Latest News for Jonval Leathers & Furs

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).
 

In the past many blogs Jonval Leathers and Furs explored all the different types of leather that can be used in your leather products. I had no idea how many types there are. Eighteen, in fact! Now we move onto fur—the other product that Jonval is famous for.

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 this week’s blog, Jonval Leathers and Furs will begin 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 will start with sheared beaver fur.

Sheared beaver fur
This fur is the fur you are probably familiar with when you think of beaver fur. This shearer fur is a short hair fur that is free from guard hairs. This makes it more dense and softer to the touch (this is what we want in fur, am I right?) 

This sheared beaver fur is great for and often used for in fashion garments. It provides a lot of warmth and can be a very elegant look in fashionable clothing. The natural color of this fur is often dyed a variety of colors such as darker brown, beige, or even white. 

This fur can mat when wet, so be careful when around water. It is important that you maintain it by giving it at least a once a year cleaning. It is a great thing, then, that Jonval Leathers and Furs offers cleaning and storage services for you. 

Natural beaver fur
Now, let’s compare this sheared beaver fur to a natural beaver fur. Natural beaver fur as an entirely different look. This fur will have long guard hairs that give the fur a luxurious sheen. We think this fur is great for men’s garments, such as coats, because it gives it a natural, rugged look. 

Along with men’s coats, natural beaver also makes striking casual wear for both mean and women. It is a very durable fur. It is generally brown in color, but it can also be dyed other colors to suit your whimsy. 

Cost
When we consider the cost of furs in general, we must consider how many animals it will take to make whatever article of clothing we need. For example, you must consider whether you want a full length, mid length or midi length coat or other garment. So while the cost of one beaver fur, may sound cheap, you must consider how many beaver furs you need to make a complete garment. 


We are just beginning to explore all the different types of furs that are used to make excellent clothing and accessories. For all your fur needs, Jonval Leathers and Furs  has you covered.
 

In the last few blogs Jonval Leathers and Furs discussed all the many factors that affect the quality of leather. In these next few blogs, we will discuss all of the different types of leather that result from the different qualities of leather.

I, for one, had no idea there were so many different types of leather. Last week we talked about pigmented leather. We learned that pigmented leather is a lower quality of leather, yet still very durable. It is often used in furniture and comes in a variety of colors. 

In this week’s blog, Jonval Leathers and Furs will discuss the next few types of leather, crust and embossed leather. Crust leather is leather that tanned and dried. However, this crust leather is not dyed like pigmented leather tends to be. 

As we learned with chrome and non chrome leather in a pervious blog, the tanning process is often what determines the type of leather. With crust leather, there are two types of tanning processes resulting in two types of crust leather. These leathers are either vegetable crust or chrome crust.

Crust leather is usually dyed and finished before it is processed. If it is not dyed, crust leather is usually a neutral beige in color. Because it starts as this neutral color, it is easy to hand dye it to suit one’s needs. When hand dying products such as shoes, belts, and purses, it is possible to make unique and one of a kind designs and colors.

The next type of leather Jonval Leather and Furs will discuss is embossed leather. This leather is embossed or imprinted with artificial, yet unique designs. This process uses high pressure and heat to imprint these patterns onto the leather. Combining this heat and pressure with steel plates with specific engrave designs.

There are three types of embossing. They include color imprint, blind embossing, and gold embossing. Blind embossing is imprinting a pattern without any color. While gold embossing uses gold films to imprint the patter. Of course, color embossing uses color films to do the imprinting onto the leather. 

 
When I think of embossed leather, I often envision the lovely purses I could never afford at all the markets I visited when traveling through Central America. They were beautiful leather purses with flowers and mountains and butterflies throughout the outside of the purse. They were intricate and detailed and timeless. Man, I wish I could have afforded one back then.

Along with purses and bags, embossed leather can be found on nearly any leather product. Some products might be fine leather journals, detailed leather furniture, and luxury leather accessories. 

Embossing leather is a great way to personalize your leather products. If you are looking for something unique and suited just to you, you may want to think about looking into embossed leather. You could even take leather products you already have and see about having them embossed to your liking. 

We have explored many types of leathers, and many of these leathers can be found at Jonval Leathers and Furs. Stop in soon to explore all your leather and fur needs. 
 
 

In the last few blogs Jonval Leathers and Furs discussed all the many factors that affect the quality of leather. In these next few blogs, we will discuss all of the different types of leather that result from the different qualities of leather.

I, for one, had no idea there were so many different types of leather. Last week we talked about chrome tanned leather and chrome free leather. We learned that chrome free leather is must better and safer for the environment. However, the chrome free tanning process is not always readily available in all countries. 

In this week’s blog, Jonval Leathers and Furs will discuss the next few types of leather. The next leather we will discuss is pigmented leather. This type of leather is generally not the best type of leather. This is because it is not necessary to use good leather when it is just going to be pigmented.

When leather is pigmented, it is layered or covered with other things such as colored polyurethane or varnish. This coating is usually stronger than the leather below it. Generally the leather used for pigmented leather is either split grain leather or Or bonded leather.

Split grain leather has a smooth top layer that has been split away. Bonded leather is made up of several leather particles bonded together using a special glue.  

Despite the lower quality of leather used in pigmented leather, furniture can still be beautiful with this type of leather. These types of coated leathers are becoming quite sophisticated as the need and desire for them increases. The desire for this type of leather may well be because of the many color options available when the leather is pigmented.

So while this type of leather may be well desired, especially when it comes to leather furniture because it is not made from high quality leather, it is likely that it will deteriorate over time. However, with some upkeep and care you can keep your pigmented leather furniture in good condition. So while you may battle this deterioration, you can rest assured that you have a very durable leather. 

This tendency to deteriorate is the opposite of that high quality aniline leather we discussed a few weeks ago. Furniture made with aniline leather will actually become more and more beautiful over time. 

To care for and maintain pigmented leather you can actually use a washcloth and tap water. Yes, water on leather. This is because of the pigmentation process and the fact that that layer is protecting the leather underneath it. You will want to use a special cleaner for leather. Look for one that is low in alkaline. These usually smell lemony fresh as an added bonus to cleaning your leather. 

Being sure to clean and maintain this leather is important. Doing so will keep that top layer from cracking ensuring that your furniture will last a long time. Which is ultimately the goal when making a big furniture purchase. 

We hope you are enjoying learning about all the types of leathers and how to care for them. Be sure to check out Jonval Leathers and Furs for all your leather needs and wants.