POSSUM
Possum fur is silky smooth to the touch and is the ultimate in luxury fibre. The natural property of the world's only 'eco fur' is that each fibre is hollow and provides excellent insulation whilst ensuring that the garment is light and very soft.
Originally introduced to New Zealand, Brush tail possums are a pest, with no natural predators. They eat 17,000 tonnes of native forest each night, killing the plants which native animals need to live off. They are also omnivores which means they eat the eggs & chicks of endangered native bird species. The commercial use of possum fur fibre is therefore encouraged by conservation groups and plays an important role in the protection of New Zealand's native fauna, flora and wildlife.
technical qualities
The merino possum & silk blend is a unique blend of yarn including New Zealand brushtail possum fur and super fine merino wool & silk.
The fibre
Mother nature gave the brushtail possum a secret weapon against the cold. A secret only shared with their cousins the polar bear. Best seen under a microscope... Despite each fur fibre only being 16-18 microns thick, each and every one of those minute fibres is hollow! This means every single fibre has a pocket of air which is like a self insulating armour. So when you wear possum blends you end up with a unique and amazing force field against the cold. The warmest knitwear fibre of it’s kind on the planet, it is also a great deal lighter and less bulky than merino wool, making it the preference for travelers and adventure seekers who need to travel light.
Although merino is known for it’s amazing waterproofing and wicking properties, (wicking draws moisture away from the skin) the possum fur makes these garments even more waterproof than merino. Brushtail possum fur is similar in softness to angora and cashmere and is combined with the softness of pure wool.
Hand gathered fur is completely natural, ecologically sustainable and produces the longest and softest staple. New Zealand is the only place in the world that the eco- luxury fibre can be harvested, so it remains extremely rare on a global basis.
