Fabulous New Zealand possum fur features

Possum fur feels like springy silk velvet to touch. It is unbelievably soft and silky.

New Zealand possum fur is a medium length (4-6cm) plush type fur, with a dense cushioned undercoat. New Zealand possum fur is completely different from the fur of the American Opossum. New Zealand possum fur doesn't shed like other furs and is anti-static.

It is very strong so you won’t be covered in hair every time you lean on your fabulous possum fur cushion, bed blanket or sofa throw. New Zealand possum fur is considered durable so if it is well looked after and correctly cleaned and stored when not in use it can last up to 10 years or longer.

Possum fur is very warm; in fact they say it is the third warmest fur in the world after polar bear and Arctic fox because of its hollow hair structure that traps warmth like a thermos. And just like polar bear hair, it is the hallow hair structure that does not allow possum fur to freeze, even when exposed to extreme cold. Possum fur is said to be 14% lighter and 8% warmer than wool in university studies.




When blended with merino wool it makes a divine natural possum merino fibre that is soft and comfortable and used to make all kinds of wonderful knitted clothing and fashion accessories.

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Why are possum fur blankets and throws so expensive?

This is a valid question and there are a lot of components to the answer. The best way to explain is to consider the steps needed to make a possum throw or blanket, and then what it takes to get the finished product into the marketplace.

The steps involved in making a possum fur throw or blanket.

Step one: Getting possum skins from the bush.

The best furs are collected in autumn and winter. So this is a seasonal business, even though fur is plucked for possum merino knitwear all year round. The really good large furry possums will be in the more remote cooler areas. Some areas can only be accessed on foot (after a long 4-wheel drive) or by helicopter.

Possum trappers need to tramp into the bush and make camp, then spend a week or two setting traps, go back every day walking up and down mountains to check the traps and collect the skins. When they have enough, they tramp out of the bush again or meet the helicopter. The skins need to be preserved with salt and stored. This process will go on for months before the trappers have enough to sell to the fur agents.

Note: The tanneries must pay top dollar for the best quality possum fur skins, otherwise the trappers will not bring them out of the bush. It is much easier and cleaner for the trappers to simply pluck the fur to be used to make possum merino knitwear. The price for plucked fur reached record highs per kilo last year due to China buying as much plucked fur fluff as they can get access too. This drives up the price for the local market.

 

Step two: The tannery processes, grades and tans the skins

Once the tannery buys the skins they start a very labour intensive process to preserve them. First they sort by colour and size. And then grade for quality and store until needed.

As orders come in they tan a large drum of skins to fulfil each order. Each batch takes about 1-2 weeks to complete and involves about 60 steps; most of these steps are manual labour, wet, messy, smelly and generally very unpleasant. Once tanned they comb out fur knots, clean and iron, re-sort, re-grade and despatch or store until needed.

Tanneries need to hold a large amount of skins in various stages of processing, including a large fur vault with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of finished furs. There are about 13 official natural possum fur colours and each colour is used to make a different product or dyed colour like black or red for example.

Note: The cost of the tanning chemicals has increased worldwide in the last few years. We suspect this may be linked to the cost of oil in some way? This has affected all leather industries worldwide.

Step three: A professionally trained furrier crafts the possum throw or blanket

Making a possum blanket is not as simple as just cutting and sewing. If it is done right there is a lot more work involved. When the furs arrive they need to be checked, and then dampened and lightly stretched and pined to boards to dry. Then they remove any naturally occurring faults in the fur (like re-growth). Grade the fur and blend the furs so that they all go together nicely. Trim them and sew them together to a very specific size, finally they line with a quality fabric backing. This process takes about 1 week per blanket or throw.

Note: Not all people who own a fur machine are furriers. To become a qualified furrier takes years of specialist training and experience.

 

Step four: Getting a possum throw or blanket into the marketplace

Placing a product in front of the consumer also has costs. Simple things like freight need to be factored into a product costing. Retailers have expenses like shop rent and staff wages, insurance, rates, Eftpos rental (online payment facilities), power, phone, web hosting and advertising. Product photography is probably one of the most important things when selling a tactile luxury product online and this all adds to the final price of a possum throw and blanket.

Conclusion

So that is a simplified account of the steps it takes to make a possum throw or blanket and the people involved to bring it to the consumer. Every step of the process is very labour intensive. Once all the factors are considered we hope that the true value of talented and skilled craftspeople that make these wonderful products will be better appreciated.

Yes there are a lot of possums in New Zealand and we want to control the numbers to help save the native bush but that doesn’t make fur a cheap commodity. Someone still needs to put in the hard work and deal with the mess. Thankfully the possum fur industry employees a lot of New Zealanders. And the public get to see and enjoy the beautiful end result.

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The ancient craft of the furrier

The art of the furrier, who is a craftsman and artisan who works with fur, is a very specialised and ancient craft. There are only a handful of people in New Zealand who are experienced and qualified in this very old tradition.

Our Gorgeous Creatures furrier is a second generation furrier who learned his trade from his father in England over 25 years ago with a heritage of luxury craftsmanship. He is a Master Furrier who knows how to work professionally with possum fur to achieve a quality heirloom product that will stand the test of time. All our possum fur products are made in New Zealand.

Because of our furriers’ skills and experience we can customise your possum interior décor fur throw, blanket, cushions or anything else you can think of to make from possum fur as long as the fur is suitable for the use that you imagine.

Mink is the undisputed King of fur for use as a coat and other clothing items, and possum is the King of interior decor because it has the necessary strength and durability and is very cost effective when compared with other real furs.

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Responsible, Eco-Friendly, Renewable, Recyclable and Biodegradable

There was a lot of propaganda, protest and controversy about fur in the late 1980's, since then the fur trade has as grown up, the industry has become more responsible, technology and animal welfare has improved and as long fur comes from a reputable supplier from a responsible country it is not much different than beef, lamb, chicken, eggs, milk and wool that people grow as a natural resource for human use.

We are not an unbiased voice but we feel that there is plenty of propaganda available online speaking against the fur industry and very little positive response in support of the fur industry. There is always two sides to any story. It simply does not make any sense for a fur farmer to treat his animals badly. It is in his best interest for the animals to be healthy.

**Please note that Gorgeous Creatures possum fur is not farmed but a wild by-product of the effort to save the native forest and birds.

The British Fur Trade Association has launched a new fur industry initiative designed to promote transparency of product origin called Origin Assured. “When consumers see the OA™ label they can be certain that, wild or farmed, the fur comes from a country where national or local regulations or standards governing fur production are in force. OA™ labels can only be used on items which are 100% Origin Assured fur.” The initiative is currently focused mainly on the clothing industry and only certain countries and species qualify for the OA™ mark at the moment. New Zealand and New Zealand possums have not yet been included in this qualification but we hope that it may be included in the near future.

If you are interested in the real story of European fur farming we recommend that you view the brief movies in this interesting video library which shows the responsible side of the farmed Mink fur industry in Denmark.

Unlike artificial furs, real fur can last for many decades if well looked after, can be recycled, restyled, and comes from a renewable resource. Fur is also biodegradable.