How to distinguish a fake mink coat. Criteria for distinguishing a mink coat from a fake

On the eve of the upcoming winter season, let's talk about how to distinguish a mink coat from a fake. Fur is an expensive pleasure, and giving a lot of money for a fake or illiquid is doubly insulting. But don't worry! The experts of the Furs of Russia portal will guide you along the most winding path to a meeting with your favorite and desired mink coat.

How to identify mink fur

Mink belongs to the highest category of valuable furs along with sable, lynx, chinchilla and is distinguished by increased wear resistance. A mink coat is worn for at least 6-8 winters, and can last 10-14 seasons.

It was for the beauty and durability that the mink was so fond of. But the quality varies, as does the price. The quality is mainly affected by the age of the fur, part of the skin and the type of mink: European, Scandinavian, American, etc. Fur coats are sewn from different parts. From the back they are more expensive, from foreheads and tums - cheaper.

Self-assessment of fur quality

Let's try to determine the quality ourselves. The method is suitable for individual skins, and for the product as a whole.

1. We evaluate by touch.

Good quality fur feels smooth and soft to the touch. Moderately pliable, the villi should return to their original position when you run your hand over it. Should prick a little. Less wear-resistant fur, the same rabbit, softer and not prickly. Look also at the undercoat, whether it is thick enough.

Important: Good fur does not need to be dyed. Cut and color to mask imperfections.

2. Look at the undercoat.

Mink is winter and summer. They differ in pile and undercoat. Winter has a thicker undercoat, it is warmer in it, and it costs less. The summer mink has a smoother, even and shiny appearance, the undercoat is smaller, and it costs more.

3. We check the core.

Mezdra - the lower part of the skin. She talks about age. Choose only products and skins with a light elastic core. Dark, brown - indicates the old age of the fur.

4. Evaluate visually.

Look at the coat or skin in general. Fur should be uniform, even. The fur from the back is denser and smoother. Foreheads, tummies and other parts are less durable and beautiful. But they are significantly cheaper.

Important: In the product from the backs, the joints and undercoat are absolutely not visible. It gives the impression of a cast skin. A fur coat from parts looks like it is sewn from small semicircles, it looks like it is wavy.

How not to buy a rabbit instead of a mink?

The rabbit is more suitable as a cheap analogue of the chinchilla, especially the Rex breed. But he is also given out for a mink, usually for a sheared one. The rabbit is a good animal. It grows fast and is soft to the touch. Its price is one of the lowest in the fur market. It is not at all shameful for a young girl to have a vest or a purse made of rabbit. It is worse if, under the guise of an expensive and high-quality mink, they offer a rabbit fur coat. Lack of experience leads to the purchase of such "mink coats". But this can be avoided. You must call on the help of vigilant eyes and a skeptical attitude.

You can tell a rabbit from a mink by eye. Rabbit fur is soft and fluffy. Looks like cotton balls. Virtually no undercoat. To bring the rabbit closer to the shorter pile of the mink, it is plucked. Move the pile apart, look at it inside, if there is an undercoat.

Look at the color. The rabbit is solid, while the mink has fine white hairs. The fur coat itself does not "play" in the sun and it does not have shine.

Next test - to the touch. Rabbit is much softer than mink. Feel more fur coats, after 10 you will understand where the fur is soft and where it is harder.

Important: Sheared mink is prickly to the touch with trimmed guard hairs, and the rabbit still remains soft.

The difference between a good mink coat

A good mink coat looks expensive and rich. Quality can be seen in everything: cut, tailoring, details and the level of the fur itself. The fur coat should be sewn from solid plates, from the backs. This is the most durable and beautiful option.

Sometimes a fur coat is sewn in dissolution. For this technology, the skins are cut in a herringbone pattern and sewn back together. On the one hand, the coat has a kind of flying silhouette, but, on the other hand, the product itself is less durable. With poor-quality tailoring, furrows may appear after the first season. When choosing such a model, pay special attention to the quality of the seams.

Nice coat, well made. No loose threads, semi loose seams. The seams should not be visible at all. Dear lining. After all, a fur coat is bought for many years, and the lining should also not wear out ahead of time.

Pay attention to the style. Super trendy tailoring may look outdated in 1-2 seasons. If you do not plan to change your fur coat often, give preference to the classics.

Important: According to statistics, the most popular fur coat model is knee-length and with a hood. It is warm and no need to buy a hat.

A good fur coat is unlikely to be sewn in handicraft production. The master must understand furs, be able to select skins by color and quality for one product, know all the subtleties of technology. Knowledge and skills are acquired over the years and no one will exchange them for sewing low-grade products. Large salons work directly with well-known factories, offering customers the best models.

