History:

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• Fur felt

Fur felt and the various types of processing

	

Fur felt is a type of felt that is made from smooth animal hair, e.g. that of a rabbit (in the past beaver fur was often used). It is a pressed felt and consists of a fibre that is difficult to separate, which forms a textile surface but which is not woven. The fur is treated with moisture, warmth and friction until it forms a homogeneous textile structure. The fur is cleaned, combed and can be dyed before processing. Afterwards, the individual wool fibres are entwined together and felted through a mechanical process (so-called "felting"). The scales of the fur intertwine during the felting process and stick together to ultimately form a stable textile. Fur felt can be manufactured in various degrees of hardness by using different processing methods. So there are very soft and flexible or even hard types of fur felt. In addition, this type of felt is a natural product and can be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.

The beginnings of fur felt usage

Felt has long been recognised as a classic material in the history of civilisation. The first finds that prove the use of felt date back to the Neolithic period from around 6,000 BC. These finds consist of the remains of pressed animal fur. Even older finds are difficult to come across, as the raw materials are very compostable and have therefore long since decomposed. The first felt hats were found in the autonomous Mongolian region of Bayingolin in western China from around 1,800 BC. Other felt hats dating back to around 1,500 BC were discovered in Denmark and northern Germany in megalithic tombs. There are early indications of felt manufacture in Central Europe, too. The felt findings from the Altai Mountains dating back to 5 BC already displayed an astonishing uniformity and were ornately decorated. Mentions in Greek and Roman literature, as well as findings of felting workshops in the excavations of Pompeii, indicate that felt manufacture was also popular and well-know among the people of the ancient world. However, the masters of felt production were the Tibetans and the Mongolians. These peoples used felt not just for clothing, but even for their tents. The intricacies of the methods and manufacturing processes have changed over the centuries, but the basic principle and raw materials have remained the same. Some even speculate that felted textiles are older than woven ones.

Properties:

Impressive properties

Textiles made from fur felt are almost as versatile and have almost the same beneficial properties as those made from wool felt. They insulate very well against the cold and heat, dampen vibrations and noise, absorb sound, store heat, have filtering properties and protect against dirt and mechanical damage. They also have a cushioning effect and are stretchy and resistant to pressure, which makes them impervious to creasing. Fur felt can absorb a lot of moisture and store a multiple of its own weight inside itself and then release it again. Fur felt is an ecological and economical raw material as it is biodegradable and the animals can be domesticated virtually anywhere in the world.

It captivates with its high quality

It is natural, kind to the skin, soft and breathable, yet also very tear-resistant and robust. Felt can also be dyed well, cut and even made by hand, which is why many people make decorative clothing and home accessories or works of art from the felt they make as a hobby. However, this is usually made from the cheaper sheep's wool. Fur felt has many advantages compared to other types of felt. For example, compared to wool felt, which is made from curly sheep's wool, fur felt is considered to be higher quality. This is due, among other things, to the fact that the fur felt manufacturing process is comparatively difficult, as it is harder to felt smooth structures than it is to felt rougher ones. In addition, fur felt has a smoother structure and surface than wool felt, it is less scratchy, softer and therefore more comfortable to wear against the skin. Fur felt usually also has a beautiful, elegant sheen, unlike wool felt which is usually rather matte. Another advantage of fur felt is that is does not deform as much when it comes into contact with moisture. However, a disadvantage of fur felt is the higher price.

Care tips:

	

When textiles made from fur felt are only superficially soiled, brushing the felt with a brush or a damp cloth is usually sufficient. You can also vacuum felt. If felt is more heavily soiled, it is possible to wash it by hand. To do this, the felt should first be dampened then washed with an all-in-one detergent or a shampoo and then rinsed thoroughly. After washing, the felt can simply be stroked and pressed back into shape. Gentle iron steaming can facilitate this process.

Conclusion:

	

Felts have enjoyed significant growth in recent years and have conquered many new markets with their positive properties. Although many new, refined synthetic materials have been developed in recent years, they have not been able to oust felt. Fur felt is particularly high quality, has exceptional properties and is very versatile, which means the uses for it are almost limitless. Fur felt is primarily used for particularly elegant and high quality items of clothing and accessories, such as hats and top hats, slippers, boots, jackets, waistcoats, jewellery or key chains. However, it also has many uses in the home and in industry and technology, although the cheaper wool felt is usually used for these purposes. Felt textiles can be found in almost all industries and are almost indispensable in everyday modern life.

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Wool Felt Vs Fur Felt: What&#;s The Difference?

Wool felt vs fur felt. Let&#;s dive into why they&#;re different and which once could be better for your sewing projects?

Wool felt and fur felt have a few things in common. Both made from animal fur, they&#;re natural, biodegradable, and sustainable. The main difference is what they&#;re made of and how they&#;re used:

• Wool felt: All-natural felt made from sheep&#;s wool.
• Fur felt: All-natural felt made from smooth animal fur, usually rabbit.

