How to distinguish a fake mink coat - instructions. What you need to know before buying a mink coat How to distinguish mink fur from a fake

Mink coats are the dream of any woman, regardless of her age and status. Today there is a wide selection of different models, so choosing a truly high-quality option is not so easy. Due to the fact that there are fake mink fur on the market, women can find themselves in a very unpleasant situation. To prevent this from happening, you need to know how to determine the quality of a mink coat.

Possible defects

You can avoid buying a fake if you know the common defects in mink fur. This should include:

Uneven fur color, fading, abrasions. All these flaws indicate that old and low-quality fur was used for sewing.
Don't know how to check quality? Then inspect the fur coat for red spots. If they are true, then this indicates that the animals were kept in iron cages. Rest assured that it is simply impossible to get rid of such stains.
The fur fibers stick together, there is no gloss or shine. These defects indicate that the manufacturing technology was not strictly followed.
The villi have an uneven surface. Their appearance is similar to the result of a poor-quality haircut. Most likely, the fur was damaged by animals. There is also no way to get rid of such a flaw.
How else can you check the quality of a mink coat? You just need to feel it. If it feels like you are touching parchment paper, then the fur is dry. Such a product will quickly crack and fall apart.

If at least one of the presented flaws occurs, then it is better to refuse to purchase this product.

Verification methods

There are certain secrets regarding how to check a mink coat. Today, many unscrupulous manufacturers are trying in every possible way to disguise the existing flaw. They paint the faded parts of the fibers or cover them with a special varnish, which gives the product luster and gloss.

How to check the quality of a mink coat? It is enough to use the following recommendations:

Take your palm and move it against the growth of the pile. If the fur is of high quality, then after such a procedure it will be able to return to its previous position. There will be no dents or hair creases. And there should be no fluff or lint on your hands.
How to distinguish good from bad? Just part the fur hairs and inspect the color of the flesh. If the product is of high quality, then it should be light. But the brown color indicates that the fibers have been dyed. The darkened color of the skin indicates improper storage of the product. The back of the skin will allow you to determine this.
The joints of the skins of a quality fur coat should not be noticeable upon external inspection. They should also be highly accurate. You can check this by pulling them in different directions. The joints of the skins can be seen in the shoulder and collar areas. Seams must be made with strong threads.
How to distinguish high-quality from low-quality? Take a regular needle and insert it from the wrong side. Then pull. The formed hole should not increase in diameter.
The undercoat should have a soft surface and density. If you run your hand over it, it should create a feeling of softness, but not prickly.
How to identify a mink coat? Just rub the skin with a slightly damp cloth. After such actions there should be no traces of painting. There are situations when manufacturers subject it to tinting. This gives it a supportive and beautiful shimmer. But the applied coating must not only be durable, but also not leave marks.
The top hair should be of equal length. If there are protruding fibers on winter clothes, it means the fur has been trimmed. This product cannot be called high quality.
You can tell how high quality mink coats are by smelling them. It should not emit the smell of animals or chemicals. There may be a slight odor of the cleaning solution.

Useful tips when buying a fur product, details in the video:

Lining quality

When purchasing mink fur outerwear, it is important to pay attention not only to the condition of the fur, but also to the lining. If the product is really high quality, then you should pay attention to the following points:

Made from material that is highly durable and of excellent quality. Most often natural silk is used.
Exactly repeats the cut of outerwear. When worn, movement is free, and the fur itself does not bristle.
The lower part of the outerwear is loose and not attached to the fur coat. You can get to the underside of the skins without much difficulty.
The seams are processed with high quality, they are distinguished by smooth lines and durability.
There is a cord trim around the edge.

Types of mink

A wide selection of mink allows you to sew a fur coat that will be ideal for wearing in a certain climatic zone.

Russian

This fur has remained one of the warmest for many years. It is distinguished by a high awn and underfur, so that its appearance seems a little tousled. Its price is quite affordable, and the range is wide.

