Rabbit Redux: A Once-Lowly Fur Finds New Luster

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ^ | Tuesday, January 27, 2004 | SALLY BEATTY

[presidio9]

Roberta Amon, a fur lover who divides her time between New York City and Switzerland, has a mink and a sable in her collection of fur coats. But Ms. Amon has a confession to make to her Park Avenue friends: She has fallen in love with rabbit.

[Wright is right!]

Well, it's certainly a "renewable resource."

Michael

[MineralMan]

Oh...the bunnanity of it all! No greater love hath any bunny than to give up its life to warm a human.

[glock rocks]

No greater love hath any bunny than to give up its life to warm feed a human.

[camle]

See? SEE! I toldya it's wabbit season!!!

[presidio9]

Lisa Franzetta, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, disputes that view, saying the antifur movement is as strong as ever. "A lot of people who have always considered it wrong to wear fur have moved on to rejecting all animal skins, including leather," she said.

According to PETA, the fact that the small numbers of remaining adhereants are more radical and marginalized than ever is an indication of their continued strength. Most Americans simply do not associate with the concept of veganism. 911 woke the adult up in the rest of us.

[Mamzelle]

Even high-quality rabbit fur will shed badly compared to other furs.

Now, angora fiber comes from bunnies and the bunny gets to live.

But the silkiest fur skins are alpaca--not used commonly in coats--generally seen for bed throws. Wool is also excellent (and the camel gets to live).

[MineralMan]

"No greater love hath any bunny than to give up its life to warm feed a human.

"

Well, that too, of course. Easter dinner at my house is always rabbit stew. Seems appropriate, eh?

[Ronin]

Economical too.

Rabbit stew.... yummmm!!!!

[SauronOfMordor]

Even high-quality rabbit fur will shed badly compared to other furs.

I've got a couple of rabbit-fur hats (the kind designed to keep your head warm in Siberia) and I've not noticed any shedding in the 4 years we've had them.

Perhaps the trend will lead to rabbit meat in the supermarkets

[talleyman]

"Be vewy quiet, I'm hunting wabbit...."

[MineralMan]

"Perhaps the trend will lead to rabbit meat in the supermarkets"

Hard to find. I just call the local 4-H and FFA groups and ask who's raising meat rabbits as a project, then get in touch with the kid and buy the rabbits directly from them.

I like to encourage the kids, and I always get really nice, fresh rabbit, all cut up nicely for me.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

ping

[Mamzelle]

You'd notice the shedding more with a coat--

Rabbit fur also does not last as long as other furs (mink can last a lifetime if you don't let one dry out.)

I play with old furs (I get them off ebay) in crafts and textile projects. Usually I get rabbit skins new because the old coats fall apart, but I've used several minks that are quite old.

In some of the more obscure malls, you'll now see stores devoted to SAmerican alpaca products, and you can also find sweaters on ebay from importers. This is a fiber that has always fascinated me (technically a hair, not a wool). I've never seen a yarn fiber that holds up better than alpaca (I've spun some myself)--the sweaters wear like iron and are warm and silky. Lately the stores I mentioned are marketing skin bedspreads and rugs that are divine--I don't know why there are no coats made of skins.

There's a flourishing alpaca industry in the US--they also make delightful pets--you can even housebreak them. And you can harvest their hair without hurting them a bit.

[adam_az]

(see tagline)

[adam_az]

"There's a flourishing alpaca industry in the US--they also make delightful pets--you can even housebreak them. And you can harvest their hair without hurting them a bit."

They good eating?

[mewzilla]

Sic'em, Fluffy!

[Mamzelle]

I suppose they'd taste a lot like camel. ;^>

I keep hens for eggs and pets, but it doesn't slow down my business with Kentucky Fried at all.

A man brought his alpacas to a nursing home once where I was thrilled to assist--they are enchanting creatures--when I imagine a unicorn, it is something like an alpaca.

But I'd be happy to have a rug or throw, anyway.

[Romulus]

I've not noticed any shedding

Me neither. About 6 years.

[glock rocks]

The entrance to this cave is guarded by a creature so foul, so cruel
that no man yet has fought with it and lived! Bones of four fifty
men lie strewn about its lair. So, brave knights, if you do doubt
your courage or your strength, come no further, for death awaits
you all with nasty big pointy teeth.