Before buying, do not be too lazy to check the mink coat

So we come to an exciting moment: we like the fur coat, the price is right, it remains only to go through our checklist.

1. Shake your coat rattles or not, or squeeze the edge, listen to the rustle. The sounds will tell you if the fur was overdried or the dressing technology was not followed.

2. Blow on the pile and touch the entire surface with your hands. You should not find creases by touch, you need a soft fur coat.

Important: Creases on the core lead to holes and rapid wear.

3. Run your palm over the fur or gently tug at the hairs. Nothing should remain in the hands, and the fur should quickly return to its previous position.

Important: Do not believe the assurances that the fur is shedding because the fur coat has been folded for a long time or has not been worn. Fur climbs due to violations of production technology or the mink was obtained during molting.

4. Look at the look, how the same color throughout the product, smooth color transitions.

5. Run a white napkin over the fur coat or a handkerchief. They must remain clean. So you can check if the fur is dyed or not.

6. Look at the core, by lifting the hem at the lining, if it is not sewn, or by pushing the fur from the outside. Take a fur coat only with a light skin, which indicates the absence of paint and young fur.

Important: there is an opinion among buyers that the lining of a fur coat should not be sewn on, otherwise it is a fake. Let's dispel this myth. Whether or not to sew on a lining is up to the manufacturer, and many eminent designers and factories sew it on, which does not detract from the merits of designer products.

7. Smell. There should be no chemical odors. Another "bell" of dyed fur. Also, you should not feel the stale animal fat, this is an indicator of a violation of the technological process.

Important: sometimes the mezra remains light even when painted. This happens when applying the technology of dyeing with bleaching or when lightening. Then trust your sense of smell.

8. Look under your armpits. They will give out a seller who is trying to sell a used fur coat.

Important: Wrinkled armpits indicate a worn product.

9. Look at the seams, they must be strong and durable; also the quality of the lining fabric, and how it is sewn.

Important: the perfect lining is sewn by hand through the bias tape.

10. Read the label. It must contain the serial number and country of origin of the fur, the address of the manufacturer and other contacts.

Important: There will still be a separate label for the auction fur.

And finally, no matter how trite it may sound, buy fur coats in trusted places. Well-known trading houses and brands do not sacrifice their reputation for the dubious profits from the trade in low-quality fur, in the long run it will come out more expensive.

First of all, you should rely on tactile sensations: you need to run your hand over the fur against the growth of its pile. If it is soft, not sharp, but very elastic, and also quickly takes its original shape, then this is a natural mink. The most common fakes are made from the skin of a marmot or rabbit. In principle, it is not difficult to distinguish a mink from a rabbit, since its skin is much softer than mink: such fur is fluffy and soft and resembles cotton wool. In addition, the rabbit skin has no underfur, and its thickness is much thinner than that of the mink.

It is much more difficult to distinguish a mink from a marmot, but with a competent approach to this problem, it is quite possible. For example, groundhog fur, unlike mink fur, does not have a constant length and is noticeably prickly to the touch. Some dishonest sellers may justify such fur by passing it off as a steppe mink, but you should know that the mink animal never lives in the steppe. Usually, items made from the Mongolian tarbagan marmot are issued for the steppe mink. The fur of this creature is hard and grows in different directions.

The presence of guard hairs can also indicate a fake. The fact is that a real mink has a dense undercoat, and the guard hairs have the same length. Fraudsters, on the other hand, can cut the outer hair to the same length, without taking into account that such a “mink” will prick the palm when stroked. When examining the wrong side, you need to pay attention to the seams. Sloppy or glued seams may indicate a fake. It is worth noting that manufacturers in the manufacture of fur products try to prevent such a marriage.

When choosing mink fur products, you should pay attention to the color of the product. To distinguish a fake from the original, you need to draw some light fabric over the fur of the product, and then carefully look at it: if characteristic color traces remain on the fabric, the skin of the product has been chemically treated. By the way, the mezdra (skin) of a real mink, regardless of the color of the animal, is usually light, and in dyed products it has a uniform color with fur. A fake cannot be recognized by color only if the staining was performed using modern technologies that allow the mezra to be bleached almost to its original color.

But even natural mink should not be bought in all cases. If the technology of dressing a mink product has not been properly maintained, the fur will not meet the requirements inherent in a real mink. To check, gently pinch the fur. The acquisition of such a mink will make sense if there are no villi left in the hands. Otherwise, you should not purchase such a fur product, since it will soon begin to peel off.

