Fur Buying Guide - Understanding Different Types of Fur
Fur Buying Guide - Understanding Different Types of Fur
Are you looking to add an element of timeless luxury to your wardrobe? Have you ever wondered what distinguishes one type of fur from another, or been curious about the different textures of fur? We've put together a helpful summary of the different types of fur we carry & custom-make onsite, describing the features, look, feel, and weight of each type of fur, so you can know exactly what you're shopping for!
Henig Furs offers a wide selection of high-quality fur, leather, cashmere & wool, and we have something to suit every style. We've been providing premium quality, stylish fur garments for five generations.
Helpful definitions
- guard hair - visible top layer of long, straight fur
- underfur - bottom layer of shorter, denser insulating fur
- pelts - pelts from animals that are used to make fur garments
- sheared fur - fur that has been sheared for a softer texture, which removes the guard hairs, which makes it more lightweight, but maintains the warmth of an unsheared fur
Mink Fur
- Plush & elegant
- Lightweight & durable
- Lends itself to formal or casual styling
Known for it's luxuriously soft texture and light weight, mink fur is the most popular of all furs sold worldwide. Long Hair Mink Fur (or unsheared mink fur) boasts lustrous guard hairs, with a soft, dense underfur. Sheared Mink Fur has a wonderfully plush, velvety texture that's very soft to the touch, and retains it's insulating warmth, while being more lightweight than long hair mink fur. Mink fur garments not only offer instant elegance, but many years of wear - if they're taken care of - they're as durable as they are luxurious!
Female Mink Fur pelts are smaller in size and have a softer, silkier feel than male mink fur pelts, making them sleek and more desired than male mink fur, which makes them pricier as well.
Sectioned or Pieced Mink Fur is made of sections of mink fur that are pieced together to make a garment, they do not use full skin pelts. Pieced mink fur garments can be very attractive, and they are much less expensive than full skin mink furs.
Mink Fur
- Plush & elegant
- Lightweight & durable
- Lends itself to formal or casual styling
Known for it's luxuriously soft texture and light weight, mink fur is the most popular of all furs sold worldwide. Long Hair Mink Fur (or unsheared mink fur) boasts lustrous guard hairs, with a soft, dense underfur. Sheared Mink Fur has a wonderfully plush, velvety texture that's very soft to the touch, and retains it's insulating warmth, while being more lightweight than long hair mink fur. Mink fur garments not only offer instant elegance, but many years of wear - if they're taken care of - they're as durable as they are luxurious!
Female Mink Fur pelts are smaller in size and have a softer, silkier feel than male mink fur pelts, making them sleek and more desired than male mink fur, which makes them pricier as well.
Sectioned or Pieced Mink Fur is made of sections of mink fur that are pieced together to make a garment, they do not use full skin pelts. Pieced mink fur garments can be very attractive, and they are much less expensive than full skin mink furs.
Fox Fur
- Fluffy & full-bodied
- Plush yet lightweight
- Long, lustrous guard hairs
- Great for trimming garments
Another hugely popular fur is the luxurious & full fox fur. With long, lustrous guard hairs, and a soft, thick underfur, fox fur is wonderfully fluffy and ideal for high fashion. It lends itself perfectly for trimming garments and accessories.
Fox Fur makes a great statement piece. It's available in an impressive array of gorgeous natural colors. And, it can be dyed a multitude of beautiful, bright, fun stylish colors for extra flare and eye-catching style. Fox fur makes everything luxurious & beautiful!
Fox Fur
- Fluffy & full-bodied
- Plush yet lightweight
- Long, lustrous guard hairs
- Great for trimming garments
Another hugely popular fur is the luxurious & full fox fur. With long, lustrous guard hairs, and a soft, thick underfur, fox fur is wonderfully fluffy and ideal for high fashion. It lends itself perfectly for trimming garments and accessories.
