Frequently Asked Questions

No. Over the years I have attempted to tan pelts, however the truth is that I can't come close to the quality a professional tannery can achieve.

They will have a fresh leather smell, but they won't smell like a wet dog or skunk. I have noticed that the smell of the pelts does vary depending on the tannery doing the work.

I started with Moyle Mink and Tannery over 20 years ago. Over the years, I have tried five (5) other tanneries in America, and always go back to Moyles.

Wild animals can and do get in situations that can damage their pelts. However, I believe a more common reason is humans. This can happen during the skinning, fleshing, and drying process that every pelt must go through. Another point of damage is the tanning process. Sometimes a pelt will have one or more bald spots caused by a chemical reaction in the skin. Another point of damage is in the shaving process every skin undergoes. Shaving a pelt is done by hand and is a learned skill. Pelts can get nicks and tears in them from this process.

The most common is size of the pelt, quality of the leather, quality of the hair, and sometimes color of the hair. Color usually plays a roll if a furrier wants matching skins to make a garment.

I don't pay much attention to color in my store. I have learned that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The short answer is so we can all speak the same language. Terms like “Premium Label”, “No.1 Grade”, “Big Bubba”, “Seconds”, “90-95%” means different things to different people. Furriers around the world know exactly what I have in my store because I use a language they know how to speak. I encourage all my customers to learn the language.

There are a few reasons I do this. Those boards are the same boards the trappers use to stretch and dry the green pelts. They ensure the pelt is the correct width, length and shape.

I do it for the same reason, only it's after they are tanned. It makes for a beautiful display pelt, and also shows the quality of the leather side.