Mink coats are short and long , cut and dyed , white and blue . But now we are not talking about fashion trends, but about how not to fall into the hands of scammers who sell a fake instead of a dream fur coat.

A fur coat is an object of desire for many women, even despite the numerous animal advocates. If you are planning to buy a mink, then you need to know how to distinguish real fur from a fake. Soft, fluffy, warm pile is very difficult to confuse, while it will turn every representative the fair sex into a real queen.

1) How to distinguish a fake mink coat - appearance

At first glance, it seems that the models in fur salons are all the same attractive. But you can distinguish a mink from a fake if you trust tactile sensations, that is, touch and pat. It is important to stroke the pile in the opposite direction of hair growth and determine the degree of softness. Mink fur is dense , delicate , smooth and does not itch , while it takes its original shape . If the fur is elastic, but not pliable, then most likely it is a marmot. Mink hairs are of the same length, in contrast to the steppe tarbagan. There should not yet be any bumps and bald patches, the appearance of an "uneven haircut", because this may be the result of a showdown with their relatives who lived in a cage. At the same time, rusty spots on the fur often remain from the bars of the cage, which cannot be removed. It is important to pay attention to color uniformity. The fur can be long-haired and shorthair, depending on the breed. The latter has a greater value as a result of its superior qualities.

2) How to distinguish a fake mink coat - inside

In order to determine the quality of the dressing and the mezdra (the reverse side of the mink skin), well-known manufacturers do not hem the lining. If the fur has not been dyed, then the mezra should have a light shade. When shaking, the product should not make a dry, “rattling” sound. The skin must include a seal that confirms that it is a mink, while the pieces must have a minimum size of 15 by 15 cm.

If the fur coat is made using gluing technology, and not stitching, then such a product may deteriorate after a couple of years of operation. For this reason, it is important to inspect the seams, which should be smooth and thin, and almost invisible. If the product is sewn "in dissolution", then at the junction of the pieces a herringbone pattern will be visible. Fragments of fur are cut with a laser and then sewn together. The cost of a fur coat depends on the number of sewn-in pieces: the fewer pieces, the higher the cost.

You can also distinguish a fake by the shape of the skins. Mink has fragments in the form of an elongated trapezoid, beaver - in the form of spades, nutria - squares, muskrat - hexagons. If you pinch a quality mink, then not a single hair should be in your fingers.

If the lining is hemmed and they refuse to tear it off, then it is better not to buy such a product.

3) How to distinguish a fake mink coat - expensive and cheap

A high-quality fur coat has a high cost, it simply cannot be otherwise. If the cost is small, then the product is sewn from defective or bad fur. Often, mink breeding farms feed animals poorly or keep them in unfavorable conditions . And the quality of the fur depends on it. As a result, in such conditions it is impossible to obtain a thick, silky pile.

4) How to distinguish a fake mink coat - product weight

In order to distinguish a quality mink, you need to weigh the coat. If the weight of the product is two hundred grams, then this is a sign of excessively stretched skins or rare fur. By weight, you can still identify the fur of a male or female, the latter have a heavier weight. Females are lighter in weight and have a softer coat, but not as warm.

The development of computer technology has led to what has become very easy counterfeit the original product. As a result of the latest technologies of dyeing , hair removal and shearing , it is possible to pass off the fur of a rabbit as a chinchilla , and thanks to screen dyeing it is possible to imitate the fur of the original . But tactile touch puts everything in its place. But despite this, experts say that in some cases it is very difficult to identify a "fake" pile. Therefore, to buy a fur coat, it is better to take a person who knows all the subtleties of natural fur, who will help not to fall into the paws dishonest sellers .

Instruction

First of all, make sure that you have natural fur in front of you. Lay the fur coat on a flat surface, point a strong light source at the fur. Take a look at the product. Like natural, natural fur does not happen without small flaws. Faux fur, as a rule, has an even uniform color, but natural fur contains skins, albeit of the same shade, but of different color intensity.

Take a magnifying glass and examine the individual hairs. As in humans, in animals, each hair is colored unevenly and has a different thickness. From follicle to tip, each hair will gain color intensity and narrow. The artificial hair is usually the same color throughout and the same width, with a flat tip, in contrast to the pointed end on the villi of natural fur.

