Materials: Breakdown of all the Fur Types 2022

There is a part two to this that is more updated. I recommend you use both of these resources. Choosing the right fur can be everything!!

Some notes before we begin!

• Different makers have different opinions on fur. However, I have tried nearly everything on the market. You can trust me.
• Pile refers to the length of the fur.
• Density is tied directly to the chance of it balding while shaving short. We always use dense furs if we can.
• Heat can severely damage fur. For this reason, I do not recommend buying 2nd hand fur without first asking how its been stored!
• Sometimes a supplier has what we call "a bad run" of fur. This cannot be helped and happens. So try to get multiple colors of the same fur type before judging yourself! I am working on a list of colors/furs that are terrible and you shouldnt use. (example being Big Z Half shag grey- the whole line isnt bad just this 2021 run)

Howl fabrics is the superior fur supplier  and they didn't pay me to say that but they should! You want to get as much of your fur here as possible! Aside from a few exceptions.

Howl Fabrics Luxury Shag Line (here)

Aprox 2 inch pile. Best for body parts with long fur, tails, and necks. Shaves well.

Luxury Shag is your basic fur from Howl fabrics. It is softer and better quality that its competitors. However, it does not shave quite as well as Teddy fur. It is comparable to EcoShag from Big Z but is a noticeably better quality when shaved.

Fox and Long Pile Fur (here)

Aprox 2 inch pile. Natural looking, Maintains shape and fur direction without being brushed.

This is a highly underrated fur. It is best for places like the neck, tip of the tail, and inner ears. The coolest part about this fur is that is doesnt really need to be brushed. it always looks great. I dont recommend shaving it thought!

Howl Fabrics Beaver (Super Seal Line) (here)

Aprox 0.5 inch pile, silky and has a sheen to it. Best for fingers and toes, sometimes faces.

This is a staple in our workshop. it is very soft and silky to the touch with a slight shimmer. We use it on the finger parts of paws as well as the palms. It does shave well if you are very careful and have a lot of time. It is incredibly dense and takes a while to shave down but can be used on faces this way.

Howl Fabrics Teddy Fur Line (here)

Aprox. 1 inch pile, great for shaving, superior fur, expensive!

When making suits we prefer to use as much of Howls Teddy fabric as possible. It is superior for medium length places on the bodysuit such as the legs and back. It is about 1" pile and dense. This fur shaves nicer than any other fur on the market so it is the best option for faces. It is available in many colors but comes at a higher price. If you are looking to make high quality suits, this should be your go to.

Howl fabrics "Mink" Fur Line (here)

Aprox. 1 inch pile, Similar to Teddy, good alternative if youre not planning to shave it

If teddy is to Luxury Shag, Mink is that to Deluxe Fox Fur. This pairs very well specifically with the Arctic Fox Fur. My guess is that this line is being discontinued as it is very similar to Teddy. It is kind of like a soft teddy that does not shave as well. I would use it only if youre not planning on shaving it or if it is not available in Teddy.

Howl Fabrics "Bunny" Fur (here)

Aprox. 0.5 inch pile, Similar to Teddy, shaves well, likely going to be phased out

Bunny fur specifically from Howl Fabrics is similar to Teddy fur but is slightly shorter. I would expect them to be phasing this out soon, so I would not use it on suits that require an upgrade in the future. The light pink bunny fur is the my favorite pink on the market because it is warmer than the pink teddy variant.

This supplier is often forgotten about. however they have 2 types of fur that are not offered by their competitors that are ultra useful. Those being Samoyed, Super Short, and Chinchilla. Although we dont personally use chinchilla, it might work for your project!

Fursuit Supplies "Samoyed" Fur (here)

4 inch pile, much denser than Monster fur. It is like a longer version of Howls's fox fur. Great for realistic suits.  Is excellent for hair tufts , tails,and some necks but not much else. I have not attempted to shave this fur but I wouldn't recommend it.

Fursuit Supplies "Super Short" Fur (here)
I cannot recommend this fur enough. This is the shortest fur on the market and is similar to shaved beaver. This is ideal for faces, toes and fingers. Be careful if you are not using a base that is grey or white though as black might shine through,

Fursuit Supplies "Chinchilla" Fur (here)

You can often find this fur at other random fur suppliers under the name "rabbit". I do not recommend this fur because the backing is TERRIBLE to work with if youre using a sewing machine. If you are hand sewing, it can be a good option for fingers and other accents. It is by far the softest on the market but has a very slippery backing.

Other Furs that are non exclusive to FSS but are available if youre looking for colors.

• Fursuit Supplies Fox Fur: Varying quality but similar to Howl Fabrics Fox fur. FSS has this in less natural colors so its worth taking a look if you're wanting a fur that doesn't need much brushing.
• Luxury Shag Fur :Similar to howl but with a varying quality. FSS is notorious for discontinuing colors. I would always go with howl first unless FSS has a Luxury Shag color that you cant live without and is not available elsewhere.
• Fursuit Supplies "Monster" Fur: 4 inch pile, also available at Big Z. Is excellent for hair tufts and some necks but not much else. It is a longer version of luxury shag.
• Bunny, Beaver/Seal: About the same quality as Howl Fabrics. Covered above.

Last but not least, Big Z has an overwhelming selection of Faux Furs that we will be looking at today. You can find all of them here but please read the tips below first! Big Z is the more affordable and its quality varies. I find it best to use them only when I cannot find a color I need from Howl. That said, they have MANY colors that are just not available elsewhere. Particularly "Pink Lemonade" and "Violet". Here are my notes about each line they currently carry. I have omitted the obscure ones that I have not tried like Alaskan Malamute.

Pros: Huge Selection and low prices.

Cons: Varying quality. Fur often arrives heat damaged or creased. Creasing you can fix with a blow dryer, heat damage you cannot!

• Half Shag (knit backing) (here): This is an alternative to Beaver which is often out of stock elsewhere. this is the same quality as Beaver/Seal Fur from Howl Fabrics. Make sure you get the one that says "knit backing"
• Half Shag (without knit backing): (here) This is comparable to FSS's chinchilla fur and I do not recommend it.
• Short Shag:  (here)1 inch pile. This is not comparable to Teddy. It does not shave as well. I recommend it for parts of the suit tha tyou dont plan to shave. It is slightly longer than Teddy.
• Luxury Shag: (here) Their quality as of late as been excellent but does not shave as well as Howls.
• Mongolian: (here): 3 inch pile. Is excellent for hair tufts and some necks but not much else. It is a longer version of luxury shag. Beware of the backing as sometimes it is scratchy
• Gorilla: (here): 4 inch pile, also available at Fursuit Supplies as "monster". Is excellent for hair tufts and some necks but not much else. It is a longer version of luxury shag. Beware of the backing as sometimes it is scratchy

I hope this helps some of you. I apologize for typos this was a very long one! I will be uploading a companion example to this in a separate post of what fur I used on each parts of the doe head.