Fur is back ... and so is illegal fur trade, CITES says

[meme527]

i believe they still anally electrocute the animals to kill them without damaging the fur. that is, they stick a electric probe inside the animal's behind and put a metal plate in its mouth. this sends a strong current of electricity through them, killing the animal by frying it alive, basically.

not so glamorous, i don't think. if you read up on the practices it's a very cruel industry.

i am a meat-eater, although i am lucky enough to live somewhere where there are farms and dairies that are more humane, and i knit with wool (but avoid australian merino), i carry fake leather/gator skin accessories, and enjoy 'fun fur' type yarns. so i am not a purist. but i can't see wearing the skin of a dead animal that was tortured so, for no other reason than some designer says it's the thing to do. it's unnecessary.

artists need a wide palette, but blood is blood.

http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~annam/fur.html
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I second the Saga fur recommendation
I don't want to sound polemical... but concerning the fake fur, it's really different. It's like saying to a woman who likes pearls that fake pearls are the same. Concerning the cruelty, here again I'm not that convinced. Terrible things are alsooccuring because of the diamonds trades (and by terrible, I do not mean dead animals, I mean entire countries destroyed by civil war - think Sierra Leone). And nobody talks about it.
Fur trade must be legal, and under scrutiny (snow leopard killed? that's mad), fut pls do not say that fur wearer (I'm not one) are selfish or cruel... Anyway there will always be people ready to buy fur, so either you forbid it and then the black market will flourish (and black market is not particularly kind with animals...) either you reconsider the question, and then we try to make the deal the best possible

 

[tigerrouge]

Organisations tracking the success of India's tiger preservation schemes found that a lot of tiger and leopard pelts were being imported into Tibet, because the people were incorporating them into their ceremonial outfits. The Dalai Lama spoke out early last year about his wish that people "never use, sell, or buy wild animals, their products or derivatives" and there have been public demonstrations of disposing the furs by burning them. It hasn't eradicated the practice completely, but it has had an effect.

 

[Squizree]

I like that Sophie Ellis Bextor ad, its effective

 

[Street_a_Licious]

That whole debate with merino is so blah. The farmers are cutting off a bit, so it won't get infested with fly larvas! If they wouldn't do it, the animals would end up suffering even more! It sounds cruel, but so does cutting off a part of the ear or tail from dogs (I forgot which breed).

They are introducing new methods to prevent fly larvas from attaching to the sheep, but for now, it's the most effective method. The animals aren't killed or damaged for life!

 

[meme527]

That whole debate with merino is so blah. The farmers are cutting off a bit, so it won't get infested with fly larvas! If they wouldn't do it, the animals would end up suffering even more! It sounds cruel, but so does cutting off a part of the ear or tail from dogs (I forgot which breed).

They are introducing new methods to prevent fly larvas from attaching to the sheep, but for now, it's the most effective method. The animals aren't killed or damaged for life!

i hear what you are saying. it's just a question of what you are comfortable with, i think. you know, the sheep are bred to have great folds of skin that will produce more wool, but then the poop clings to them and the flies infest, so the farmers cut the skin of the behind off - it's a vicious cycle. from what i hear, though, they don't use any anesthetic, which seems cruel and unusual.

also, i wouldn't choose to dock the ears and tails of my dogs either, or declaw a cat (they basically have to cut the ends of their toes off to do it). the animal is damaged for life - they just get used to it. you know what i mean?

 

[vanezinha]

This is so disgusting.

 

[jun3machina]

digging up a somewhat burried thread, but im really curious as to the legality of vintage furs. Are you allowed to buy them if they're vintage? im particularly interested in leopard, as i know it's on the endangered species list and illegal, but there are exception with vintage pieces correct? if anyone could please enlighten me, i'd be very happy!

 

[5-Hour man]

digging up a somewhat burried thread, but im really curious as to the legality of vintage furs. Are you allowed to buy them if they're vintage? im particularly interested in leopard, as i know it's on the endangered species list and illegal, but there are exception with vintage pieces correct? if anyone could please enlighten me, i'd be very happy!

I doubt that you can attain a "vintage certificate" for vintage furs. Therefore it will be illegal. But you can easily purchase vintage fur from endagered species. No one's gonna stop you, except for you crazy-*** PETA neighboor, maybe. You should be careful when going abroad, though. Don't wear your fur on the airport, and don't have it in your handluggage.

 

[D A N A]

It should be outlawed seriously...i dont get it!

 

[jun3machina]

what about purchasing online? i read some of the laws and regulations and they state it's illegal to sell them, but it's more vague when it comes to purchasing...im actually bidding on something from a UK seller, and didn't know about the legalities of this until after i had bid and my dad said something...so i looked it up, and now im not sure if it would be able to go through customs or what would happen...

 

[whitecollargirl]

i genuinely dont understand the appeal of real furs nowadays when imitation furs can be made to the exact same texture colour ect, just the exact same feel but you can wear it knowing an animal didnt die so you could have a nice coat on your back

 

[SomethingElse]

If I lived in Siberia and couldn't order from Patagonia, I might think differently by sheer necessity. But my rule of thumb is to never, ever buy fur. Not new, not vintage, nothing.

