real or fake?

**nagod** · 14th August 10, 05:42 AM

any tips on how to tell real sealskin from fake on a semidress sporran?

**Richard** · 14th August 10, 06:21 AM

Mines got a little label inside saying "Greenland sealskin made in Scotland", but it could be next doors cat for all I know

**Hutch863** · 14th August 10, 06:37 AM

That being said, it begs to ask.

Is the next door cat gone missing?

**Manitoban Keith** · 14th August 10, 07:12 AM

Watch for anything coming from Canada. Unlike the UK and USA, who have to label the type of fur, in Canada it needs only be labelled "fur".

And it turns out a lot of it is dog or cat. Especially in pet toys. I know gross, I've already wrote my MP plenty of times about it.

**Chas** · 14th August 10, 01:29 PM

Although I generally only wear one sporran, I have amassed over 20 different types. The closest to sealskin would be bovine. If dyed silver or speckled, bovine could be mistaken for sealskin, but not close-up.

Firstly the hairs are closer together - the seal is an aquatic animal and the close hair is part of the thermal insulation. Next is the colour of the hairs. They should be sprouting from hide that is roughly the same colour. If the hairs are one colour and the hide is uniformly another then the speckles have been sprayed on. Lastly is the feel of the hide. A cow is a slow moving, grazing, land animal, whereas a seal is a supple, fast swimming, fish eating animal. I always get the impression that the bovine is stiffer.

Regards

Chas

**xman** · 14th August 10, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by Manitoban Keith

Watch for anything coming from Canada. Unlike the UK and USA, who have to label the type of fur, in Canada it needs only be labelled "fur".

And it turns out a lot of it is dog or cat. Especially in pet toys. I know gross, I've already wrote my MP plenty of times about it.

This makes NO sense to me given the volume of seal skin produced each year. Do you have any data to back this claim up which I can peruse?

**Manitoban Keith** · 14th August 10, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by xman

This makes NO sense to me given the volume of seal skin produced each year. Do you have any data to back this claim up which I can peruse?

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/l...shColumbiaHome

http://canpaws.ca/laws.html

http://www.anitaneville.ca/tag/fur-ban/

**bricelythgoe** · 14th August 10, 02:37 PM

Since you can't get seal skin in the US any more, it would be hard to find out.

**Inchessi** · 14th August 10, 04:26 PM

Son of a gun, I thought this was about something else.

While the US does require the type of fur, there are accepted names that are used. It has been years since I had to study Conservation Law, I can not remember any of them. I have only applied my studies to Fisheries.