Sheepskin

For other uses, see Sheepskin (disambiguation).

A whole sheepskin

Sheepskin is the hide of a sheep, sometimes also called lambskin. Unlike common leather, sheepskin is tanned with the fleece intact, as in a pelt.^[1]

Uses

Sheepskin is used to produce sheepskin leather products and soft wool-lined clothing or coverings, including gloves, hats, footstools, automotive seat covers, baby and invalid rugs and pelts (sheepskin rugs and seat covers). In particular, sheepskin is the principal material used to make ugg boots (a type of sheepskin boot), footwear traditionally produced in Australia and New Zealand. Sheepskin numnahs, saddle pads, saddle seat covers, sheepskin horse boots, tack linings and girth tubes are also made and used in equestrianism.^{[2] [3]}

The fleece of sheepskin has excellent insulating properties and it is also resistant to flame and static electricity. Wool is considered by the medical profession to be hypoallergenic.^[4]

The Royal Melbourne Hospital and the CSIRO Textile and Fibre Technology Leather Research Centre, testing confirmed the advantages of medical sheepskin in the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcer treatment.^[5]

Quality

The quality of the skin used in each application depends on several factors, mostly whether the pelt, which is the back of the hide, will be visible or not. Where the pelt is visible, better quality hide with minimal seed will be used.

Seed contamination is where patches of scar tissue remain, resulting from a healed seed burrow wound during the animal's life. This scar tissue can fall out leaving small holes after the pelt is processed or it can remain in place leaving imperfections in the pelt which cannot be corrected. Seed contamination is graded as follows^[6]:

(1) "No Visible Seed" - Visually free of seed contamination. This does not however mean the skin is completely free of seed, only visually free.

(2) "Light Seed" - Slight seed contamination visible in the wool but minimal mainly concentrated in the belly regions.

(3) "Medium Seed" - Light seed contamination is present over most of the wool surface but is concentrated around the belly area and the legs.

(4) "Heavy Seed" - Heavy contamination extending through the majority of the wool but especially prevalent around the belly area and the legs.

(5) "Burry" - Wool contaminated with hard seed. Can vary from light to heavy concentration. This level of seed can cause problems if it is not removed before fleshing starts as the rollers can sometimes punch them through the skin.

In general wool affected by skin diseases is not usable. Other problems include louse infestation, dead wool and regrowth.^{[citation needed]}

Skins are classed, packed and sold in standardized wool lengths:

• Bares (newly shorn)
• 1/8"–1/4" (3 mm–7 mm)
• 1/4"–1/2" (7 mm–13 mm)
• 1/2"–1" (13 mm–26 mm)
• 1"–2" (26 mm 55 mm)
• 2"–4" (55 mm–110 mm) (Full wools)

Mouton fur

Mouton fur (North America) or beaver lamb (UK) is sheepskin which has been processed to resemble beaver or seal fur^[7] (mouton is French for "sheep"). Mouton fur is lambskin whose hair has been straightened, chemically treated, and thermally set to produce a moisture repellent finish. Mouton is often dyed brown to resemble beaver, but it is also made in many other colors.

See also

• Calfskin

References

1. ^ Delbridge, Arthur, "The Macquarie Dictionary", 2nd ed., Macquarie Library, North Ryde, 1991
2. ^ Dressage & General Purpose Numnahs Retrieved on 2 February 2009
3. ^ Sheepskin Products Retrieved on 2 February 2009
4. ^ Wool Facts Retrieved on 12 January 2009
5. ^ Pressure Ulcer Treatment
6. ^ Sheepskin Seed Contamination Gradings Retrieved on 12 January 2009
7. ^ MOUTON Fur: the smart choice Retrieved on 12 January 2009

External links