Here's another one ~ sheared beaver, coney, or seal?

[buddycow]

I seem to come across the most interesting coats but can't figure out what they are...lol. I'm thinking this is 30s or possibly earlier. The lining is amazing as well! The fur is brown down closer to the pelts so it's obviously dyed. It feels like butter. Here's links to pics. I wanted to take more close-ups but my camera batteries are recharging.

 

http://i36.tinypic.com/1znvm0o.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/10n9pns.jpg

http://i37.tinypic.com/34fxxfm.jpg

http://i36.tinypic.com/15ybqcg.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/xc7hfl.jpg

http://i36.tinypic.com/w816za.jpg

[buddycow]

Here's a couple more pics of the little hairs that I'm seeing, much like guard hairs but you really have to look for them. I don't believe this is seal. I think it's beaver.

 

http://i48.tinypic.com/ibwhoo.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/2qdqrm9.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/2mcf4np.jpg

[White Fox]

That was a fur that was extremely common back in the 50's time period. Indeed awhile back I asked about it but had no photo. I seem to remember that we came up with an idea, but not sure what it was now. Might have been black died sheared muskrat.

 

Will be interesting to see what the experts say on this one. Now that we have a photo of one. They were indeed extremely common I believe back then.

 

W

[buddycow]

I know it's at least from the 30s because of the styling and the application on the lining which is considered deco. I was fortunate enough to actually find the daughter of the owner of the store this came from (Carter's Fur Store, Zanesville OH) and she said that she didn't remember them dealing in seal, just the usual fur like beaver, mouton, etc. She said her dad took it over in the 50s when the original owner retired so the store had been around since slightly before the 20s which would put this coat in the time frame as stated above. Mouton was more popular in the 50s era but this isn't mouton. It feels like a fine talc or powder, so buttery smooth. I think seal would've been far-fetched for that era. Plus being close to the Ohio River, they had problems with beavers in that area and the fur market was flooded with that type of fur. I will be interested to see what folks say since I don't have a furrier that's closer than 2 hours away from here...lol.

[White Fox]

Actually, I am not sure but kind of seems to me that we had been thinking of seal when we spoke of this before. However, We did not have a photo then. Will be interesting to see the thoughts now with that photo.

 

As mentioned I've saw many. I know that they were VERY common back then and pretty much always in black.

 

W

[furcoatman]

i want to say seal, but those close ups look weird. for me, with the sheared furs, touch is so important.

[AKcoyote]

Dark furs are so difficult to photograph with a reasonable level of detail in the resulting image that it is frequently very hard to tell exactly what the fur is from the images.

 

To me, it appears to be a dyed fur and most likely not sheared beaver. In at least one image it looks similar to rabbit, but could be seal. Like furcoatman, I just cannot tell for certain from the images.

 

You almost need a professional photographer's studio lighting setup to get good detail in images of such dark furs.

[White Fox]

They were not sheared beaver. Too short and wrong consistency for that. Not regular rabbit, though I am not that familiar with sheared rabbit enough to know about that.

 

Probably dyed but don't know on that. Not that many natural black furs. though could be.

 

W

[buddycow]

This is dyed. The hair is browner as you get towards the pelt. I think it shows that in the pic of the cuff.

[buddycow]

Here's some more pics taken outside with flash. The fur is maybe 1/2" long or a tad shorter. As far as feel, like fine talc or mink, exceptionally soft to the touch. You don't really feel individual hairs when you pet it like you would a rabbit coat or something with long hair. It's one fluid feel. The pelt that I see showing thru on the cuff isn't pliable but like the pads of a dogs feet.

 

http://i49.tinypic.com/dpv1uu.jpg

http://i49.tinypic.com/25quedy.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/j0co00.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/e7bczt.jpg

 

Cuffs where it's worn down to the pelt ~ you can see the brown as well as in other pics

 

http://i45.tinypic.com/24bsxs1.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/2vwz9nb.jpg

[furcoatman]

does the fur "squeak" slightly when you rub it between your thumb and finger? this is the seal test for me.

 

if it was sheared beaver, it would be matted to an extent that it is not.

 

if it was rabbit, it would be shredded by this point. i have not seen a rabbit that is that old.

 

 

 

on a different note, anyone know the origin of the use of the word coney for rabbit? my personal take is that it is a derivative of conejo, which is spanish for rabbit.

[Worker 11811]

on a different note, anyone know the origin of the use of the word coney for rabbit? my personal take is that it is a derivative of conejo, which is spanish for rabbit.

 

Could be derived from French.

 

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/coney?view=uk

[buddycow]

Nope, doesn't speak. I also think that most fur like rabbit and beaver are dyed to look like seal and that seal is not generally dyed and doesn't need to be sheared. Since this fur started out as brown, I highly doubt it is seal. I really think it's sheared beaver the more I look and the more I look at other sheared beaver coats.

[Guest]

<>

 

They do dye fur seal. It’s called Matara dyed. Also, once the guard hairs have been removed, the underfur is sheared. Fur seal that has been plucked but not sheared looks different from fur seal that has been plucked and then sheared. I've seen a picture of plucked, but not sheared fur seal side by side fur seal that has been both plucked and sheared. There's definitely a difference in appearance.

 

Tricia