When did beaver fur go out of style?

The popularity of the beaver hat declined in the early/mid-19th century as silk hats became more fashionable across Europe.

Are beaver hats still made?

Modern high end cowboy hats are still made with beaver felt. Just how much beaver fur is in the mix of a modern beaver hat is a trade secret. The Stetson Hat Company may have been the first makers to use an “X” designation to represent felted fur formulas as early as 1904.

When did silk hats replace beaver hats?

1830s
By the 1820s, beaver numbers were so low that the HBC actually introduced some of the first conservation measures to help bring back the animal. In the end, what ironically saved the beaver was another change in fashion — the introduction of the so-called silk topper at the end of the 1830s.

What is special about beaver fur?

The pelts of American beavers are valuable in the fur trade and are largely used in making coats and hats. During the first several centuries of the European colonization of North America, beaver pelts were one of the most important natural resources to be exported from the northern regions of that continent.

Why is beaver fur so valuable?

Mammal winter pelts were prized for warmth, particularly animal pelts for beaver wool felt hats, which were an expensive status symbol in Europe. The demand for beaver wool felt hats was such that the beaver in Europe and European Russia had largely disappeared through exploitation.

Why did the French want beaver fur?

The fur trade started because of a fashion craze in Europe during the 17th century. Europeans wanted to wear felt hats made of beaver fur. The French gave European goods to Indigenous people in exchange for beaver pelts. The fur trade was the most important industry in New France.

Why was beaver fur so popular?

Beaver fur, which was used in Europe to make felt hats, became the most valuable of these furs. The demand for beaver increased rapidly in the early 1600’s, when fashionable European men began to wear felt hats made from beaver fur. Such furs as fox, marten, mink, and otter also were traded.

What is beaver fur called?

The North American beaver is the continent largest rodent. Its amphibious body is covered with a soft felt-like under fur that is 1 inch thick. This under layer of barbed hairs is called fur-wool and it is covered by a protective over layer of coarse guard hairs measuring about 2 inches in length.

Why were beaver pelts so valuable?

Do they still make silk top hats?

The collapsible silk opera hat, or crush hat, is still worn on occasions, and black in color if worn with evening wear as part of white tie, and is still made by a few companies, since the materials, satin or grosgrain silk, are still available.

How many beavers were killed in the fur trade?

Others prefer dynamite. Two hundred plus years of the fur trade killed off beaver populations—40 to 60 million beavers basked in North America in the 19th century before hunters massacred them for hats and perfume.

How much is a beaver worth?

Most beaver will continue to average $10-14 regardless of where they are produced. There is a possibility, however, to see some upside in this market if some of the traditional uses for beaver start to come back in style with fewer ranch mink pelts on the market.

What is beaver fur hat made of?

Beaver Fur Felt is dense and virtually waterproof. It consists of beaver and/or rabbit/hare fur blended with felt to produce a material that lasts 5-10 times longer than wool-felt. A fine Beaver and Beaver blend fur-felt hat can be re-worked and shaped numerous times, with just a steam iron and a bit of patience.

How did the Beaver become extinct?

Demand for beaver fur led to the near-extinction of the Eurasian beaver and the American beaver in succession. It seems likely that only a sudden change in style saved the beaver. Beaver hats were made in various styles as a matter of civil status: the Wellington (1820–40) the Paris beau (1815) the D’Orsay (1820)

Why order a 100x undyed beaver fur-felt hat?

Order your hat in 100X undyed, pure beaver fur-felt, and be one of the first to hearken back to an era in hat making a hundred and fifty years ago. Because it has no dye in the hat body, the sun will fade the hat over time, giving it character and making it just as unique as its owner.

Why were beaver hats so popular in Europe?

They were fashionable across much of Europe during the period 1550–1850 because the soft yet resilient material could be easily combed to make a variety of hat shapes (including the familiar top hat ). Smaller hats made of beaver were sometimes called beaverkins, as in Thomas Carlyle ‘s description of his wife as a child.