Animalscaretips
The transformation of beaver skins into felt and then hats was a highly skilled activity.
- What animals were used to make hats?
- Which animal pelts were most valuable?
- What was the most valuable fur in the fur trade?
- Why were beaver pelts so important?
- What was beaver fur used for?
- Are top hats made of beaver?
- What is a beaver hide worth?
- What is beaver fur like?
- What does beaver fur feel like?
- How many beavers were killed in the fur trade?
- Why did the French want fur?
- Are beavers killed for fur?
- Is beaver fur expensive?
What animals were used to make hats?
Beaver skins were stripped of their outer guard-hair and turned into felt through a complex process of combing, beating and drying. Depending on the price and quality of the hat, the size of the beaver pelts, and the richness of the felt, a single hat needed between 1 to 5 full-grown male pelts for its production.
Which animal pelts were most valuable?
Beaver pelts were in the greatest demand, but other animals such as mink, muskrat, fox and sable marten were also trapped. In the 1830s, when beaver lost its value as a staple fur, HBC maintained a profitable trade emphasizing fancy fur.
What was the most valuable fur in the fur trade?
Beaver fur, which was used in Europe to make felt hats, became the most valuable of these furs. The fur trade prospered until the mid-1800's, when fur-bearing animals became scarce and silk hats became more popular than felt hats made with beaver.
Why were beaver pelts so important?
In the past, pelts were so important they were used as a trade medium in place of money. Between 1853 and 1877, the Hudson Bay Company sold almost three million beaver pelts to England. In Alaska today, trappers still harvest these furs. They are highly prized for cold weather coats and hats.
What was beaver fur used for?
Stretched pelt (60 pelts per pack) Beaver fur was used to make felt hats. Beavers do not hibernate, so their fur gets very thick in the winter to keep them warm. Most of the trapping for beaver was done in the winter. After it was killed, the beaver was skinned and its hide stretched on a willow frame.
Are top hats made of beaver?
Essential to his ensemble was the new top hat, dubbed the “beaver” as its felt was made from beaver fur.
What is a beaver hide worth?
Pelt prices for beaver should be about what they have been in the last few years: $10 to $15 for a good prime blanket. Raccoon - Like beaver, they take more effort to prepare than other pelts. Expect the usual $10 to $15 for a good, big, heavy pelt.
What is beaver fur like?
Beaver Fur
It is an aquatic animal with shiny, coarse guard hair and soft, exceptionally thick underfur. The color range is wide. It may be dark brown on the back, shading to pale golden brown on the sides, or the entire fur may be pale or even silvery. Whatever the color, beaver should never have a red cast.
What does beaver fur feel like?
Beaver. Sheared soft, velvety texture, evenly sheared. Often dyed in new fashion colors, very durable. Natural: Long, lustrous guard hairs over thick underfur.
How many beavers were killed in the fur trade?
Others prefer dynamite. Two hundred plus years of the fur trade killed off beaver populations—40 to 60 million beavers basked in North America in the 19th century before hunters massacred them for hats and perfume.
Why did the French want fur?
France and England were bitter enemies at this time. Indeed, one of the principal goals of the French fur trade during the 1700s was to maintain strong ties and military alliances with the Indians. Between 1698 and 1763, France and England fought a series of four wars for control of North America.
Are beavers killed for fur?
Historically, beavers have been hunted for their fur, meat and castoreum. Castoreum has been used in medicine, perfume and food flavoring, while beaver pelts have been a major driver of the fur trade.
Is beaver fur expensive?
A natural, long-haired beaver coat retails in the range of $2,000 to $5,000, while a sheared and dyed one usually starts at $4,000 and can cost up to $7,000 or even more for some designer coats.