If the world were different, we might be wild animals instead of a dominant species. I wouldn't want anyone to fatten me up and skin me for a winter coat, or trap me, or kill me for my pelt!

Do unto others... all others... as you would do unto yourself.

 

[5-Hour man]

what about purchasing online? i read some of the laws and regulations and they state it's illegal to sell them, but it's more vague when it comes to purchasing...im actually bidding on something from a UK seller, and didn't know about the legalities of this until after i had bid and my dad said something...so i looked it up, and now im not sure if it would be able to go through customs or what would happen...

Good question. I doubt they're too strict. Which species is it? Reading the article on the first page and the following discussion, one might come to think that almost all fur is illegal and that everything is done to stop fur-trade. This is not true. Fur is common and every-day stuff, there shouldn't be any problems unless you're buying hide from a tiger or a gorilla or something

 

[5-Hour man]

i genuinely dont understand the appeal of real furs nowadays when imitation furs can be made to the exact same texture colour ect, just the exact same feel but you can wear it knowing an animal didnt die so you could have a nice coat on your back

The thing is, that we can't make anything that resembles real fur. Yes, it's possible to make faux fur that looks like the real deal, even to the trained eye (although it isn't cheap). But it is not possible to make anything that feels like the real deal. And a great part of the 'fur experience' is feel the soft, smooth and warm fur on your skin. And no, fur doesn't necessarily look better on animals.

 

[jun3machina]

i genuinely dont understand the appeal of real furs nowadays when imitation furs can be made to the exact same texture colour ect, just the exact same feel but you can wear it knowing an animal didnt die so you could have a nice coat on your back

i respect folks who believe fur is wrong, but i personally like fur, and i eat meat and do leatherworking myself and own many things made of leather. i dont think that buying fur is any worse than buying fake fur. The pollution that goes into the environment to make microfibers and synthetic plastic compounds that make up 'vegan-leather', 'faux-suede', and 'faux-fur' is, in my eyes just as bad as killing animals. The pollution incurred to the environment, the lack of any biodegradable substance, and the plastics that go into landfills from synthetic fibers is terrible and most folks are not even aware of it. Also, many of the textile mills that manufacture those synthetic furs are in asia, and run with less than perfect factory standards. but to each their own.

 

[jun3machina]

Good question. I doubt they're too strict. Which species is it? Reading the article on the first page and the following discussion, one might come to think that almost all fur is illegal and that everything is done to stop fur-trade. This is not true. Fur is common and every-day stuff, there shouldn't be any problems unless you're buying hide from a tiger or a gorilla or something

thank you so much for the reply and also for not going on a rant as to how wrong it is to have fur. the fur in question is leopard

i agree most furs can be purchased quite easily. I am particularly fond of vinage pieces and the one in question is genuine leopard, apparently from the 1930's/1940's. Apparently, furs that are vintage that predate the endangered species act are allowed to a certain extent, but i have not been able to find any more information in regards to it. the seller is from the UK, and i have seen quite a few auctions for authentic real leopard fur vintage pieces. I, however, cannot find any auctions here in the US for real leopard, and am wondering what the regulations are. I read that i am not allowed to sell it to anyone out of state. but i could not find any information in regards to buying it, from my own state/country/or internationally.

 

[jun3machina]

The thing is, that we can't make anything that resembles real fur. Yes, it's possible to make faux fur that looks like the real deal, even to the trained eye (although it isn't cheap). But it is not possible to make anything that feels like the real deal. And a great part of the 'fur experience' is feel the soft, smooth and warm fur on your skin. And no, fur doesn't necessarily look better on animals.

karma, for both your help and opinions!

 

[jun3machina]

a lil bump. could anyone perhaps enlighten me on vintage leopard?

 

[5-Hour man]

a lil bump. could anyone perhaps enlighten me on vintage leopard?

Well, now I'm talking even though I don't know for sure. But I think that international trade with furs of endangerede species is pretty hard. First off, you don't really have a way of proving that it's vintage. Also, if it is illegal to sell it, it is probably also illegal to buy it. There isn't anything that's legal to buy but is illegal to sell, that I know of. But I might be wrong. I think that the best thing to do is to ask the seller. If the person has a lot of auctions, chances are that he/she has sold furs to US resindents before, and might be able to inform you of troubles you might experience - or (hopefully) lack thereof.

And thanks for the karma, I don' think I've ever received any before.

 

[jun3machina]

hmmm. i have emailed the seller twice and still no reply. i think perhaps i am going to have to withdraw my bid, as i really dont want to get into some sort of trouble. i get the feeling the seller is not aware of the possibly legality or lack thereof in selling it. they sell estate finds, vintage things...but since they have not yet replyed to my concerns, i'm sure they didn't think of (endangered species act, etc) it either...