Fox Fur makes a great statement piece. It's available in an impressive array of gorgeous natural colors. And, it can be dyed a multitude of beautiful, bright, fun stylish colors for extra flare and eye-catching style. Fox fur makes everything luxurious & beautiful!
Chinchilla Fur
- Softest fur available
- Very lightweight & very warm
- Beautiful natural color
- Great for trimming garments
Known for its quintessential natural color, chinchilla fur is one of the most prized and expensive furs in the world. One glance at a chinchilla coat, and its obvious they are made of superbly soft and warm fur, with its unique color and look. Given that chinchilla fur is very dense (the densest fur available), it insulates very well without being heavy in weight. Beautiful chinchilla garments are worn by the fashion elite throughout the world. You'll fall in love with chinchilla fur!
We custom-make many of our chinchilla furs, so if you don't see what you're looking for on our website, please reach out to us.
Rabbit Fur
- Ultra soft
- Lightweight & warm
- Naturally long-haired, but can be sheared
Rex rabbit fur is extremely popular, thanks to its heavenly soft feel, beauty, versatility & affordable price. Wonderfully lightweight and warm, rabbit fur features medium length guard hairs, and can be worn in its natural long haired form or sheared for a sportier look. Knitted rabbit fur garments are very popular for their warmth and affordability. Many of our children's furs are made of rabbit fur. It's also used to trim jackets and strollers.
Rex rabbit fur was developed in France over 100 years ago. It's distinct, in that it has no prominent guard hairs. This results in a silkier, denser fur that resembles sheared mink fur.
Lynx Fur
- Lightweight & silky
- Very warm
- Naturally beautiful coloring
Lynx furs are lightweight and have a silky texture. The guard hairs are long, and the underfur is dense and warm, making lynx fur very fluffy and incredibly warm. This gorgeous fur is a showstopper!
We also custom-make many of our lynx furs, and we custom-make lynx belly fur garments, which are made from just the whiter underbelly of the lynx fur pelts. Lynx belly furs are lighter in color, and are more expensive, since it only uses the belly of the pelts, and takes more time and effort (not to mention more pelts) to create the fur garment from only the part of the lynx pelts.
Bobcat Fur
- Lightweight & warm
- Beautiful, natural color
- Long, lustrous guard hairs
Bobcat fur is naturally beautiful and makes a great statement piece! With long, lustrous guard hairs and a soft, warm underfur, bobcat fur is wonderfully fluffy and ideal for classic style. It's very lightweight & very warm. This stylish fur has a look that's classically beautiful and lends itself to many different styles. It can be dressed up for a more formal look, or dressed down for a more casual look.
Sable Fur
- Exquisitely soft
- Silky & shiny
- Very lightweight & very warm
Sable is one of the rarest furs. It's a rich brown color and has a silver cast. Sable fur features long, silvery-tipped guard hairs, making it silkier than mink fur. It's long haired and very warm while being very lightweight, which makes it one of the most costly furs.
We custom-make men's & women's sable furs, so please reach out to us if you don't see what you're looking for on our site.
Chinchilla Fur
- Softest fur available
- Very lightweight & very warm
- Beautiful natural color
- Great for trimming garments
Known for its quintessential natural color, chinchilla fur is one of the most prized and expensive furs in the world. One glance at a chinchilla coat, and its obvious they are made of superbly soft and warm fur, with its unique color and look. Given that chinchilla fur is very dense (the densest fur available), it insulates very well without being heavy in weight. Beautiful chinchilla garments are worn by the fashion elite throughout the world. You'll fall in love with chinchilla fur!
We custom-make many of our chinchilla furs, so if you don't see what you're looking for on our website, please reach out to us.
Rabbit Fur
- Ultra soft
- Lightweight & warm
- Naturally long-haired, but can be sheared
Rex rabbit fur is extremely popular, thanks to its heavenly soft feel, beauty, versatility & affordable price. Wonderfully lightweight and warm, rabbit fur features medium length guard hairs, and can be worn in its natural long haired form or sheared for a sportier look. Knitted rabbit fur garments are very popular for their warmth and affordability. Many of our children's furs are made of rabbit fur. It's also used to trim jackets and strollers.
