Smell of furs

[elbas3175]

Where does the smell of a fur come from, and what can you do to change the odour?

 

Does it depend on the furrier? I just bought a new sheared beaver jacket through ebay and I'm thinking of returning it because of the smell. I have had it hanging by an open window for the 3 days since it arrived, and it has been windy, but still the smell lingers. Is it always going to be the same?

[FrBrGr]

We're kind of at a disadvantage, here, Elbas, 'cause we can't smell what you are smelling. The natural odor of fur is somewhat of a delicious musky smell that I, personally, absolutely love. I think many other Denizens feel the same way. Does it have a stale, musty (not musky) smell? If so, even if the furrier from which you bought the jacket claims it is new, it may have been in hanging around (literally) for months, even years. If it wasn't hanging in a climate-controlled environment, then excessive moisture may have caused a mold or other odor-producing element in the fur or the lining. A long time ago, I won an Ebay auction for a fur boa that was advertised as being new, but when I received it, it smelled like it had been stored away in a trunk in a damp basement somewhere for years. The seller (a "D" list furrier) admitted that it had been shipped, along with other boas, from overseas. Get the picture? They were probably all packed together and put into a damp cargo hold. Goodness knows how long the voyage took, goodness knows how long they remained in the crate after they arrived in this country, goodness knows how they were stored once they were removed from the crate, and goodness knows how long they hung around before the seller tried to unload them. That's probably why they were so cheap. Fortunately, I was able to get a full refund. Again, I don't think that you are smelling a natural fur odor, because that odor is rather intoxicating!

[Worker 11811]

I agree with FrBrGr. Fur smells good.

 

It is hard to describe but, to me, it should be a musky smell with a slightly sweet undertone. Even sitting here with no fur close by I can actually imagine the smell as if it is real.

 

How to describe it to somebody who doesn't know the smell? Hmmm...

 

I would say "musky" and I would say that fur should have a smell similar to fine leather.

Not saddle leather. More like a fine leather jacket or a pair of leather gloves.

 

The other thing I tell people is that it should not smell like a "dead animal" or have a "moldy" smell.

 

If the fur has a bad, "moldy" or "dead animal" smell and not a good, "musky" or "leathery" smell I suggest you should take it up with the person you bought it from. Personally, I always smell fur goods before I buy them but some people think I'm a little wacky.

 

Even if I did smell the fur before I bought, it is still possible to get it home and find that it smells bad. Being in a fur salon with all the other furs can throw off the sense of smell. Or what if you just smoked a cigarette or drank coffee? That would throw off your sense of smell, too. The seller could have done something to hide the smell, as well. In any case, it is very possible that a fur could smell all right in the salon but smell bad when you get it home.

 

It is not a certain solution but having the fur cleaned MIGHT help. But if the fur is rotten it won't help at all.

 

No matter... A good furrier would, at minimum, take your complaint seriously and offer you a solution.