Rex Rabbit Questions

[fur4darla]

My husband has never been a public fur wearer but has recently expressed an interest in doing so. He loves my chinchilla stroller and has mentioned that he thought it would be cool to have matching jackets. In talking he said that if he were to get one, he'd rather it be a very soft one like my chinchilla and that he prefers short haired furs. I have several jackets and coats, mostly fox, so he knows the difference. I have a few questions that I'm sure can be answered here.

 

1) Chinchilla is a little out of our price range (especially when I doubt he'd get much use out of it), So we are looking into Rex Rabbit. I've had regular rabbit and I always liked how soft it is but do not like the shedding. I have been told that Rex Rabbit is a much more durable fur that doesn't shed anywhere as much as regular rabbit. Is that true?

2)I've also been told that Rex is very soft, almost as soft as chinchilla. Is that true? I've noticed several sheared rex rabbit jackets and I know that my sheared beaver is incredibly soft, I would assume sheared rex is as well.

3)I'm not convinced a chinchilla or chinchilla dyed fur would look good on a dark haired white man, thoughts? Ive seen a few brown and black jackets that probably would look ok...

And finally, (This question might best be asked in another forum but since I've asked the others here..) I'm okay with my husband wearing fur since I consider myself, but I worry that his choice of a soft fur is sort of different from what I might have expected. When I think of men in furs I think of raccoon and coyote. Am I wrong? And is it socially acceptable for him to wear that kind of fur out? Not many men wear fur around here, so I am curious.

Thanks for your time,

Darla

[White Fox]

Man, I've so many thoughts here but too busy right now. I'll try to reply later tonight if I possibly can.

 

"Talk" then.

 

W

[AKcoyote]

Rex Chinchilla (a variety of rabbit) would be a good choice and is much more affordable than true chinchilla. It is also a sturdier pelt and thus less delicate and fragile compared to chinchilla. The texture of rex chinchilla is very similar to chinchilla and is frequently dyed to look like chinchilla. Rex does not have the same shedding problem that most rabbit pelts do.

[Guest]

Have a few moments for a reply.

 

You might look in The Gallery when it gets up at some of the other members furs for some clues.

 

Chinchilla might be too fragile for a guy. I know some guys are super cautious but still .. Rex just doesn't have the super look of Chinchilla nor any of the other quality furs to wear with the fur out. OK for a lining.

 

Mink is an all too obvious choice and there are some very super Minks in all colors. I have a super grey Mink that will make its way into one of my jackets eventually.

 

Beaver is an incredibly rugged and super soft fur either sheared or not. The sheared Beaver comes in any dyed color. A great mens fur. I have several along with two Alaska Fur Seal lined jackets. That's super softness to the max. Would have to be made from used furs as new pelts are nearly impossible (cost$$$$$) to get. Great choice however. Other women won't be able to keep their hands off your man

 

Another very overlooked fur is Fitch. Softer than Mink with a super natural coloration. I have one of mine pictured in The Gallery. Also just type into Search .. Fitch.

 

Also Stone Marten. Looks like a long haired Fitch and is a less expensive Sable. Would also be a great mens coat with teh fur out. Fisher is another less expensive Sable which is great as a mens fur.

 

Other options are River Otter, and the long haired furs like Fox, Takui and the many Raccoon furs which would all make great mens furs.

 

Hope this helps in your selection and please brows through The Gallery for options. You can show your husband one or more picture of every conceivable fur.

 

OFF

[Worker 11811]

I've got no complaints about rex rabbit.

 

A rex rabbit is a variety of rabbit with a genetic mutation that causes the guard hairs to grow the same as the underfur.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Rabbit

 

Rex rabbits can be selectively bred in almost any color from brown to white, with spots and even with coloration similar to a chinchilla. Rex rabbit pelts can also be dyed to look very similar to real chinchilla. In fact, many unscrupulous sellers often try to pass off rex chinchilla rabbit as real chinchilla. This is probably the reason why rex rabbit seems to have a bad name. Not because it is a "bad" fur but because people try to pawn it off as the real thing.