Scandinavian

This type of mink accounts for 80% of all fur sold in the world. Characterized by a medium awn and thick underfur. How to identify mink fur? Everything is very simple: you need to inspect its surfaces. Scandinavian fur has a chic shine, which is why the product is popularly called “black diamond”.

Chinese

For those who do not understand how to identify a good mink coat, it is worth remembering one rule: do not purchase Chinese-made products in the markets. China produces high-quality mink, but increased demand does not allow it to be exported outside the country. Only low-quality budget products are supplied abroad. In addition, Chinese manufacturers stretch the fur, as a result of which it becomes brittle, the service life is reduced and, as a result, it does not warm.

North American

Determining the quality of fur is very simple. It has low pile, but there is no shine at all. Most often, such a product is called velvet. The peculiarity of the North American mink is that it is perfect for the harsh Russian winters.

wild

How to check for quality? Don’t think that the more expensive it is, the better the quality. This type of fur is considered rare. It is characterized by a long pile, almost the same as that of sable. Its color is dark gray-brown. It is also distinguished by its light underfur. Wild fur has a lot of flaws, because to obtain a fur coat you need a large number of skins. Consequently, the price of such products is high.

Italian and Greek

In Italy they do not farm mink. But this does not prevent local craftsmen from creating excellent samples with an original design. Currently, the quality of such fur coats pleases all fashionistas both in Russia and abroad. If you do not understand how to correctly determine the quality of a mink coat, then you should buy such clothes in stores at fur factories.

Mink fur is in great demand today when sewing winter clothes. But due to high competition in the market, some manufacturers resort to certain tricks. They reduce the cost of the product because they themselves purchase a low-quality product. In order not to fall for the tricks of scammers, you need to learn how to identify quality fur. This is not difficult, but it will protect you from counterfeiting and financial waste.

How to choose a quality product, details in the video:

Good clothes made from natural fur are always a very profitable purchase. And even more so a good mink coat. This is a classic of the fur market, always fashionable, in demand and loved all over the world, which will not only warm you up in the cold, but also emphasize your beauty and individuality. Such clothes will serve you faithfully for many years if you follow simple rules of care and storage.

To choose a good quality mink coat, you need some skills and knowledge, without which you risk paying a lot of money for a fake - mink models, like no other, are susceptible to counterfeiting. Moreover, not only skillfully crafted fur from other animals, but also products made from artificial fur are sometimes passed off as natural mink! So, how to avoid becoming a victim of scammers?

How to determine the quality of fur

First of all, when buying a fur coat made from natural fur, you must make sure that the fur is truly natural and of high quality. To do this, do not hesitate to take a good look at the fur, touch it and even smell it.

First of all, look at the color and texture of the fur. If it is dull, not soft enough, the fibers stick together, this should alert you. Natural high-quality mink fur shimmers and shines evenly, easily squeezes in a fist and immediately straightens.

The country of origin of fur skins can also be determined visually. Russian differs from high-quality Canadian or Scandinavian in that the Chinese is rarer and almost without down, while the Russian, on the contrary, is very thick, with long fibers. has a thick underfur and not too long pile, while the Scandinavian one is distinguished by both thickness and short pile.

or poorly and incorrectly painted. Poorly colored fur can be checked with a light-colored scarf. If you swipe a scarf and there are traces of paint or lint on it, then this fur coat is not suitable.

Gently tug the fibers - if they fall out, then in a couple of years you will become the owner of a fairly bald fur coat. In addition, natural fur, even sheared or plucked, must have a fairly thick undercoat, which provides the product with durability and warmth.
If you blow on the fur fibers and they immediately fall into place, it means this is a natural, high-quality mink model.

Look behind the lining of the model - and self-respecting manufacturers never sew the lining to the fur underneath - and pay attention to the reverse side of the fur, the inner side. If it is, then the fur coat is natural. The quality of the fur itself depends on it. If the flesh is thick and hard, then it is definitely not a mink. Good fur should not “rattle”, i.e. make some sounds from the inside out. Also, the darker the color of the fur, the older the fur product.

