Hague, said she is growing tired of Europeans dictating how she should live her life.

 

 

 

"European society wants us to stay little Eskimos; they don't want us to progress," she said. "In their mind, we are like a little ideal world. We really have to not buy into that.

 

"I need to make a living. I need to be able to sell my products. I don't want to be constrained, I don't want to be just able to go hunting and eat the meat, but I also want to be able to sell the sealskin."

 

Peter spoke to a handful of anti-sealing protesters and some government officials while at The Hague, in order to give the Inuit perspective.

 

"I didn't realize that they had taken over a lot of the politicians, a lot of the view that they had gone to extremes to brainwash people and even small children, and how far people can go in advancing their point of view in getting what they want," she said.

 

"It was very much like lying … in public, so that was very educational. I realize that we have to be more aggressive in pursuing or educating people."

 

 

They have been thre for at least 10 000 years; and the reason they are there is for the furbarers, caribou and sealskin. They were not just deposited there and needed to eat; and that is NOT what they want to be condemned to. Furs...caribou seal fox whatever...is a resource.

 

As for the hard wearing argument...why don't they wear fox stoat or hare fur leggings? They are readily available too. They wear caribou or polar bear or seal because they are more durable. They may not LOOK as nice...but if we are talking about hardwearing then think about it.

[Worker 11811]

From what I read, caribou fur is THE warmest thing there is. The hollow hairs and the way they mesh together for the most efficient insulation.

 

I understand that seal skin is pretty good as well but it is even heavier than caribou.

 

I didn't know about the weight of caribou but it's not totally unexpected to me. Something that keeps out the cold HAS to have some bulk to it. For a winter coat, I don't think the weight will be THAT much of an issue for me. I'm 6 feet tall and 280 pounds.

 

Aside from the warmth, I really like the look of it: Color, pattern, texture. And, I think a caribou anorak is truly something a guy like me could wear and look good in.

 

The only thing that I don't like is the wear vs. cost issue. In the Arctic, they can use garments like that until they wear out then dispose/recycle them and make a new coat from another hide. Here, the expense of getting a new coat would probably be prohibitive.

[Guest]

Worker and ToS are correct about Caribou.

 

Sealskin hides depends on the Seal and the Furrier.

 

The Alaska Fur Seal I got [as a coat] to line one of my jackets was not any heavier than some Minks. It had been scrapped int eh tanning process to be thinner and thus lighter as are amy Seal Furs. It was much more popular as can be seen in many of the pictures MrC has uploaded into Vintage Furs.

 

Not even Chinchilla is softer than the Alaska Fur Seal I have and it is unbelievably warm for such a 'thin' fur.

 

 

OFF

[White Fox]

Now THIS - is a Parka! Talk about an Inuit outfit in the true meaning of the word!

 

http://www.alaskanative.net/320.asp

 

I was browsing though our links section again tonight and found this. It is pretty unbelievable the amount of info available there as mentioned before.

 

W

[ReFur]

John, what a gorgeous piece!!

 

TOS, Your link errors out. I was going to fix it for you, but was not sure what picture you were trying to show us. You might want to see if you can fix it. The site has absolutely incredible photography!! 8)

 

Linda

[Guest]

sorry Linda and thanks for letting me know. Now corrected. I forgot the site won't let you link from a sarch...you have to go in the galleries and find the pics.

 

BTW you will also find pics of my Britain not Blair's on that site; hunting and the British countryside it conserves.

 

I have said it before and I will say it again. Unite all the hunting peoples of the world, and those of us who truly appreciate nature, and those of us who believe in fur as the beautiful thing it is, and along with libertarian movement we can beat this Animal rights and government controlling us crap.

[Guest]

What ToS says about Native Rights and their income stream is all the more reason we should support the styling and purchase of Seal Furs.

 

Not to mentiion how fantastic it is to feel and to wear

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OFF

[Guest]

Very odd that so far the labour governemnt having bannd fur farming haven't yet banned seal imports.

 

Why is that I wonder?

 

Now every high member in the labour party...especially Gordon brown's mob, are Scottish and are widely seen by many critics as a scottish mafia.

 

Wonder if this has anything to do with it:

 

http://www.scottishstore.com/acatalog/New_Sealskin_Sporrans.html

 

Hmmm wonder what a ban on sporrans would do to the scottish labour party already under fire over the smoking ban economic problems?

 

Thankyou for your comments on the native economies OFF. Believe me my friends tll me they are grateful for any western support as they feel isolated and need our support hr desperately. If you are in Europe please write to your mp in support of th inuit position and quote the CBN story above with the quotes of the Inuit delegation.

[furseller]

I have some feeling that what I started posting (shows descriptions with links to photos and videos from Russian Fur Shows) was also missing from this forum.