Muskrat/Mink Article

[JGalanos]

http://www.ohiostatetrapper.org/articles/2002-2.html

 

Interesting article ... I had not seen it before and I did not see a link posted here (even though it's several years old).

 

Few fur customers know much about fur quality. Even worse, fewer don't care. They shop fur name and price. That's not always a bright thing to do. Why? Most mink garments are made from ranched mink. Like the proverbial "little girl", when mink are good, they're very, very good. But, when they are bad, they're often junk. A mink garment is only as good as the quality of fur that goes into it. Most mink are butchered whenever they are at their peak primeness period. Consequently, their fur quality is A-one. But, there are an awful lot of ranch mink that die, or are killed, before and after, their peak primeness period. Garments are still made from them and sold at reduced prices. Their buyers are those shopping price and not knowing much about fur quality. You truly do get what you pay for when you but a cheap mink coat. That's why it's not always wise to choose mink over muskrat, simply because of its superior reputation. Today, more than any other time in the history of the fur business, there are far more cheap mink coats on the market than there are expensive ones, Caveat Emptor. Buyer Beware.

[Guest]

Great article.

 

I trapped Muskrat as a kid instead of delivering papers.

 

It's a nice fur.

 

Horst and me talked quite a bit about Muskrat when I saw him and you might want to look back at that post. Lots of interesting facts.

 

Between Muskrat, Nutria and Beaver every man woman and child in North America could have real fur and actually help the natural balance of things.

 

 

 

OFF

[Guest]

well let me say aye on that one and leave on at least one note of agreement OFF to set an example for others to realise that petty squabbles should not interfere with the big picture. At the end of the day fur and conservation are more important than individual egos and I am sure we all agree with that.

[White Fox]

This is now located in our Library for safe keeping to make sure that it does not disappear from the net. We caution that as always these write-ups are copyright and may only be reproduced for educational purposes only as we have.

 

W

[Guest]

I was thinking of Miss T's Muskrat coat in The Gallery.

 

It's back on the third page of Images of members with or without fur.

 

She's in Chinchilla too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OFF

[Guest]

There's a reason why people prefer and buy mink over muskrat. Unsheared muskrat fur is nowhere near as nice looking as high-quality, keywords high-quality, unsheared mink fur. Sheared muskrat is nice, but sheared mink is better.

 

Mink is the BEST fur you can buy with your money. If you only want to own one fur coat, make it MINK. It is very soft, durable, very warm, and beautiful. Make sure you buy a high-quality mink coat, not some cheap coat that was made in Asia. Also, make sure the pelts are either American pelts or SAGA labelled Scandinavian pelts. There are a lot of really ugly, inferior mink coats out there made from really ugly, inferior mink pelts.

 

Tricia

[Guest]

There is actually little differences between sheared Mink, Muskrat, Nutria and even Beaver. The pelt quality has more to do with it than fur variety.

 

Though Beaver does seem to come out the best overall.

 

Sheared Alaska Fur Seal and Sheared Otter is a whole other thing. Few sheared furs can come close to those.

 

Muskrat as a longhair fur can be very fine as the artical says. A Norther winter coat can be very thick, soft and luxurious.It can have longer and softer guard hairs. In some ways nicer than even a fine Mink.

 

Highly underrated fur.

 

But then there is Squirrel which can be super soft as well.

 

OFF

[JGalanos]

Unsheared muskrat fur is nowhere near as nice looking as high-quality, keywords high-quality, unsheared mink fur.

 

I've always heard you should buy the highest quality fur you can afford ... So if you're on a tight budget it would be better to go for a high quality muskrat garment over a low quality mink garment. I think the article at least implied this in its discussion re: the prevalence of cheap/inferior mink coats in today's market.

[Worker 11811]

So... "freeme"...

 

You seem to know a lot about fur. You must have a lot of experience with fur.

 

Are you in the business or are you just one of those people who are compelled to learn things?

[JGalanos]

But, if you have lots of hair on your body, how can you enjoy the fur to its fullest extent? You wouldn't be able to feel it as well.

 

You must have a lot of experience with fur as well.

 

 

8)

[Guest]

The BEST fur for my money is SEA OTTER.

 

Tricia

[JGalanos]

I'm not a big fan of otter. The otter I've tried on didn't appeal to me because of the color and the texture of the fur (it seemed kinda flat and shiny). (I don't have a clue whether it was river or sea otter.) But, as they say, to each his/her own. I think otter is one of the more durable furs with one of the longest life expectancies.

[Guest]

I don't think Sea Otter is legal so that would stop any such decision.

 

River Otter however is almost as nice and as I mentioned before Alaska Fur Seal .. at least used, is quite legal.

 

Having made several sheared Fur Seal, Otter and Beaver lined jackets over the past year there is no question in my mind that Fur Seal and Otter are among the softest legal furs you can get your hands on or body in.

 

Sheared Mink and Nutria of high quality come close to Beaver but don't have quite as plush an undercoat as Beaver.

 

Sheared Alaska Fur Seal makes silky soft an inadequate phrase.

 

Chinchilla and Squirrel are also super soft but then they are a longer haired fur.

 

 

 

OFF

[FurLoverinFL]

I'm a bit hazy on this, but a number of months ago there was a discussion on sea otter and I seem to recall that sea otter may be one of those furs that can only be 'harvested' and sold by native peoples. I think it's illegal for anyone else to take it.

 

FLinFL

[Guest]

FLinFL;

 

You're specifically correct but because of the so called ban furriers don't use it and sheared furs, except foir mink, are not currently popular.The same is true for Alaska Fur Seal.

 

If you look in the Vintage Album you will see picture after picture of Alaska Fur Seal coats for instance. It was once very popular. It's not at all bulky and much warmer than unsheared Mink.

 

Perceptions of legality are made more hazy by PeTA's actions. You see this on eBay all the time where they have caused sellers to give perfectly legal furs euphamistic names to avoid being targeted.

 

IDealing with Native cultures to get the furs is made difficult by PeTA's intervention with the Fish and Wildlife and Border Import regulations.

 

 

OFF

[AKcoyote]

I'm a bit hazy on this, but a number of months ago there was a discussion on sea otter and I seem to recall that sea otter may be one of those furs that can only be 'harvested' and sold by native peoples. I think it's illegal for anyone else to take it.

That is correct. Alaskan natives can harvest a limited number of sea otters, seals, and polar bears as part of their subsistance lifestyle. They canNOT sell the pelts, but they can sell products (garments and artwork) they make from the pelts. Thus these furs are generally unavailable to US furriers, except as native made products for re-sale.