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The Fabulous Fleece Company Blog

Where do the best sheepskin rugs come from?

If you are interested in the origin of things you bring into your home, it's likely something you will consider when shopping for a sheepskin too. There are certainly differences in the sheepskins that can be sourced from different locations around the world, and you'll want to make sure you get the right skin for you.

In reality, the question of where the best sheepskins come from is a little bit like ‘how long is a piece of string?’. Our view is that the best sheepskins come from sheep that are well cared for; sheep that are fed well, on good pasture, with free to roam grazing, kindly handled and they receive good medical care if needed. This all results in a happy and unstressed animal.

Many of the differences in sheepskins from different geographies come down to the thickness and texture. Fleece thickness tends to depend on three things, age, climate and breed. Breeds reared in colder harsher climates will ultimately have thicker fleeces, and in some cases dual coated fleeces such as the fabulously thick and floaty Icelandic sheepskin. When sourcing a sheepskin it;s always best to go for the best quality that you can afford as not only will you have a better looking and longer lasting pelt, but you will also be supporting higher and kinder animal welfare.

What makes a sheepskin rug "the best"?

When I look to buy pelts for the Fabulous Fleece Company there are certain markers that I look for.

These are things tell me about the quality of the skin itself. Is its colour uniform? What is the flexibility like; is it soft and malleable like a piece of thick material? Are there any holes or tears in the skin? Some breeds have naturally thinner skins and tend to need some stitching when the skin has been removed from the carcass but there are only a few that fall under this category. Is the skin smooth or rough? Rough skins generally mean that the hand finishing stage has been cut short.

I then look at the fleece. Does it have any lanolin staining? Some pelts produce more lanolin than others, but on the whole, the fleeces shouldn’t be yellow. Are there any bald patches in the fleece? What is the texture of the fleece? Is it rough and course or smooth and silky? Is the pelt well and evenly covered?

Colour and markings are the last indicators in a good pelt. These are quite superficial elements - even though they play a large part in our personal taste - as if the previous qualities aren't there then your fleece has come from either poor mismanaged stock, a practice that I wouldn't want to support, or the tanning process hasn't been correctly followed.

What countries have the best sheepskins?

There are several countries that produce great sheepskins, but narrowing them down further really depends on what you are looking for.

If you are keen on a thick and curly or long haired pelt, then the colder climates produce the best sheepskins - and so for the lighter silkier pelts, warmer climes are better.

The tanning process is really the same whichever pelt you choose, all raw skins are salted to preserve them once they have been removed from the carcass and wait to be tanned. They are then soaked and washed to rehydrate them, and then go through something called a fleshing process to remove any excess fat and tissue before they are soaked in the tanning solution.

Tanning converts the skin to leather/suede by stabilising the collagen fibres. After this they are spun in a dryer to remove the excess water and then pegged out to dry in drying cages. The finishing process can be different for different types of pelts but the tanning stages are usually the same.

Below are some of my favourite countries to source sheepskins from and where I find some of the most high quality and beautiful options.

The Netherlands

The Dutch Texel sheep comes from the Netherlands. These sheep tend to be very lean and muscular and have exceptionally soft fleeces that are high in density. They originated from the island of Texel but are now a popular breed in many countries due to the amount of meat they produce per carcass and luxurious fleece. Skins from this breed are generally of exquisite quality and soft as a cloud.

Norway

The Norwegian Spelsau is a fabulously luxurious dual coated sheep, the outer layer being slightly coarser that the inner soft fluff layer. Spelsau sheepskins have a fantastic quality of being able to give a sense of luxury to any interior. They are also largely sought after crafters, as the quality of their yarn is second-to-none.

Poland

The Polish tend to rear a lot of mountain sheep that can cope with the terrain and inclement cold climate. They also breed a lot of Black Head Sheep, a very old fashioned breed that give a lovely thick cream fleece tinged with rust. If left unironed in the finishing process, they give an authentic old-fashioned pelt, one most would picture when thinking of a sheepskin - so are a fantastic choice for those who like a traditional look.

Gotland

Gotland is a Swedish island that is home to the famous Gotland Sheep, a breed originating when the Vikings crossed Karakul and Romanov sheep with the native Landrace sheep to produce a very cold hardy animal with a distinctive long curly fleece. These skins are silky and lustrous to touch and come in a variety of grey tones.

Iceland

Home to to the large Icelandic, another type of Northern European short-tailed sheep that originated from the animals brought to Iceland by Viking settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries. This breed is dual coated, with distinctive long guard hairs and fine soft underlay, creating a super soft fleece that is very thick.

Where do we source sheepskins from?

At the Fabulous Fleece we source our sheepskins from all of the above countries, and also from the UK, another excellent source of high quality sheepskins. We take great efforts to only take on stock of the highest quality from flocks with excellent welfare standards.

Our producers and suppliers mainly tan their skins in house, and we strive to sell only the most beautiful and high quality rare-breeds that no one else holds in stock.

You can browse our full collection of sheepskin rugs and other fleece products on our website, or get in touch if we can help you with a bespoke sheepskin order.

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