Mink Fur Coats vs Sable Coats: Which should I buy?

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Mink fur and sable fur can be at times hard to tell apart, especially when seen at a medium distance and when they are at the same color spectrum. Natural sable comes at various tones of brown from light to deep dark which look closely, at least chromatically with mahogany or pastel mink. However, a closer look can reveal several differences. Here we will discuss Mink Fur Coats vs Sable Coats, their qualities, pricing, material and all.

Mink Fur Coats vs Sable Coats: Which one is best to buy?

Mink is the most popular fur choice globally and provides the best value for money. Sable is the most expensive fur in the world, and it makes a strong statement.

The key main differences between sable and mink is hair sheen, texture, volume, weight and price.

Hair sheen

Mink fur is well known for its lustrous look and shine when exposed to light, natural or artificial. It is produced by the oil and keratin rich guard hair whereas a sheared mink fur coat which had its guard haircut and left with the underfur, is expected to have a matte look. Sable fur coats sheen has different qualities. They have a rich, glossy, deep, almost wet hair shiny look.

Texture

Mink fur coats score an 8 out of 10 when it comes to softness of hair. If you slide your fingertips against the grain you should encounter some resistance. A sable fur coat can have its hair stricken at any direction and yet no resistance is countered. So sable fur in terms of softness earns a good 9 out of 10, coming second only to chinchilla fur. The sable fur pelt is a bit softer and more drapes slightly better than mink.

Volume

A nice mink fur coat made of winter pelts is sumptuous but has an elegant flat look. Mink pelts where the difference in height between under fur and guard hair is minimal are valued more. A sable fur coat comes with more substance due its longer guard hair. At the same time the ease of multidirectional motion of sable fur produces an extremely pleasant wavy look and under no condition a bulky look.

Weight

There is no noticeable weight difference between sable and mink fur. For two coats of the same size sable is expected to weight 5% less than mink , which does not make much of a difference.

Mink Fur Coats vs Sable Coats: Which should I buy?

Warmth

Both mink and sable fur are champions in cold weather protection with not any noticeable difference. You cannot go wrong with neither of them.

Color

As said above natural mahogany or pastel mink may resemble in look the natural light brown to deep brown colors that sable naturally comes. However, the natural color range of mink is by far wider than sable. Colors like sapphire, blue iris, black cross and so many others are unique for mink. Also, while white sable is extremely rare, white mink is far more available in the market. Thus, the artificial colors available for mink are more. Not to mention that few designers are bold enough to dye a sable fur coat.

Availability

There is literally no fur retailer or wholesaler that does not handle or market mink fur. You can find a wide variety of designs, lengths and styles. On the other hand, your choices with sable fur will be more limited when it comes to ready to wear garments but there is always the choice of a custom order. It is worth to mention that both mink and sable fur are available and look excellent in “let out” versions.

Durability

Mink and sable are durable furs and can be worn for decades literally. With proper care they can last for decades. Shedding is minimal and their pelts have excellent elasticity and can handle accidental stretches and strains of daily use. Also, the good quality of the pelt allows for remodeling. Mink has a slight advantage of sable due its shorter hair length, the strain posed when sitting on it e.g. in a car is smaller. Also, a dyed fur coat is expected to last for less seasons than a natural one.

Practicality

For reasons of price and a slighter edge on durability mink fur coats are better candidates for daily use.

Pricing

You should expect to pay from 3 to 10 times more for a sable fur coat, compared to a mink. If they were cars, I would say the latter is a Mercedes Benz and the former a Rolls Royce.