Materials

Sheepskin

Sheepskin Colour Chart

Black

Dark Brown

Mid Brown

Light Brown

Dark Grey

Mid Grey

Light Grey

Forest Green

Oaten

Possum Fur

Please do your bit for the New Zealand environment by purchasing Possum products!

We have far too many possums! The New Zealand brush-tail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) was introduced from Australia to New Zealand in 1837 under government sanction, to establish a fur industry.

However, the fur trade died out during the late 1970s due to the success or the worldwide anti-fur lobby, and as a consequence the NZ possum population exploded. It is now estimated that there are up to 60 million brush-tail possums in New Zealand consuming 21 thousand tons of native forest vegetation nightly! In Australia there are so few palatable plant species that possum numbers have never been a problem. Many Australian plants  have defenses against possums; e.g. spines, prickles or poisonous leaves. Palatable New Zealand plants, which evolved in a totally browser-free environment, do not any defenses at all.

The possums thrive on NZ indigenous trees like the pohutukawa, rata, totara, kowhai and kohekohe. They also compete with other animals for food (berries, fruits etc), thus they are at least partially responsible for a decline of rare plants, birds and animals. Worse, whilst they are herbivores, possums are known to steal eggs from the nests of native birds. Their over-browsing defoliates the trees, reducing and weakening forest canopies which then become susceptible to climatic extremes and attack by pathogens and insects.

Possums are also implicated in the transmission of Bovine Tuberculosis, and are thus seen as a serious threat to the countries dairy, beef and deer herds. 

The New Zealand government began possum control operations in the late 1940s. Over the years, control measures have included a bounty scheme, and the use of poisons such as 1080. The New Zealand government currently invests over $NZ58 million per year to control possums.

Possum Fur Colour Chart

we only use the 2 natural colours of possums - the brown and the grey, however, there are colour variations within these 2 colours which are entirely normal.

I try my best to match the 2 skins needed for your pair of slippers as best I can.