FUR FACTS 35 



that money can buy. The fur is about three fourths of an inch in 

 depth and is very thick and compact. The nutria which is found in 

 South America is very similar to the North American beaver and is 

 very much the same color, but the fur is shorter and looser, the 

 nutria fur being about one fourth to one half of an inch in depth. 

 Both of these furs are plucked before they are used by the furrier. 

 The beaver pelt, as well as the nutria, when it is taken off of the 

 carcass of the animal, has long coarse guard hair which covers the 

 entire pelt, this long hair is from one half to three quarters of an inch 

 longer than the underfur. This top hair, or guard hair, is coarse 

 and wiry, and the uninitiated seeing a beaver skin before it is plucked 

 would hardly recognize it as beaver fur. Before the manufacturer 

 cuts the skins up into garments they are sent to the dresser and 

 plucker and all of these long coarse guard hairs are pulled out. This 

 work is done by experts who use a large dull knife. The skins are 

 laid over a circular beam and the guard hairs are literally plucked 

 out, leaving the soft velvety underfur. The same thing is done with 

 the otter, the nutria and also with the Alaska seal. One difference 

 between the beaver and the seal is that the beaver is very rarely 

 dyed. They are so beautiful in their natural color and shade that 

 the furrier rarely if ever dyes them. The beaver and otter are furs 

 that cannot be imitated successfully, and the nearest approach to 

 it is the nutria, and nutria in itself is a very fine and dependable fur. 

 The seal skin, however, is dyed after it is plucked. The natural color 

 of the seal after it is plucked is somewhat similar to the beaver, being 

 of a light brownish cast, but after it is dyed it is black with a brownish 

 sheen. 



How it was Discovered that Seal Skins Could be Plucked 



One of the greatest authorities on plucking and dressing Alaska 

 seal that ever lived told the writer the following story. It seems 

 that the art of dressing and dyeing Alaska seal is only of compara- 

 tively recent origin. Less than one hundred years ago seal skins were 

 used very little by furriers for garments. The pelts were taken in very 

 large quantities but they had little or no value for fur purposes; and 

 in England their principal use was for trunk lining. The pelt side was 

 softened and tanned until the leather was pliable and they were then 

 used as lining for cases, trunks, traveling bags, etc. It seems that 

 the trunk makers were brick layers in the Summer and trunk makers 

 in the Winter, in other words they had two trades. It is also said 

 the bricklayer-trunk maker prided himself on being able to drink 