In conclusion, a few more words about how to distinguish a good mink coat from a fake. If you run your hand against the fur, the mink's hairs immediately fall into place. If they bend back or remain disheveled, this is not a mink. A real mink coat should be very light - it is much lighter than a coat made from other fur.

So, we have decided on the quality of the fur in principle. But we want a fur coat made from mink, and not from some other animal. Not all sellers are honest with us. To avoid being sold a rabbit, marmot or beaver for good money, it is useful to know some differences between mink fur and other animals:

A rabbit is often passed off as a mink: a real mink has hard hair, while a rabbit's hair is very soft and uneven in color. Rabbits also have hairs of different shines; they are matte; mink hairs have the same shine. When you pluck rabbit fur, a small tuft of undercoat remains in your hands. This does not happen with mink.

The marmot is another leader in mink fakes. more prickly, and the hairs are heterogeneous, of different lengths.

A fake beaver or sheared beaver is sometimes passed off as a mink coat. Marmot fur and beaver fur are similar in stiffness, but both are definitely tougher than mink. When you run your hand against the fur, the hard hairs do not straighten immediately; they are not as plastic and pliable as those of mink, although they are springy. In addition, the size of beaver pelts is larger than that of mink. Their shape is also different - beaver skins are more square. The thickness of the beaver's flesh is almost twice that of the mink. And the fur is thicker and denser than even that of large male minks.

It is advisable to buy real good quality mink coats only in specialized stores, sales areas of fur factories and boutiques. Request a quality certificate from the seller, the data from which about the type of fur and the place of its production can be compared with the product label. By following these simple rules, you can always choose a good mink coat and distinguish it from a fake.

The buyer of a mink coat expects that he is purchasing a more original product. But sellers who want to make a good profit pass off fakes made from other furs, for example, marmot or honorik, as a natural product. But there are several ways to recognize a low-quality item.

Depending on its habitat, the fur of this small predator varies in quality. The most expensive mink coats are made from the skins of Scandinavian animals. Their hair is of medium length and their down is very thick, so their clothes are warm and very impressive. The Ukrainian analogue has a longer pile and less dense down. And the most affordable products are Chinese and from Russia.

You can distinguish mink fur from others by the following characteristics:

It is elastic to the touch, and if you crush it, it immediately returns to its original form.
Beautiful, uniform shine.
The hairs are the same length - any unevenness is unacceptable.
The pile is not itchy. If shine, elasticity and uniform length are present, but the fur tingles your hand, it is 100% fake.
It's very light.
If you run a damp white napkin over the hairs, it will remain snow-white.

Another important difference between a high-quality mink coat is the mesh. It has a light shade, or a beautiful brownish-yellowish color, and is elastic. If you run your hand over the pile, the hairs will not fall out or break. A real fur coat must have a certificate and a long warranty. In the video you can see brief instructions that will help you distinguish a fake.

Fake rabbit, beaver and marmot

These are the most common options. A real mink coat differs from a fake rabbit coat in the structure and quality of the fur. In a rabbit, it is very soft and has an uneven color. When subjected to mechanical stress, it does not level on its own. And if you pinch the pile, hairs will remain in your hand. The undercoat is uneven, so it can be specially trimmed. In this case, it will tingle your hand. In the photo you can clearly see the differences.

A fur coat made from beaver pelts is heavier. Their flesh is thicker and their size is larger. Fur can be immediately distinguished by touch - it is tougher. Marmot fur is also characterized by increased rigidity. The fur is quite elastic, but when ruffled, it does not return to its original state. The pile is of different lengths, which is why it is cut and it starts to chip. Under the sun's rays, the marmot's skin takes on a characteristic dark blue hue.

Fakes from ferret and honorik

The fur of these two animals is most similar to real mink. In addition, the stencil painting method allows for a very good resemblance to the original, but differences can be found here too. The ferret's fur is longer and the undercoat is not as thick. The specificity of the color also makes it possible to identify a fake - the edges of the skin have a lighter shade. This is noticeable even on dyed skins.