Pull out a few hairs, take them with tweezers and run them over the flame. Faux fur does not burn, but melts, besides, a chemical smell is felt. Natural hair "cracks" and smells like burnt horn. Furs closest to mink are sable and muskrat. It is unlikely that someone will try to sell you a sable coat for the price of a mink one, since this one is not only rarer, but also more expensive. The fur is smooth, with an abundance of guard hairs, "oily", that is, with a natural "wet" sheen, the skins are long and narrow. The base - the skin - is poorly visible in the mink due to the rather thick undercoat. Ondarta has much less outer hair, the shine is duller, and the base can be seen through the undercoat.

Mink is light fur. But if it seemed to you that one mink coat is a little heavier than the other, this does not mean that the second is a fake. The fur obtained from females is softer, silky and light, while from males it is somewhat coarser, thicker and heavier.

The natural colors of mink are shades of brown, from deep to light and even caramel, they have a natural, slightly striped pattern. The color of black mink varies from oily dark black to soft grey. White mink - with a soft creamy tint. Good expensive mink is valued for its natural color, dyed, as a rule, hides some flaws. Only furriers of very large and expensive brands can properly paint mink for design projects, and their products are single and not cheap. Some mass producers may choose to bleach or dye the skins with dyes that make the fur weak, and the fur coat, after a while, begins to shed like an ordinary rabbit.

Pay attention to the lining of the fur coat. The reverse side of the skins should be soft and suede, the pattern that was used when cutting the skins should be clear, the seams should be clean, without fur stuck in them. Products made of natural mink are traditionally sewn with two linings - either a woolen fabric is attached to the wrong side, which provides additional warmth, and a satin lining that adorns the inside of the fur coat.

Mink - silky, soft fur. One of the most expensive and popular types of fur materials. Well-developed down and outer hairs make the products warm, durable, and refined. The wear resistance of natural fur is at a high level, which allows you to wear a fur coat every day. A mink coat costs a lot of money, some families have to save up for a purchase for a single year. But a high price is not a guarantee of the naturalness of products. The question of how to distinguish a mink from a fake is complex and requires careful consideration.

The leading producers of the original are North America and Scandinavia. Canadian
American mink is more velvety, less warm. Scandinavian has a long pile,
denser undercoat, due to which it is much darker. It is the Scandinavian models
recommended for the cold and unpredictable Russian climate. Professionals
they quickly distinguish a real mink from a fake, and beginners will have a hard time.

How to fake a real mink

Unscrupulous manufacturers, in order to reduce the cost of products and raise profits, go
for various tricks. The most harmless version of a fake is the issuance of a dyed mink for
natural. Usually such a trick is used to hide the flaws of the coat. Having bought such
fur coat, the customer receives the product for 2-3 seasons, no more.

Sellers get much more profit by replacing expensive fur with cheaper ones. For
example, rabbit, groundhog. With technological computerization of the process of epilation, haircuts,
staining, plucking, it has become much easier to make a high-quality fake, with
minimal differences from the original.

Stencil dyeing is an innovation that made it possible to accurately emit
natural color. Distinguish a high quality fur product from such a fake
difficult, but possible. The main thing is not to hurry with the purchase.

Everything is relative

Disguising an expensive mink as another, cheaper fur is the most common type of fraud. Experienced "sellers" skillfully cope with the task, but there are differences. It is completely impossible to hide the natural features of wool. For example, mink weighs much lighter than any other fur. Consider how to identify a real mink coat among a rabbit, marmot, beaver, ferret, honorik and synthetic fur:

Rabbit

You can distinguish rabbit hair from mink by touching the material. Softness,
the heterogeneity of the shade should immediately alert. Shine is uneven, hairs are different
colors. If you pinch the undercoat a little, then a few hairs will remain in your hand. Another
an important way not to confuse a mink with a painted rabbit is to visually inspect the skeleton
(undercoat). The rabbit is uneven. If the manufacturer cut it to hide this
fact, the undercoat will be unpleasant to prick.

Marmot

The principle is similar to how to distinguish rabbit fur from mink. Groundhog is more prickly
hairs of different lengths. In terms of elasticity, it is closer to a mink than a rabbit, but plasticity is not
It has. If you stroke the material, it immediately begins to shaggy. Helps to distinguish
fake natural lighting. Groundhog will give a pronounced bluish tint in the sun.

Beaver

Like the marmot, the beaver is notable for its considerable rigidity; the mink is much softer to the touch. The beaver skins themselves are large, and the skin of the product is several times thicker.

Ferret

The main differences: the coat is higher, the undercoat is sparse. Regardless of whether the fur is dyed or the color is artificial, the ferret has a peculiarity. On the sides of the material, lightish areas are visible, and even if the fur is tinted in this place it will be lighter. You can also distinguish a ferret due to the style. From such wool, models are not sewn in dissolution, due to a rare undercoat. A ferret fake is basically a straight cut.