 

(e.g. Iron pyrite or "fool's gold" is a very beautiful mineral but it has gotten a bad name because people used to mistake it for real gold.)

 

I agree with the others. As nice as real chinchilla is, it is very expensive and fragile. I would certainly like to have a chinchilla coat but it would not be a daily wear fur. It would be a once-twice per year "show fur".

 

For a daily wear fur, I would really like to have something in Beaver. Either short (sheared) or long. It would depend on the style.

A good quality sheared beaver is really, really nice to touch! It just gives me a warm feeling all over... ifya'knowwhatimean!

[White Fox]

OK...

 

I've a few moments now.

 

As for wearing fur out. You need to let him know that he will get a few "Looks". It is very easy to misinterpret these looks as "somewhat downgrading", when that is almost always not the case. Often I've thought someone was going to say something negative about what I was wearing, when they came over and instantly said something like "I just can't take my eyes off the beautiful coat!" If he is with you there would be a bit less of that likely. However, he needs to know that will happen. It is people admiring him and his coat! He will also have many people come up to tell him how much they like the coat, etc.

 

Type of fur. Two things to consider here and really only two. Find what he likes. And see what looks good on him. I am lucky that I can wear furs that do not look good on most men. Most furs actually look good on me with the exception of dark minks. One furrier once said to me "I cannot believe that looks like a dime store coat on you", referring to afairly expensive dark mink. What ever you do, find a fur that looks good on him. And make sure it is one he likes.

 

Beaver. Sheared Beaver. There is one problem with sheared beaver that is not often mentioned here. When you first purchase a sheared beaver you will get it cleaned once per year. But... after a few years of wear you will find that you have to clean it much more often to keep that "perfect look" that sheared beaver needs to have. Indeed it will gradually get to where you really need to clean it every three or four times you wear it if you want to keep that perfect look. I would not discount it due to this. But, I might think about it. IF you can find it a really nice fur is sheared otter, but that has not been sheared as much lately. It is almost exactly like sheared beaver except that sheared beaver shows if for instance you move your hand across it. Sheared otter does not show that. I have not had one so I don't know how it is for need to be cleaned. I've a feeling it might keep that "perfect look" a bit longer, but I do not know that for certain by any means.

 

As for fox, I've worn a full length hooded spotted white fox coat many times in public, and had nothing but compliments on it.

 

It is interesting that chinchilla is not generally thought of as a man's fur yet many web sites advertise it that way. Fox is more durable yet they show few fox coats for men, yet many chinchilla. Actually the only two I've really saw up close had a type of leather lining. I think that lining is meant to take the stress that the fur might not.

 

Can/should men wear fur! You are darned right that they should. They should wear fur. They can wear fur. The more men wear fur now, the more will in future. Have you noticed for instance that even the fake fur stores like Charlie's or Fabulous, both make men's coats now. Yet didn't before. Reason is that more and more men are wanting fur. Once again though. Above all else! Find a fur that looks fabulous on him. And that he feels fabulous wearing. And, you just can't go wrong!

 

White Fox

[JGalanos]

Some great advice here!

 

Based upon my experience, in terms of "affordable furs" I would suggest mink, shearling, American raccoon, rex rabbit, otter, and beaver as good choices for a first fur for a gentleman with a more conservative fashion sense. Due to color, length of guard hairs, texture, etc., I think fox, coyote, and Finn raccoon are a little more "flamboyant" and more likely to turn heads.

[fur4darla]

Sorry for being so slow to respond to the wonderful information you all gave regarding men's fur. A couple of weeks ago we were on a weekend trip to a larger city that had a couple of furriers. We decided on a sheared beaver instead of rex. The salesman said that beaver would hold up better over time, is that accurate?

Second thing is I've had trouble finding much variety online. Is it because its off season or am I looking i the wrong places? Or should we consider having one custom made?

