Sheepskin Material

SHEEPSKIN MATERIAL

Sheepskin is a byproduct of the meat production. No lamb or sheep is being sacrificed for it's skin.

There are more than 100 different types of sheep/lambskins depending on their geographic origin and also on the selection method. The main categories of animals the product comes from can be classified in 3 different groups: 

Spring Lambskins

These are the young lambs that have not been shorn yet. Their skin is natural, not shorn or cut. The pelts can be used in their entirety but are relatively small. Production commences about July - August to reach a peak in November - December. The early skins have a wool length 1.5 to 2.0 inches with 2.0 to 3.0 inch lengths produced September through November. The skins from the majority of these animals are used in the high quality double face garment or for collar and cuff trims. None of these are used in the production of Eurow products as the pelts are typically too small for our products.

Shorn Lambskins

Lambs shorn and slaughtered for the meat throughout the season. Shorn lambs come into production about January and continue thereafter in wool lengths commencing at 0.25 and developing as the season progresses to 1.5 to 2.5 inches and longer. Most of these animals are seed affected and therefore only a certain percentage of the total production is used in the garment trade. What happens is that when the animal lays down or rolls, seeds are getting on the fur and overtime move closer to the skin. These seeds eventually create a wound and pierce the skin, which creates a hole in the pelt. Animals also encounter thorns in their natural habitat, resulting also with burs and holes in the pelts. The holes have to be sewn or even sometimes cut-out, with another piece of sheepskin being sewn in place. This is a common occurrence in the manufacturing of our sheepskin covers.

Sheepskins from mature sheep

After a shorn lamb was shorn several times, he becomes a sheep. Production continues all year but is most prolific in the period November through February when short wool sheep are slaughtered. Wool lengths vary from freshly shorn to 2.0 to 2.5 inches and longer depending upon the time of the season. Here also, sheep pelts are affected by seeds and require additional preparation in the manufacturing of a finished product.