Honorik is a cross between a mink and a ferret, so it’s hard to tell the differences. The main symptom is uneven color. The undercoat has a brown tint, and the hair itself is black. At the same time, the fur is too shiny, which is not typical for mink. The size of the skin is also different - it is larger, since the honorik is larger.

High-quality faux fur can be an exact copy of the real thing, but it does not have any mesh. The fabric base is visible on the reverse side. Therefore, in such fur coats the hem is sewn “tightly”. Whereas in natural there is always the opportunity to see the wrong side.

Advice! Try not to buy fur clothes in online stores. It is sometimes impossible to distinguish visually an artificial fake.

Counterfeits from China

In the literal sense of the word, Chinese fur coats cannot be called fake - they are made from mink fur, although not of such high quality. But they go on sale at a price that is several times higher. Buyers are told that this is the fur of Scandinavian or Canadian animals.

You can distinguish a Chinese mink coat by:

shine;
awn;
undercoat.

If you look at such a skin, you can see that it has a specific shine, reminiscent of the shimmer of glass. In addition, the shine is uneven - unlike the skins of European fur-bearing predators. In the latter case, the fur has a diamond tint.

Chinese fur-bearing animals have 2 types of fur. The first is characterized by a long spine and sparse, short down. The hair seems to lie on it and looks prickly. The second option is that the spine is short and the underarm is long. Fur coats made from such low-quality fur are sold under the guise of black mink. A fake can be distinguished by the flesh - it should be light. After staining, the flesh darkens.

Important! Chinese fur is often dyed using a special technology - then the inner core remains light.

Quality tailoring and official guarantees

You can distinguish a mink coat from a fake by the way it is made. In the original, all the seams are smooth and thin, no protruding threads are visible. If the product is made of skins glued together, it is of poor quality and will last no more than 3-4 seasons. The mezdra must be done very well. When squeezed, it does not make creaking or rustling sounds. Each skin must be stamped with a seal confirming its quality. The fur coat does not have an unpleasant odor.

An important difference between a truly good thing is a very high price. Therefore, it is not affordable for everyone. There must be a company tag, a certificate, as well as instructions for storage and care.

The name of the fur is indicated on the tag: “mink”, “vison” (foreign languages). The information on the certificate must match the information on the tag. The seller from whom you purchase a mink item must be competent and competently answer all questions.

To be guaranteed to buy the real thing, you should contact specialized salons. High-quality natural products are also sold in stores belonging to fur sewing companies. Also, the advice of a person who is not interested in your money and understands natural furs will be of great help when purchasing.

And it costs a lot of money, so the purchase must be treated with special care. After all, a thing will last more than ten years, and it’s a shame when a fake is purchased at a high cost. To avoid this, let’s figure out how to choose natural fur.

Where to buy a mink coat?

Perhaps the main question. It is better to purchase the product in specialized stores. There you will receive a warranty card, care instructions and a quality certificate.

If the purchase is made via the Internet, the situation is much more complicated, because the fur coat cannot be touched, examined and, most importantly, tried on. It remains to rely on the integrity of the chosen seller.

Where are you less likely to buy a fake?

Of course, even in a store you can buy low-quality goods, but still less likely than at a market counter. It's worth buying a mink coat:

In large chain stores. The seller will value his reputation and will not allow the sale of counterfeits.
In factory stores. The manufacturer will not neglect the trust of customers; moreover, the products will have reasonable prices.
Outside the country. Fur products purchased in Europe, China and Latin American countries are famous for their high quality.

The seller will provide a guarantee and So, we have decided on the place of purchase. Let's start discussing the main question: how to distinguish a fake mink coat?

The first sign of a fake

Low cost. High-quality fur will not be cheap. An exception may be low-paid physical work, but this is unlikely. But for poor quality and tailoring, the product may be discounted. Therefore, if you do not want to freeze in severe frosts and shed tears while watching your fur coat come apart at the seams, you will have to shell out a considerable amount of money to purchase a quality product. And yet, how to distinguish a fake mink coat?