[Worker 11811]

I could dig a sheared beaver coat!

 

Beaver are water animals. They can grow up to 3 feet in length or more. They have a heavy coat and a thick layer of underfur and they have fairly thick skins. They have to be like that to keep them warm in the winter.

 

Chinchilla are indigenous to the Andes mountains. They grow to approximagely 1 foot in length or more. They have a dense coat but have a thin skin because they are rodents.

 

As I said before, rex rabbit fur is very similar to chinchilla. The only difference is that it comes from a specially-bred rabbit instead of a small, guinea pig sized animal.

 

Generally speaking, rex rabbit and chinchilla are so similar that they are almost the same thing. If you have never had the pleasure of trying genuine chinchilla and rex rabbit side by side, you might not be able to tell the difference. Many people don't know the difference between rex rabbit and chinchilla. We already discussed the unscrupulous people who try to pass off rex as real chinchilla. I don't think we need to go into that again.

 

Therefore you will find the average beaver skin to be more durable than a chinchilla or rabbit skin. There is one caveat. A lot of fur producers use sharp knives to scrape the back side of some thicker skinned pelts to make them lighter and more flexible. Because of this, you might find some beaver skins to be somewhat more fragile. Overall, you will STILL find beaver to be more durable than chinchilla and/or rex rabbit.

 

You will generally find two kinds of beaver fur. Sheared and long hair.

As mentioned above, beaver have a top coat of "guard hair" that grows longer than the underfur. When left long, you get a somewhat "shaggy" appearance. But you can also get beaver fur that has been put through a machine which shaves off the long, shaggy hair and leaves only the dense underfur. This sheared beaver fur reminds me of a thick furry carpet! It is very soft and dense. Depending on how short the fur has been shorn, there can still be enough for your hand to sink down into. Typically, sheared beaver fur is about 1 to 1.5 inches deep. (I think... I stand corrected if somebody knows better than I do.)

 

The sensation of touching sheared beaver fur is very soft and very dense. It's something I can really dig my hands into. I really like it!

 

Chinchilla is very dense and soft but the fur is somewhat "fluffier". It's kind of like touching a cloud in some respects. Rex rabbit is very similar to the hand. It is a little more dense but, as I said, the inexperienced person might not be able to tell.

 

In order to decide which fur is best for men to wear you've got to think about the style you like best. Are you and your husband more into "manly" clothes or more into "fashionable" or "stylish" clothes?

 

For the "masculine" or "manly" person a long haired beaver might be nice. Depending on the styling of the coat you could get a sheared beaver.

 

For the "fashionable" man, something in a chinchilla-dyed rabbit might be all right. Just be careful you don't look like a "gangsta". (Unless that's the look you're going for.) You could also get a uniform dyed rex rabbit that will have somewhat similar appearance to the sheared beaver.

 

Personally, I would prefer the long haired beaver. But, in reality, you're probably just going to have to shop around to see what you like.

 

Bottom line: I think you're furrier was pretty much right. Beaver is more durable than rex rabbit.

 

In order to find a good fur, to be very honest, the best thing would be to go hit some fur shops and check out the merchandise. Try on some furs and see what turns you on.

(Oh! What a horrible, difficult chore that will be for you! )

 

If you still wonder about chinchilla or rex rabbit, you could get yourself a pair of rex rabbit massage mittens and use them for... Ummm... Well... Uh... If I have to explain what you and your husband would use a pair of fur massage mittens for, you need more help than I can give!

[AKcoyote]

Typically, sheared beaver fur is about 1 to 1.5 inches deep.

That would (unfortunately) be impossible. Sheared beaver will vary from 0.2 to 0.6 inches (or there about). It depends on the quality of the pelt before shearing, and what the fur processor wants to produce.

 

Natural beaver (with the guard hair intact) is a rather durable fur. However sheared beaver is more delicate as the fine under-wool hairs (what is left after shearing) will more easily break off due to friction. Thus a garment of sheared beaver may not be the best choice unless one is very conscious and careful to avoid any excess friction on the fur.

