Latest News for Jonval Leathers & Furs

After a lengthy discussion on all the different types of leathers there are, Jonval Leathers and Furs finally transitioned onto the other side of things—furs! We have been discussion all the different animals from which quality furs are made. We spoke about beavers, and chinchillas, and rabbits and coyotes. Then we got on a string of blogs discussing all the different types of foxes from which furs come.

Jonval Leathers and Furs is finally ready to move on from discussing the many different types of foxes out there and begin a discussion on the next animal from which furs are made. We will move onto what will likely prove to be another lengthy discussion on furs. Our next animal to explore when we think of fur clothing and accessories is, sheep skin and fur, or wool.

Sheep skin
So why are we talking about sheep skin when we have moved on from discussing leathers and are now exploring furs? Well, it is complicated, but we shall attempt to explore these subtle differences. 

Not exactly leather
To begin with, sheep skin is a type of leather, however the process for making this skin ready for wear is rather different. Unlike other leathers, sheep skin, or sometimes called, lamb skin, is tanned with the fleece, or fur, intact. This makes it similar to a pelt. Cue the flashbacks to the sheep skin ‘rug’ that occupied my father’s office in our home. I do not want to begin to tell you the amount of fun friends had with that.

Wool, fleece, fur?
We have a lot of terms to clear up when it comes to this little animal, the sheep, or lamb. It gets tricky, so stick with me.

Fleece
This one gets really tricky, so here goes. Fleece has two definitions and they are often the opposite of the other—oh the joys of the English language. Our first definition of fleece is to refer to the woolen coat that is obtained after the shearing process of a sheep or a ram. Thus, in some ways fleece and wool are synonymous. This shearing process is usually done once a year at the end of spring.

A sheep’s coat can also be called as fleece. This term can also be applied to a yak or goat’s coat as well.   Interestingly, the wool from just one sheep is called the fleece, while the wool from many sheep is called a clip. It is dependent of the genetics, breed, nutrition of the animal, and the amount of time between shearing how much wool or fleece is obtained. 

Ok, so I have just given you one definition of fleece. In our next blog we will move onto the other definition and finally understand all the confusion. I will give you a hint—the other definition is often how you call a certain article of clothing...thus the confusion.  We will explain it all in our next few blogs. Til then, stop by Jonval Leathers and Furs today for all your leather and fur needs. 


 

Jonval Leathers and Furs has moved on from discussing the different types of leather, and started exploring the other side of Jonval Leathers and Furs—furs! In these last few blogs, we have begun our discussion on the different types of animals the furs for the clothing and accessories come from. 

Similar to leather, you would be surprised to find out just how many types of fur are used for clothing. In this blog series we will describe the fur and what makes it unique, special, or great for a particular type of clothing or accessory. 

Jonval Leathers and Furs began its discussion of the different types of fur starting with beaver fur and then moved onto discussing chinchilla, one of the most coveted and expensive furs. Then, we talked about coyote fur which, while not so coveted, is still a very warm and pretty fur to wear.

In these most recent blogs, we have moved onto our next type of fur, fox fur. The fox can be found all over the world. It is very versatile when it comes to using it for fur in clothing and accessories. This is because it can come in a variety of natural colors.

We discussed the beauty of fox fur and why this particular pelt makes for great coats and other accessories. This included its diversity and range of colors as well as the density of its fur. This makes it a very warm fur coat for sure. Then we learned that there are actually many different types of foxes making for many different types of furs to be use in the making of clothing. 

In this week’s blog, we will continue our discussion on all the different types of foxes. We will discuss where they are found, what their fur is like, including color and density and so on, and why they might make a great fur coat for you. In last week’s blog we discussed the blue fox, cross fox (with a super cool marking of a cross on its back and shoulders), and the grey fox.