Rex rabbit fur was developed in France over 100 years ago. It's distinct, in that it has no prominent guard hairs. This results in a silkier, denser fur that resembles sheared mink fur.
Lynx Fur
- Lightweight & silky
- Very warm
- Naturally beautiful coloring
Lynx furs are lightweight and have a silky texture. The guard hairs are long, and the underfur is dense and warm, making lynx fur very fluffy and incredibly warm. This gorgeous fur is a showstopper!
We also custom-make many of our lynx furs, and we custom-make lynx belly fur garments, which are made from just the whiter underbelly of the lynx fur pelts. Lynx belly furs are lighter in color, and are more expensive, since it only uses the belly of the pelts, and takes more time and effort (not to mention more pelts) to create the fur garment from only the part of the lynx pelts.
Bobcat Fur
- Lightweight & warm
- Beautiful, natural color
- Long, lustrous guard hairs
Bobcat fur is naturally beautiful and makes a great statement piece! With long, lustrous guard hairs and a soft, warm underfur, bobcat fur is wonderfully fluffy and ideal for classic style. It's very lightweight & very warm. This stylish fur has a look that's classically beautiful and lends itself to many different styles. It can be dressed up for a more formal look, or dressed down for a more casual look.
Sable Fur
- Exquisitely soft
- Silky & shiny
- Very lightweight & very warm
Sable is one of the rarest furs. It's a rich brown color and has a silver cast. Sable fur features long, silvery-tipped guard hairs, making it silkier than mink fur. It's long haired and very warm while being very lightweight, which makes it one of the most costly furs.
We custom-make men's & women's sable furs, so please reach out to us if you don't see what you're looking for on our site.
Coyote Fur
- Beautiful, natural hues
- Resilient & durable
- Very warm & perfect for trimming garments
Coyote fur has its own signature appearance. It has highlights of color on beautiful, luxurious fur. Fur color varies naturally, from grayish-brown to yellow-gray, depending on the fur's geographic origin. Coyote fur is beautiful and resilient. This fur makes a gorgeous, plush trim on collars and cuffs, and its density makes it a natural choice for making incredibly warm blankets and jackets.
Shop Coyote FurCoyote Fur
- Beautiful, natural hues
- Resilient & durable
- Very warm & perfect for trimming garments
Coyote fur has its own signature appearance. It has highlights of color on beautiful, luxurious fur. Fur color varies naturally, from grayish-brown to yellow-gray, depending on the fur's geographic origin. Coyote fur is beautiful and resilient. This fur makes a gorgeous, plush trim on collars and cuffs, and its density makes it a natural choice for making incredibly warm blankets and jackets.
Shop Coyote FurBeaver Fur
- Glossy & water resistant
- Very warm
- Naturally beautiful coloring
Beaver fur consists of two layers of fur. It features long, coarse, glossy guard hairs. The underfur is made of dense, short, fine hairs that together, with an oily material, provide the waterproof barrier for the fur. There are 3 types of beaver fur, plucked, sheared and natural. Sheared Beaver Fur reveals the thick underfur that is the source of warmth. Sheared beaver fur is incredibly soft and much more lightweight than natural beaver fur. Natural Beaver Fur leaves the long guard hairs intact, and lends a more masculine and rugged look (tends to be heavy in coats). Sheared beaver fur makes excellent blankets, because of it's incredible insulating ability and very soft texture.
We custom-make many of our beaver furs, so please reach out to us if you don't see what you're looking for on our site.
Ready to purchase your perfect fur?
Feel free to shop our website and view our stylish and impeccably crafted furs. We custom-make many of our furs, so please reach out if you don't see what you're looking for on our website. Our helpful customer service team is just a chat, email, text or call away, so don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.