The mink will shimmer and shine. If this effect does not exist, and the fibers still stick together, it means that the production technology was not followed. We will figure out how to distinguish a mink coat from a fake, but first we will consider possible defects:

If a fur coat is unevenly colored, has scuffs and faded spots, this indicates that it was made from old, unsuitable material.
The presence of red spots that cannot be gotten rid of (present on fur coats due to the fact that minks are kept in iron cages).
Uneven fibers. The picture looks like a sloppy haircut.
If the fur feels like parchment to the touch, it means the fur is dry and will soon crack and fall apart.

If at least one of these defects is detected, you should not buy the product. Before we get to the question of how to distinguish a real mink coat from a fake, let's talk about ways to check fur for quality.

How to do this and is it worth it?

Of course, yes, even if you do not find any visible defects, this does not mean that they are absent. Unscrupulous manufacturers use any methods to hide defects by dyeing faded spots or covering the hairs with a special varnish to add shine and shine.

So, on to the tips:

Use your hand to lift the hairs against their growth. The villi should return to their original position without creases or depressions. And there will be no hairs or fluff left on your palms.
Part the fur. A high-quality product has a light core. A dark base means the fur has been dyed or the pelts have not been stored properly.
No joints should be visible. You can determine the quality of seams that need to be made with strong threads in the shoulder line and collar area of the product by pulling the seams to the sides.
Pierce the inside of the product with a needle and pull the hole; if it does not enlarge, the fur is of high quality.
The undercoat should be soft to the touch, not scratchy and thick.
Go over the fur with a damp piece of cloth. Remaining traces of paint indicate that the product is of poor quality.
Uneven pile indicates that the fur has been trimmed.
Smell the fur coat; there should be no animal odor or chemical impurities; an unobtrusive scent of the cleaning composition is acceptable.

To begin with, we note that mink coats are sewn from pieces no more than fifteen centimeters in length. They will be light. The fur is silky and soft and will not shimmer blue in the sun. So, let's figure out how to distinguish a natural mink coat from a fake.

Often the seller passes off a rabbit or marmot as a natural mink. An untrained buyer will not be able to discern the difference, because the pile has similar characteristics, soft and fluffy. And at the same time, mink fur is thicker, while that of a rabbit is sparse, has almost no down, and if you squeeze it between your fingers, it becomes intangible.

Difference between mink and marmot

How to distinguish a mink coat from a fake? The products have a similar appearance, but a different texture to the touch. The marmot has hairs of varying lengths; this is easily visible when stroking the fur against the growth of the fur. The marmot's pile will not return to its original position and will become shaggy. The difference is easy to notice: a colored marmot is characterized by a blue or purple tint.

How to distinguish an honorik from a mink?

The first was obtained by crossing a ferret and a mink, larger in size than the parents, similar to a sable. The first thing that distinguishes them is color. The honorik's fur color is dark and the fluff is much lighter, while the mink, as we already know, has the same fur color. And don’t forget about the size of the sewn pieces; for mink it is much smaller. This is if the product is not sewn from small shreds. Let's look at the photo to see how to distinguish a mink coat from a fake.

You should also beware of faux fur, which looks like natural fur. And in this case, how to distinguish a mink coat from a fake? Everything is very simple here, fake fur is sewn onto a fabric base. Just look at the inside of the product. How can you determine the quality of mink lining?

It deserves no less attention when purchasing than the fur itself:

The lining must be of high strength and quality. As a rule, natural silk is used.
It is the “second skin” of outerwear; when moving, the fur does not bristle.
At the bottom, the lining is not sewn to the fur coat itself, which gives access to the underside of the skins. Natural fur is white, and a yellowish tint indicates that the fur is old.
The seams are made smoothly and with high quality, well processed and durable.
And along the edge there is a finishing in the form of a cord.

So, we have found out what you should pay attention to when buying a mink coat, and now we will take a closer look at tips to avoid buying a fake.