Kitt Fox (or AKA Corsac)
Moving onto the next type of fox and its fur, we have the Kitt fox. In North America, the Kitt fox is also known as the grey fox which we discussed in our previous blog. These foxes make for beautiful coats and accessories as they are often two toned. Those tones are usually anywhere from light grey to grey and then shades of yellow.

When placed vertically down, these tones of color make for a striking and unique coat. No two coats would ever be alike because of the versatility of the furs and colors.  

Then we have the Corsac fox. This particular fox comes from Serbia and other places in the former Soviet Union. This fox is, of course, quite similar to the Kitt fox. Some differences are that its has very little guard hair. And, what little guard hairs it has, are quite short. This guard hair is usually yellow and has white tips.

The fur in general is usually short and soft. This makes it not as coveted or popular as the Kitt fox or grey fox fur when it comes to coats and accessories.

We still here are a few more foxes to explore in the next blog. All are unique in some way and their furs are coveted. Stop by Jonval Leathers and Furs today for all your leather and fur needs. 
 

In the last few of blogs Jonval Leathers and Furs moved on from discussing the different types of leather, and started exploring the other side of Jonval Leathers and Furs—furs! We have begun our discussion on the different types of animals the furs for the clothing and accessories come from. 

Similar to leather, you would be surprised to find out just how many types of fur are used for clothing. In this blog series we will describe the fur and what makes it unique, special, or great for a particular type of clothing or accessory. 

Jonval Leathers and Furs began its discussion of the different types of fur starting with beaver fur and then moved onto discussing chinchilla, one of the most coveted and expensive furs. Then, we talked about coyote fur which while not so coveted is still a very warm and pretty fur to wear.

In this last week’s blog, we will move onto our next type of fur, fox fur. The fox can be found all over the world. It is very versatile when it comes to using it for fur in clothing and accessories. This is because it can come in a variety of natural colors.

In this week’s blog, we will continue our discussion on fox fur. We will delve into all the different types of foxes, and therefore, fox fur there are. 

Blue Fox
This fox is ranched almost exclusively and extensively in the Scandinavian region. It can also be considered an Arctic fox. Its color is usually white in the winter and brown in the summer. That sounds off, right, if it is called the blue fox. This is because only about 1% of these foxes are born with the coveted blue fur it is famous for. This blue coat can appear dark blue or grey throughout the year.

Cross Fox
This fox gets its apt name from the cruciform that can usually be found on the top of its head on its neck region. This fox fur will be red with a yellow tint to it. The cross mark on this fox will be more red with some black highlights.

Some of these cross foxes can be silver. When this is the case they take the name of silver cross fox. While unique, these foxes are actually not all that rare. They are pretty common in northern North American and make up about 30% of Canada’s red fox population.

Gray Fox
While rather common, the gray fox is pretty hard to spot because it is so elusive in the wild. These foxes are nocturnal, but may likely forage during the day. These are largely found in North America. The best pelts tend to come from the northern states. The fur colors can range in color from silver to grey and have a slight red tint to it.

There are a few more foxes to explore in the next blog. All are unique in some way and their furs are coveted. Stop by Jonval Leathers and Furs today for all your leather and fur needs. 


 

In the last couple of blogs Jonval Leathers and Furs moved on from discussing the different types of leather, and started exploring the other side of Jonval Leathers and Furs—furs! We began our discussion on the different types of animals the furs for the clothing and accessories come from. 

Similar to leather, you would be surprised to find out just how many types of fur are used for clothing. In this blog series we will describe the fur and what makes it unique, special, or great for a particular type of clothing. 

Jonval Leathers and Furs began its discussion of the different types of fur starting with beaver fur. We then moved on to discussing the next type of fur, chinchilla fur. We discovered that the chinchilla is actually a rodent, like a mouse or a squirrel. It was found high in the Andes mountains of South American, but is now found raised on ranches. 

We also learned that the chinchilla has the densest fur of all fur. This fur is a defense mechanism keeping parasites from attaching the animal. It is this density of fur that makes it such a luxurious and beautiful fur. 

