Mink fur is a type of fur obtained from the mink and turned into a commodity. In the fur trade today, mink fur refers to the fur of the offspring of the American mink, while the offspring of the European mink are strictly protected by federal species protection regulations. Animals taken from the wild may no longer be imported for trade. Wild mink furs traded in some countries generally continue to come from North America, although the mink has also become naturalized in Europe, especially in Eastern Europe. The pelts of female minks are smaller, lighter, and have shorter hair than male pelts, which are about one-third larger. In terms of durability, meaning resistance to wear and hide stability, mink is now considered the most rewarding fur material. In the past, otter fur, especially sea otter fur, was considered the most durable type of fur. Sheepskin, which is also very durable, is difficult to compare and is therefore not taken into account. Since World War II, mink fur has dominated the international fur market and “left a very distinct mark on it.” Until around the end of the 20th century, mink was the fur most commonly imitated by other types of fur. These were traded under names such as mink-muskrat, mink-marmot, mink-weasel, etc.
History of mink in fashion
Little is known about the use of mink and their fur in early human history; there are no bone finds that could provide any clues, or at least none that have been definitively attributed to mink. The furs traded by German merchants as far as Smolensk in the 14th century also included minks. In 2002, a fully skinned mink pelt dating from the 5th century BC (Iron Age) was found in a salt mine on the Dürrnberg in Hallein (Salzburg province). Its origin was thought to be “possibly the steppe zones of Eurasia.” Since at least the Middle Ages, mink fur has been used mainly for fur linings and trimmings.
In the late Middle Ages and especially during the Renaissance, fur scarves made from the skins of martens, known as zibellini, first appeared in fashion. It was probably only after this fashion had temporarily gone out of style, and presumably unjustly so, that they came to be called flea furs. It was assumed that the women who wore them had used them as flea traps. The fashion of these naturalized fur scarves, today known as fur chokers, reached its peak from the period before 1900 through the 1940s. However, they were still quite fashionable even after the Second World War. Whether the marten-like mink, alongside sable, pine marten, and stone marten, was already made into zibellini during the Renaissance is difficult to determine on the basis of old images. In modern times, however, mink took a leading position among the types of fur used for fur collars, alongside fox. Around 1900, clothing catalogues in Europe and America featured a considerable selection of scarves, collars, and muffs in all types of fur. In 1682, the furriers of Schwäbisch Gmünd did not want to allow master furrier Melchior Beringer from Aalen to sell caps made of mink fur, at the annual fair alongside other fur products. After consulting with colleagues in the cities of Nuremberg, Nördlingen, Dinkelsbühl, and Esslingen, they had to admit that the Aalen furrier's behavior could not be prohibited.
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