Which furs shed and which doesn't?

[Aldhissla]

I know skins from some animals always shed, like reindeer and other deer-family animals, but how is it with other types of fur? Are there any skins which never sheds or is it depending on how they are kept, stored, used etc?

[grouchomg]

I'm not a fur expert, and I'm sure that others who are will respond in more detail, but I can tell you that coyote sheds at least a little bit. I find the sheddings building up in my car over the winter, because I wear fur a lot. I take my coyote coat and parka to the furrier for storage and treatment each year, so I suspect that helps keeping the shedding to a minimum.

 

Still, my furs don't shed as much as my 22 lb (10 kg) ginger tom cat.

[Aldhissla]

Yes, my coyote tends to shed quite much, the same goes for my silver fox. My blue fox sheds less, but still some while my raccoon doesn't shed at all. Strange, since I thought that coyote, fox and raccoon came from about the same animal family and all change their coats depending on the season.

[AKcoyote]

In my experience, rabbit is the fur with the worst reputation for shedding.

 

Also, almost all fur products will shed a bit from loose hair where the skins were cut and sewn, but that is usually minor and a short lived phenomena. Also the tanning can make a big difference in shedding of some types such as reindeer. If a fur is not properly cared for, it will age quickly and shed a lot as the pelts start disintegrating.

 

Most of what is frequently considered "shedding" by fur garments is actually from breaking of the hair due to friction. This can be especially true with coyote if worn while driving. Reindeer being a fur with hollow hairs is very prone to hair breakage (shedding) due to friction and should never be used where excessive friction is possible (never as a rug in a traffic area).

[fuzzin_fox]

This I think has to do with the environment and the tanning process. Obviously a badly tanned item will shed. Period.

 

Animals that don't tend to shed are water bearing. These have thicker leather than has more oil in it. As a result the follicles won't dry out as easily, which is what causes the fur to fall out in rabbit, some foxes, and lynx compared to beaver, seal, otter etc

[AKcoyote]

.....

Animals that don't tend to shed are water bearing. These have thicker leather than has more oil in it. As a result the follicles won't dry out as easily, which is what causes the fur to fall out in rabbit, some foxes, and lynx compared to beaver, seal, otter etc

You have hit on one of the major aspects of fur longevity/durability -- leather (skin) thickness. The thicker the leather of a pelt, the longer it takes for the pelt to dry out to the point that the pelt starts to disintegrate. Modern pelts that are fleshed (scraped) thinner to reduce weight do not last as long as older pelts that were not scraped beyond what was needed to remove any fat before tanning.

[Guest]

Rabbit is notorious for shedding. I would guess more oily furs like mink are the ones which shed least. I have a mink which does not shed at all. In my experience fox sheds a bit, and coyote too, but honestly if you care for your furs and brush/clean them on a regular yet not too frequent basis, I don't think shedding should be much of a problem.

[AKcoyote]

..... but honestly if you care for your furs and brush/clean them on a regular yet not too frequent basis, I don't think shedding should be much of a problem.

That is very true. The key is caring for your furs.

 

However the main cause of shedding (for most furs) beyond the initial loss of hairs that were cut in the manufacturing process is friction. Sitting on a fur or anything else that creates friction on the hairs will definitely cause hair breakage and shedding.