In this week’s blog, we will continue our discussion of chinchilla fur. We will begin with some of its qualities that make it ideal for coats and clothing. 

Color
Chinchilla fur is generally silver on top with a darker undercoat. When this silver color is enhanced with brighteners, it can have the very sought after slate blue color. It is also possible to have a variety of colors with various mutations.  

Expense
Because chinchillas are such tiny animals, it takes a huge amount of them to make one coat. In fact, it may take up to two hundred chinchillas to make just one fur coat. For this reason, it can make purchasing a coat very expensive. It is estimated that to make one waist length chinchilla fur coat it could cost anywhere from $2,500-$25,000. 

Along with taking very many animals to make just one coat, the process to used to make the clothing is time consuming and difficult. This is because chinchilla fur is very fragile and therefore must be tended to very carefully in order to turn it into a coat. 

Benefits
In addition to being so dense and having a beautiful color, chinchilla fur is very warm (because of its denseness.) It is also very light. These two qualities are usually not found together. Either you get warmth and weight, or it is lightweight, but it is not so warm. With chinchilla, you get both together. 

Chinchilla fur is also widely considered some of the softest fur in the world. It can feel silky and luxurious to the touch. It is also hypoallergenic, so no worries about allergies wearing this fur. Chinchilla is widely considered one of the most coveted and expensive furs you could own. 
Read our next blog to discover the next type of fur we will be discussing. For all your fur needs, Jonval Leathers and Furs  has you covered (pun intended).
 

In the last blog Jonval Leathers and Furs moved on from discussing the different types of leather, and started exploring the other side of Jonval Leathers and Furs—furs! We began our discussion on the different types of animals the furs for the clothing and accessories come from. 

Similar to leather, you would be surprised to find out just how many types of fur are used for clothing. In this blog series will describe the fur and what makes it unique, special, or great for a particular type of clothing. 

In last week’s blog, Jonval Leathers and Furs began its discussion of the different types of fur starting with beaver fur. Beavers have some of the most dense hair in all of the animal kingdom. In fact, beavers have some 10,000 hairs per square centimeter. There are a couple different types of beaver fur. We discussed the difference between sheared beaver fur and natural beaver fur.

In this week’s blog, we will move onto the next typeof animal from which great furs are made—chinchilla fur. As a young child, I remember I always wanted a chinchilla as a pet. They were so cute and so soft. It is that softness that makes this fur so sought after and expensive (well, that and the size of each tiny animal, meaning that many, many chinchillas are needed to make just one fur coat.)

What is a Chinchilla?
Believe it or not, a chinchilla is actually classified as a rodent. Yep, just like rats, or squirrels, or prairie dogs, a chinchilla is in the same family of rodents. They are native to the high Andes of South America. The indigenous people there used to use their fur as cloth. This include the Incas and the early Spaniards who ended up defeating the Incas.

Popularity
As the Spaniards brought back to Europe furs made of this tiny creature, news spread and its popularity took off. So much so, that by 1914 the chinchilla was nearly extinct. In fact, these days, all chinchillas are raised on ranches, rather than roaming freely in the Andes.

A handful of breeding pairs of chinchillas where brought to the states in 1924. It is from these few chinchillas, that The United States in now breeding them. All of this information explains why, in my nearly two years living and teaching in Chile, I never once stumbled upon a chinchilla in the wild (que lastima!)

The Fur
When we speak about fur, we speak about its denseness, like we did with beaver which has one of the densest furs. Yet, it is the chinchilla that has the densest furs of all animals. It has more than 20,000 hairs per square centimeter (whoa!) Having hair this dense is a defense mechanism for the chinchilla. It keeps parasites, such as fleas, from bothering the animal.  


We still have a lot more to uncover about the beautiful chinchilla and its lovely fun. For all your fur needs, Jonval Leathers and Furs  has you covered (pun intended).