Fur Skin – A Valuable Material, Considerations on Quality Assessment

This work is intended to reveal the most important physico-chemical and physico-mechanical characteristics of the fur skins that determine their quality. Values of these characteristics are discussed as depending on the semifinished product related to technological significance and consequence for the user. The main characteristics and values for fine furs are proposed, thus providing some guidelines in evaluating their quality. Investigations in this field can lead to the determination of some new quality characteristics of woolen sheepskins and fine furs. A case study on fine and common furskins is presented and reveals the uniqueness and versatility of the combination of two protein layers, represented by natural furs, composed of collagen and keratin, unmatched by any synthetic material.