To pick which one will work best for you, think of the texture, appearance, and durability you&#;re looking for.

Not sure how to choose between wool felt and fur felt? I&#;m here to help! My lifelong love for sewing started in middle school (although I admit, I&#;ve been inconsistent with my sewing habit) and through the years, I&#;ve picked up a few useful tips on working with fur and wool felt.

Read on for the full wool vs fur felt comparison!

Affiliate Link Disclosure: The links on this page may be affiliate links, from which I earn a small commission if you click on them, at no extra cost to you. Hope you find the information here useful. Thanks!

Wool Felt Vs Fur Felt

Wool Felt & Fur Felt Comparison

Let&#;s take a look at the differences between these felt types.

Texture

Fur felt has a finer and smoother texture compared to wool felt. It&#;s softer to the touch and doesn&#;t feel as scratchy as wool felt. This makes fur felt a lot more comfortable against the skin.

Neither wool felt or fur felt crease. Although if you leave them in an awkward position for two long the could get bend marks or indents in them.

Appearance

Fur felt, thanks to being made from smooth animal fur, can have a beautiful sheen to it.

Wool felt, made from coarser sheep&#;s wool, has a more matte appearance.

Durability

Fur felt is long-lasting than wool felt. It helps to understand what fur felt is and how it&#;s made, to see why it&#;s more durable.

The &#;fur&#; that is used in making fur felt is actually the downy under-fur of the animal (not the long, coarser fur you see on the animal). The under-fur naturally has a barb-like surface. When felted, it creates a fabric with fibers that are locked tightly together.

This produces a much stronger felt material, making it more durable compared to wool felt sheets made from sheared sheep wool.

Water Resistance

Wool felt and fur felt are naturally water-resistant.

In terms of cleaning, both types of felt are tricky to wash as they might shrink or get damaged from being exposed to water.

It&#;s still possible to wash wool felt at home if needed. It&#;s best to hand wash gently in cool water. Don&#;t rub the fabric when washing as you don&#;t want it to fuzz. Lay flat to air dry.

To clean light spots on fur felt, you can use a dry brush. If you need to remove stains, it&#;s best to get some help from professional cleaners.

Pricing

Fur felt is of a higher quality than wool felt. This makes it a lot more expensive.

The process of making fur felt is more difficult, as it&#;s harder to get fur from an animal (like from a rabbit) than it is to get sheep&#;s wool.

For making your own felt craft projects at home, wool felt for crafts makes more sense.

Availability

Wool felt sheets for crafts are easy to get hold of. You can buy them on online at Amazon and Etsy. You&#;ll find wool felt for sale at most craft stores too.

Fur felt is a specialty product. It&#;s not widely as available. If you need to use it in your crafts, ask your local fabric store for leads.

Wool Felt & Fur Felt: Best Uses

What Is Wool Felt Used For?

Wool felt is used to make common household items like:

Wool felt strips retain heat well. This is why wool felt is also used by manufacturers to make things like:

• wool felt insulation pads
• warm wool felt shoes
• dryer seals

Wool felt is a great choice for crafting. Wool craft felt is more durable than synthetic craft felt, so it&#;s good for making toys for little ones or for peices you want to hand down through the genarations as heirlooms. You can make all sorts of things, for exmaple:

You can use wool felt to make reusable holiday decor too, from wool felt wreaths to wool felt trees. My personal favorite arethese cute ornaments because you can use up your wool felt scraps.

What is wool felt not used for? Usually, it&#;s not used to make garments. Wool felt cloth is pretty rigid and doesn&#;t drape well, so you&#;re not likely to find things like wool felt skirts and shirts.

What Is Fur Felt Used For?

Fur felt is a high-quality material and it&#;s mostly used to craft luxury items like top hats and other types of hats, waistcoats, jackets, shoes, and accessories.

Fur felt hats for men today are mostly made from rabbit fur like these rabbit fur felt fedoras.

Fun fact: Fur felt used to be made from beaver fur too. It has an even finer quality than rabbit fur (which is already pretty luxurious). You can still find beaver fur felt items at some designer stores today.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Jiatong.

Fur Felt Vs Wool Felt Hats

Both types of felt are commonly used to make hats, so it&#;s common to compare between wool vs fur felt hats.

Hat designers will always recommend going with fur felt hats over wool felt hats if you&#;re looking for the better quality option between the two.

Fur felt hats are softer and lighter. They keep their shape better and last longer too.

Whichever material you end up choosing, these hats require a bit of care so make sure to learn about wool felt hat care and fur felt hat care.

More Types Of Felt

Wool Blend Felt

Wool blend felt is a blend of natural wool with synthetic fibers like acrylic or rayon. Sometimes it&#;s just called &#;wool felt&#; so if you&#;re specifically looking for 100% wool felt, make sure you check the label.

What&#;s great about wool blend felt is that it has some of the softness and sturdiness of natural wool but it&#;s a much cheaper option than 100% wool felt.

