Rabbit Fur Question

[polygon344]

I recently bought a rabbit fur off of ebay. I've got local furriers who will clean and glaze this coat, but one I talked to actually declined to do the job because it was rabbit fur. He said it was too delicate and he didn't want to take on the project in case he wrecked the jacket. I know from reading around here that rabbit IS delicate and not very durable. I also know from reading around here that glazing and cleaning is vital for any fur and will help it look better.

 

My question is: 'is it worth cleaning and glazing rabbit fur or will the process do more harm than good?"

 

I'm just looking for some unbiased opinions. The furriers I've talked to each have their reasons for wanting to glaze or not wanting to glaze the jacket.

[White Fox]

This is the sort of question that some of our actual experts need to answer. Some of us can give "partly educated ideas" but they may or may not be right. If one of our experts answers you will get the facts. However, it might take some time for them to see this thread. Just wanted to let you know that I am sure they will answer, but it might take a little bit of time.

 

FurCoatman, Mailon, ReFur, AKCoyote - Have I forgotten any? We do have some other furriers that drop by from time to time too so some of them may see this as well.

 

W

[AKcoyote]

While not an expert, I think the answer to your question depends mainly on the current condition of the item. If the fur is old enough that the leather has dried out, it probably would not be worth the cost of cleaning it.

 

The biggest problem with rabbit is that it tends to shed very easily and the normal tumbling method of cleaning would probably loosen an excessive number of the hairs. However if the item is in reasonable condition, I think a furrier could hand clean it with reasonable results.

 

I would also think that hand glazing would be preferable as using an electrifier to work glaze into the fur, as is normally done with items in good condition, would again loosen too many hairs.

[polygon344]

Thank you all for your answers.

 

The fur is actually in really good shape for its age. The previous owner thought that the garment was originally made in the 1960s or 1970s. There is no shedding to speak of, and everything feels pretty supple which makes me think it'd be a good candidate for a cleaning and glazing. But there's nothing wrong with it now and I dont want to risk damaging things if glazing is not going to be of any real benefit.

[JGalanos]

My question is: 'is it worth cleaning and glazing rabbit fur or will the process do more harm than good?"

 

I am not an expert either. However, if the fur is really over 30 years old, unless it is higher end Rex Rabbit (did they even have Rex back then?) the garment is probably near the end of its life so I'm not sure I'd invest money in cleaning/glazing it. Unless you know for certain that the garment has been routinely cleaned/glazed/stored, given its age I think you should simply enjoy it while it lasts. Just my usual 1.5 cents.