 

In the fur industry the primary market for fur garments is usually considered to be women. This is a very old bias, but many in the industry still have it. Thus it is very difficult to find much selection in mens furs. Ordering a custom made fur may be the only reasonable option if you cannot find what you want otherwise.

[Worker 11811]

Sheared beaver will vary from 0.2 to 0.6 inches

 

Thanks for the correction.

 

Still having a little bit of trouble remembering things.

Getting better, though.

[White Fox]

Darla

 

I've three sheared beaver coats that I have worn a lot over the years. A whole lot. But one thing first.

 

There are three types of beaver. The really natural type that they call unplucked beaver. I never liked it when I tried it on. Very rough looking and thick. Just very unkempt looking. Then there is the plucked type where the longer hairs are removed but still not sheared. That is a nice fur, but still a bit thick. Then there is sheared beaver available in endless colours. Unplucked is not not common. The other two both are. though sheared beaver is more so I think probably.

 

I always loved it and still do pretty much. I have a natural coloured one. A beige one. And an almost white one. Now then, the beige and almost white one require cleaning very, very frequently. I mean, if you use them much at all the beige in particular might require cleaning after awhile after almost every other time he wears it. That is the disadvantage that I find in wearing it and as a result though I love that coat I don't wear it a lot any more. The white is a good bit better, but still like that. The natural colour is not too bad at all that way.

 

If he wears it a good bit I think that the natural colour is a good idea if he likes the sheared furs. You MUST get it cleaned every year to keep it with that "Perfect look" that you will see that all sheared beaver coats must have. Have you ever saw a sheared beaver that looks very rough, and almost a bit "crappy" looking? i.e. not perfect! There are two things to cause that. The first is that the fur is of very low quality. If you buy sheared beaver you need to get really good quality. But don't worry, the prices of good quality sheared beaver are not that high really. And the other thing that will cause that is not being cleaned. I cannot tell you the wearability of sheared mink vs sheared beaver as I've lots of experience with sheared beaver, but none with sheared mink.

 

OK. Hope that gives you some ideas. I would highly recommend beaver for him. The other thing is that a fox coat for instance is very showy, and out going. But, if he likes jackets or parkas, then the fox does not seem to be that way. Mink of course is another possibility, but not nearly as soft. The biggest thing is that he understands that if someone is looking at him, almost without fail, he is being admired. Not criticized.

 

Hope that helps

[JGalanos]

Any update(s)?

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[foxkid]

You can occasionally find nice reverisble rex rabbit leather jackets made from black leather that reverse to rex rabbit. I have one (and other bronze leather one that is hooded and has less silvery fur). Both are very confortable and very good investments.

 

I also have a men's chinchilla waistcoat (which I was very lucky to get at 150 euros practically new!). Real chinchilla doesn't look as flat as rex rabbit and is a much lighter fur, but there is no way you'd want to have it reversed as it's so delicate. Certainly if you own both rex rabbit and real chinchilla you will be trained well enough to easily see the difference, but few are fortunate enough to have experience both so it's easy for many to confuse the two.

 

Sheared otter is somewhat hard to find, but is certainly superior in my view to sheared beaver (which is nice). I would recommend though you try and make sure if you get a sheared coat that it has been plucked first (as the guard hairs feel rough if they've been cut without been removed, much like human hair does when it's just been cut). Unsheared beaver is not as nice, I find the guard hairs a little prickly, a little like mink (though they do vary a lot, but generally old beaver has stiffer uard hairs as rule of thumb). If you get mink, if you can afford it, get one with female pelts as it will be softer, lighter and not as fluffy looking.

 

Nothing will beat being able to go to a proper furrier to experience the different types of fur. It would be good to quiz the furrier and see if they've done much mens stuff before as some can have quite varying experience and attitudes.

 

That said, let us know what you decide to get!

[fuzzin_fox]

Did you get your rex rabbit... I brought one and have to say I never looked back!