Polyester Felt

Polyester felt is a synthetic felt fabric made from polyester fibers. It&#;s slightly thinner and not as dense as 100% wool felt. On the plus side, it&#;s budget-friendly and comes in a wide range of colors.

Here&#;s a full comparison of wool & polyester felt.

Rayon Felt

Rayon felt is a semi-synthetic craft felt. It&#;s made from natural materials like wood pulp. However, it&#;s put through heavy chemical processing that it ends up becoming a synthetic fabric.

If you&#;re looking for the softest craft felt, rayon is the way to go. It&#;s usually blended with wool or bamboo to get that nice smooth feel.

Acrylic Felt

Acrylic felt is similar in texture and appearance to polyester felt. It&#;s a synthetic felt made from acrylic.

The biggest difference when comparing acrylic felt vs polyester felt is sustainability. You can find polyester felt sheets made from recycled materials.

Wool Felt Vs Felted Wool

When you&#;re comparing wool felt vs fur felt, you might also come across another similar term: felted wool. This is not the same thing as wool felt.

Technically, wool felt and felted wool are made using the same material: raw sheep&#;s wool but the end product is different: wool felt is a non-woven fabric while felted wool is a woven fabric. The difference between felted wool vs felt is in the way they&#;re made.

Wool felt is made by agitating the raw wool for felt until the fibers interlock to form what&#;s known as wool felt.

Felted wool (you might also hear people call it boiled wool) is made with knitted wool fabric (think of your favorite knitted jumper) that&#;s agitated in boiling water until it shrinks and sticks together to form a soft, puffy fabric.

Sound complicated? We&#;ve all accidentally shrunk our wool sweaters in the wash. It&#;s the same concept! You can (intentionally) shrink your sweaters to upcycle them for crafts &#; here&#;s how you can turn old sweater wool to felted wool.

You can find out more about this topic in my boiled wool vs wool felt article.

Wool Felt Supplies Shopping Guide

Wondering where to buy wool felt squares etc? Amazon is your best bet! You can also find 100% wool felt rolls there and more. If you need an alternative on where to buy thick felt, check out Etsy as well.

Need location-specific shopping links? Here you go!

Wool Felt Crafts Shopping Guide

If you&#;re wondering where to find paid patterns to start making your wool felt crafts, check out Amazon and Etsy.

PS. I include some free wool felt patterns in my sew felt animals article. You can also get some free wool felt projects ideas in my what to sew with felt article.

Looking for ready-made wool felt items? Shop for them here:

Wool Felt Vs Fur Felt FAQ

What Is Fur Felt?

Fur felt is a type of felt that is made from smooth animal hair. It&#;s usually made from rabbit fur (though it used to be made from beaver too, which is considered even higher quality). It&#;s a durable non-woven fabric that forms from matting the animal fur.

Are Wool Or Felt Hats Better?

Fur felt hats are more durable and will maintain their shape longer than a wool cowboy hat, if you&#;re comparing fur felt vs wool cowboy hats. Fur felt hats have a lush texture. It&#;s softer and lighter to wear. It also holds its shape better compared to wool.

Is Fur Felt Waterproof?

Most, if not all fur felt hats are shower-proof. You can wear them in light to moderate rain &#; they&#;re not likely to get damaged or get bent out of shape. Just be careful not to overdo it &#; using fur felt hats under heavy rain too often will probably damage the hat.

Can Wool Felt Hats Get Wet?

They are water resistant and therefore fine in a light rain shower. Wool felt hats don&#;t hold their shape as well as fur felt hats, so try to avoid exposing them to too much rain, if you can.

What Kind Of Felt Is Best?

Wool felt is the best kind of felt if you want something that&#;s long-lasting and beautiful. If budget is a concern then go for an acrylic or polyester craft felt, or a wool blend felt.

Whichever type of felt you choose, it&#;ll be a good material to work with for crafting at home. It&#;s soft and durable. and excellent for beginners.

If you&#;re wondering about fur felt vs wool felt hats specifically, then go for the fur felt if you want the best quality.

Wool Felt Vs Fur Felt: Wrap Up

I hope you&#;ve found this wool felt vs fur felt guide helpful! If you&#;re not sure which fabric to use, here&#;s a quick recap to compare the differences to decide which material is a better fit for your projects.

Wool felt, made from sheared sheep fur, is a versatile and widely available fabric that&#;s great for making wool felt toys, wool felt totes, wool felt art, and more.

Fur felt, usually made from the downy under-fur of rabbit and beaver, is soft and lush. It&#;s often the go-to choice for making luxurious items like hats and top hats, coats, jackets, boots, and more.

There&#;s so much more to explore with felt. What&#;s the best wool felt cutter to use? Which wool felt needles do you use? Will felt stick to felt? Check out my beginner-friendly guide on sewing felt!

Wool Felt Vs Fur Felt: Related Posts

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Wool Felt Vs Fur Felt: What's The Difference? - Sewist's Lab