Hardly any material creates such a cozy feeling as lambskin. The cuddly fabric is soft and has a temperature-regulating effect, which is why it is especially popular as lining for slippers and clothing. In our guide, we explain everything important about the pelt of these fluffy animals. You will learn what makes lambskin so special and how to best care for it.
Lambskin vs. Sheepskin – the Difference
The names are actually self-explanatory: lambskin comes from baby sheep up to a maximum of 12 months old, while sheepskin comes from older sheep.
This difference is crucial for the texture of the pelt.
The pelt of baby sheep is naturally smaller, but also extra soft and fine.
Sheep wool becomes firmer and denser as the sheep age. This makes the pelt itself more durable but also rougher and coarser.
Lambskin Production
Sheepskin has been used by humans for thousands of years and is valued for its warming properties. Essentially, sheepskin is nothing more than the hair and skin of livestock. But don’t worry, the animals are not slaughtered specifically for their fur! The pelts are rather a byproduct of meat production. In processing, the first step is to separate the pelt from the meat. Then it is dried and tanned for a while so that the skin is preserved and turned into leather. There are different methods for the tanning process.
Different Tanning Methods
Tanning agents are used to preserve animal skin. Tanning agents can be either vegetable or chemical , so different materials can be used for tanning. Here are three relevant tanning methods:
- Chrome Salt Tanning: This tanning is probably the most common method and uses chrome salts for processing. However, caution is advised with this method. While trivalent chromium compounds are still harmless, hexavalent chromium compounds are harmful. Additionally, this method is environmentally taxing because chemical substances enter the wastewater.
- Medically Tanned Lambskin: This tanning uses Regulan GT 50, a specially developed glutaraldehyde tanning agent. This gives the fur a yellowish color and makes it washable and sweat-resistant. Furthermore, the fur becomes soft and stabilizing with this method, so it is used in the medical field, for example, as a support for back pain and muscle tension.
- Vegetable Tanning: This vegetable tanning method is more time-consuming but uses only natural agents. This makes the animal skin softer and gentler on the skin. Additionally, it is less harmful to the environment because there are no toxic wastewaters.
If a lambskin has been medically tanned, it is then finished and only needs to be cut to be used, for example, in a stroller or as a blanket. If the fur has been tanned differently, it can still be further processed. For example, it is possible to dye the fur, cut it , and sew it into pillows, blankets, lambskin slippers , and much more.
For this reason, it is primarily the fur of lambs that is used for textile production . But how exactly does such a production process work, and what steps lie between the lamb in the pasture and the finished product?
Different Types of Fur
Fur is not just fur! Just as sheep breeds can vary greatly, so do their furs. The Merino lamb fur comes from the small Merino sheep and is characterized by its particularly fine wool . For this reason, it is extremely popular in the clothing industry. Furs from Icelandic lambs look rather rustic , while furs from lambs in Austria tend to be curly. Additionally, the following terms are distinguished:
- Fur velour: This term means that the leather side is worn on the outside, while the fur side is on the inside, as is the case with boots or gloves.
- Beaver lamb: These furs are sheared to 12mm to 16mm. The hair curl has been removed by ironing and fixing.
How to recognize real lamb fur
Not everything labeled as lamb fur is actually real. Nowadays, even synthetic imitations of animal fur can be made that look very similar at first glance. In fact, you can usually tell the difference between real fur and faux fur quite quickly. Here are a few pointers:
- The hairs of real fur are softer, but at the same time stronger and denser.
- The fur is also somewhat heavier because the back is made of real leather, not plastic.
- Artificial furs are cheaper, but their quality cannot match that of real lamb fur.
If you want to be sure, you can always perform the smell test. You just need to pull out a few individual hairs from the fur and light them with a lighter. If they are real animal hairs, burning them – just like human hair – produces a horn-like smell. Artificial fur, on the other hand, shrinks into small clumps.
This is why lamb fur is so popular
Anyone who has ever held the soft fur of a lamb can understand why this material is so popular in the textile industry. The natural fur has several advantageous properties that make it perfect for clothing:
✓ breathable and temperature-regulating
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Sheepskin for babies: healthy or dangerous?
Besides clothing, the fleece of lambs is often used for baby blankets because the material is fluffy and warming. Sometimes it is claimed that this is rather questionable for little ones. So is sheepskin dangerous for babies? No, quite the opposite! Especially for baby shoes or as a cozy base, it is even healthy due to its natural properties! Because it regulates temperature, the cuddly material can be used both in winter and summer for the little ones.
But beware: If the baby is still very small, you should not leave them unattended on a sheepskin blanket, as there is a risk of suffocation if they lie on their stomach!
Can you wash sheepskin?
We have already mentioned several times that the fleece is particularly easy to care for. This is due to the lanolin wool fat contained in sheepskin, which conveniently keeps itself clean by repelling dust and dirt particles.
Basically, you don’t need to wash it very often. But if a fur product does get dirty, there are certainly ways to clean the fleece again.
Cleaning lambskin: here’s how
It is best to regularly air out the fleece in fresh air .
The fleece should not be exposed to the sun for extended periods nor placed on a heater, as it could otherwise become hard or lose its color.
Dried-in stains can be quite well removed with a brush . Simply remove coarse dirt with cold water and a pH-neutral soap. However, the washing machine should not be the first choice.
Because even though some furs can be put in the machine, this should really only be a last resort. Also, never put lambskin in the dryer after washing it!
Instead, you can simply let it dry in the air long enough.
Making lambskin fluffy again
Over time, the fleece matts and may lose some of its cuddly factor. However, if you brush it a little, it quickly becomes fluffy again. Special fur brushes or curry combs separate the hairs and soften the fleece again. They also remove dirt that has settled. This way, the coat quickly becomes beautifully fluffy again.
The fluffy fleece of lambs convinces not only through its cozy softness but also through its temperature-regulating and antibacterial properties. Even though there are now synthetic fur imitations, they do not match the quality of the genuine natural product . So, if you choose lambskin for lining jackets, slippers, or similar items, you can never go wrong!
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