Honoric

How to distinguish a mink from an honorik? The animal was obtained by crossing a mink with a ferret, outwardly a little larger and similar to a sable. Distinguishing two furs from each other is not an easy task even for a professional. The first thing that will help distinguish an honorik is its color. The hair of the animal is much darker, and the undercoat is light. Mink, as you know, the owner of a uniform fur. The second sign of a fake is large skins. And the final way to distinguish a mink from an honorik is to pay attention to its brilliance. The fake is much more shiny.

artificial mink

Natural fur and synthetic fake. If in the described cases the buyer receives a fake mink, but a natural product, then in this case there is a risk of paying a lot of money for artificial material. To distinguish a cheaper product, you need to carefully examine the inside - unnatural wool is attached to a fabric base, the difference immediately gives out a fake. If the manufacturer sewn the hem completely, it is necessary to open the hairs and undercoat well, the fabric base will be visible anyway.

There are many options on how to distinguish a natural mink from a fake, the main thing is to evaluate the product live, not trusting the promises of the seller of the online store.

How can you distinguish an expensive mink from a cheap one?

Buying a low-quality Chinese fur coat at the price of a Canadian one is unpleasant, insulting and expensive. In order not to fall for cheap products, you should be more careful about inspecting the product.
The first difference is awn. A fake has unnecessarily long and even hair. Outwardly may
seem to be prickly. An important detail: the hair, as it were, lies on the undercoat, and does not rise above it. More skilled sellers make an awn with a pile of medium length and pass off such fur coats as Scandinavian, one of the most expensive in the mink segment. In this case, you should carefully examine the product further.

The second difference is shine. In a low-quality fur coat, the shine will be inhomogeneous, in pieces. Also should confuse the glassiness of the ebb. If you put two fur coats together, cheap and real Scandinavian, the differences will be clearly visible. The natural product has a diamond sheen.
The third difference is the undercoat. The case with the long axis immediately arouses suspicion. It's not thick, it's not tight. With a short axis, everything is more complicated. In such models, manufacturers make thick underfur and give out fur coats, for example, for the “black diamond” model. But in the original fur coat, the mezra is light, in the fake it has a darker shade.

Signs of the naturalness of a mink coat

How to distinguish a mink coat from a fake, low-quality product - carefully and slowly. The weight of the product is paramount. Models are not heavy, one of the lightest in the fur segment. The fur is elastic, soft, crumbly. We pass the material with our hand against the wool - the villi quickly and evenly return to their original position. For all its elasticity, the villi of the fur do not prick at all.

The villi are all the same size, cavities are not allowed. If the fur coat is dyed, the quality of the color can be checked simply with the palm of your hand. If the material seems greasy to the touch, then the color is of poor quality. Mink has a uniform soft sheen. On natural unpainted material, white stripes are allowed.
Signs of natural wool - an awn of one length and a thick, even undercoat. Differences in
these details immediately give out a fake. Sellers can cut the undercoat to the desired height,
but he will prick. We pinch the natural fur a little. If there is nothing left in your hand
one villus, then we have a natural mink coat.

The interior finish of a quality product is only light in color and soft to the touch. The quality of the seams is impeccable. The stitches are even and thin. Sometimes pieces of leather are sewn between the skins, the fewer such inserts, the more expensive the product. If glue is visible when examining the seams, it is better to refuse the purchase. Glued skins are much inferior in strength to stitched canvases. You can distinguish a certified product from a “handicraft” product by the absence of a seal on each skin. The seal indicates the name of the fur and the size of the skin. The mezdra itself is soft, does not rustle. It is easy to check this, just shake the fur coat, and the low-quality mink will “creak”. You can also distinguish a mink coat from a fake by smell. A sharp, unpleasant odor is unacceptable.

Buy from those who are trustworthy

Real American, Scandinavian, Greek mink coats are sold in
specialized fur salons, retail outlets from large fur factories. Sellers of this level guarantee the quality of fur and tailoring and give a substantial guarantee.
A certificate is issued for each product, its data matches the information on the fur coat tag. On a fake, on the tag weasel (Rabbit), kolynsky (marmot) can be written. A person who does not know English may not pay attention to this. The seller, of course, will not explain. Only mink (mink in English) or vison (in French) can be written on the tag of a real mink.

There are a lot of differences between a fake and a natural mink. In order not to become a victim of scammers, you need to study them. A little time, scrupulousness, attentive
familiarization with the documentation, and the long-awaited natural product will appear in the wardrobe.