Let's sum it up

How to distinguish a fake from an original mink coat:

The first thing to start with is to feel the product. Remember that the fur should be dry and uniform, pleasant and soft to the touch, you will no longer want to let it out of your hands.
Pull the hairs. They must sit tight.
Mink fur always shines; if it is not dyed, there are white fibers.
The guard hairs should be even and equal in length.
The mink has an underfur.
High-quality fur does not make any sounds when moving.
Pay attention to the tailoring. The fur coat must be sewn with line seams, which are checked from the back of the product. Make sure there are no traces of glue.
The flesh should be thin and elastic.
A product made from natural mink is light, but not quite.
The lining on the bottom is never sewn to the fur coat.

And also look at the labeling, which provides complete information about the manufacturer and operating instructions. So, we figured out how to distinguish a fake mink coat. These simple recommendations will help you choose a quality product.

Sooner or later, every girl’s dream of a mink coat becomes a reality - this fur has become extremely popular in recent years in our country. And this is not surprising: soft, warm, beautiful, able to warm you up in almost any frost. However, only a high-quality product has these properties. What does a quality product mean, and how to determine this very quality?

Of course, the appearance of the fur is very important - it should be uniformly shiny, of the same length and density, with a uniformly thick down. Surely you already know that a visual inspection of the outside of the product is first and foremost. But few people know that the real indicators of the quality of both the dressing of the skins and the tailoring lie on the inside of the product. So, what should be inside a good mink coat, and what do the flaws look like?

Skin

First of all, it is worth assessing the quality of the skin itself (we will tell you how to do this below). When choosing mink products, you should remember that any high-quality factory product will be marked. This means that from the inside, each skin, if the product is sewn from whole skins, will have a mark, confirming, first of all, the quality of the purchased raw materials. Therefore, unless, of course, you are obviously buying a Chinese mink coat on the market, be sure to look behind the lining in search of such markings (photo).

Mezdra

Of course, it is the underside of the skin, that is, that is the main indicator of the quality of the fur. Thus, light, almost white flesh indicates a well-dressed skin. Also, the flesh should not be too hard, it should be elastic and stretch a little when stretched - this indicates that the skins were not specifically stretched to increase the volume of the fur. Yellow or dark flesh indicates that the fur is old, and such a product usually looks unpresentable (video).

It’s easy to see what the fur looks like from the inside: in high-quality fur coats, the fur from the inside is not sewn to the lining so that the buyer can evaluate the quality of the skins and seams. If the seller refuses to show you the backside, it means that he is not confident in the quality of his product, and such a product is not worth buying.

Further, you can evaluate the condition of the interior from the outside. Fold the fur: if the skin underneath is white, then this model has not been dyed, but if it is the same color as the fur, the fur coat is dyed. This is neither good nor bad, but it is imperative to check the quality of the paint. Take a handkerchief, slightly wet it and rub the fur: if there are traces on the handkerchief, it is better to refuse the purchase, because A few rains or snowfalls and the paint will begin to fade.

Seams

Having studied the quality of the skins, it’s time to start seams, the quality of which is also assessed both from the outside and from the inside. Externally, the seams should not stick out, especially on the shoulder seams hidden behind the hoods. Part the fur and carefully inspect all the seams - they should not be noticeable.

The best way to tell about the quality of the seams is the inside of the product. Firstly, there should be seams in principle. If they are not there, then the product is glued and will not last long. Further, frequent seams with an interval of 5 mm indicate that the product is sewn with fur strips. This product costs an order of magnitude less than models made from solid mink, so pay attention not to the price. And, of course, the seams should be even and neat.

Lining

And the last thing you should pay attention to when choosing a mink product is the lining. Oddly enough, it is this finishing touch that will say more about the manufacturer than anything else. A good, well-known manufacturer will never allow itself to sew a cheap, low-quality lining onto an expensive luxury mink. So, the lining should be dense, not flashy, evenly and well sewn to the fur. If you see that the lining on the inside of a mink coat is luridly bright or resembles gauze in thickness, then the product was most likely sewn in a handicraft manner.

These are, perhaps, all the secrets of the inside of a mink coat, and now you know what a good mink coat looks like from the inside.