Fur?

[robinthecrow]

I gave the forum a quick search but couldn't find anything...

...does anyone known a good UK supplier for LONG fun fur to use as hair on my puppets?

 

[Buck-Beaver]

What about Furry Fabrics?

 

[robinthecrow]

They don't really have the colours I'm after... or even the length! I'm after very long fun fur, as in, Trekkie Monster length!

 

[Buck-Beaver]

I'm not sure where you are in the UK but I'd try hitting the fabric shops in London (there has to be tons of them that sell fake fur). That's your best bet. Not all colours are always available aside from a few basics (red, blue, white, black). A lot of the puppets you see on TV have fur custom made for them by companies in the U.S.

Just so you're prepared, the kind of fur that used on Trekkie usually costs anywhere from $60 - $150 US per metre. It's pricey, hard-to-find stuff.

 

[robinthecrow]

Well it would give me an excuse to give London another visit...

Trekkie's fur is very VERY hard to find. Rick Lyon tells me that the guys who did the fur went out of business years ago and he got as much as he could!

 

[Buck-Beaver]

That happens a lot; for one character I had built for a TV pilot we actually tracked down the textille mill that produced the fur we used and we bought out all the fur they had left. I know Ravagefrackle has mentioned here that some of the fur and fabrics used by the Muppets was bought in large quantities the 70s and 80s!

Often fur will only be produced for one season. When shag furs aren't in fashion it's very hard to find stuff. A few years ago it was particularly bad but there seems to be a nice variety out there right now.

 

[robinthecrow]

I just got a few samples through the door. The furs are at a reasonable length, but they are mohair! It just tears away so easily I don't think it would work on a puppet which will be used for a three week shoot.

So... on with the search for *synthetic* fur...

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Really? Mohair usually works well and it much better quality than synthetic fur but I suppose it depends what kind you get.

 

[robinthecrow]

Yeah, the mohair seems to malt and go everything which I'm not liking, so I think I will stick with synthetic fur. Found a place who does decent fur and at the length I want if my rulers are right.

www.creationsdirect.com

and its over here!