beaver fur risks

[minus_273]

Since we had that thread about where beaver fur felt comes from, I've been wondering, are there any risks to wearing fur hats in public.
Granted since most people dont know that it is fur, it really shouldnt be a problem. Of course there is an element that looks for these things. Has anyone here been heckled or had red paint thrown on them by PETA or other hippies?

I have the added bonus of living near Harvard Square and pass through it all the time. Its sort of a hippie Mecca. I'd hate to have my clothes ruined one day on my way to work.

 

[Aaron Hats]

I don't think you have to worry. As you said, most people don't know it's made of fur. We have a local PETA nutjob that's tried to give us some grief about the Mad Bomber fur hats we sell. If she only knew that at least 50-75% of our inventory has something to do with animals she'd really flip.

BTW, that hat looks great on you.

 

[Victor]

I really don't think so

 

[Matt Deckard]

I don't think you'll have a problem...

The same people who throw blood on leather shoes will attack your hat.

 

[fedoralover]

I've only had one comment and I had it coming. A guy I know at work wears a head turbin because of his religious convictions. He was walking in to work the other morning and of course it was raining, I jokingly said "you need to get a turbin with a brim on it and then the rain won't get in your face." He said "well I don't think so, but then it's better than killing an animal to make a hat." So I guess I had that one coming, one good chide deserves another.

fedoralover

 

[Brad Bowers]

Anybody tries something like that to my hat, and I'm sending as many of them to the hospital as I can. Or the morgue.

Brad

 

[tonyb]

I can accept that some animal-rights activists are sincere and thoughtful, even if I don't necessary buy into their premise. (I wear leather shoes and jackets and fur felt hats, eat meat, etc., and that isn't likely to change.) And some damage their cause by being shrill and self-righteous and generally coming across in ways that only alienate people. They're like the worst sort of religious zealots. It's that "We're right because we say so and if you don't agree then you are evil" routine that gets on my nerves. It's just so childish, no matter how elderly its exponents and no matter the cause. (Consider some of our more senior religious broadcasters, for instance.) What's most troubling, however, is the notion floated by Peter Singer--the author of "Animal Liberation" and the movement's most-prominent spokesman--that the lives of certain disabled humans are of less value than that of, say, a healthy cocker spaniel.
I don't know what to make of this "hippie" characterization. If by that you mean long-haired males in well-worn blue jeans and such, I can only offer that I know several people who fit the description, and about all that says about them for certain is that they have long hair and wear old blue jeans. (That description fits certain country music luminaries as well--Willie Nelson, for instance, a cultural icon of the first rank, in my book.) I don't know a one who would hurl abuse at you for wearing a leather jacket or a fur-felt hat. Indeed, they may invite you over for a barbeque and ask you where you got that nice hat.

 

[minus_273]

I can accept that some animal-rights activists are sincere and thoughtful, even if I don't necessary buy into their premise. (I wear leather shoes and jackets and fur felt hats, eat meat, etc., and that isn't likely to change.) And some damage their cause by being shrill and self-righteous and generally coming across in ways that only alienate people. They're like the worst sort of religious zealots. It's that "We're right because we say so and if you don't agree then you are evil" routine that gets on my nerves. It's just so childish, no matter how elderly its exponents and no matter the cause. (Consider some of our more senior religious broadcasters, for instance.) What's most troubling, however, is the notion floated by Peter Singer--the author of "Animal Liberation" and the movement's most-prominent spokesman--that the lives of certain disabled humans are of less value than that of, say, a healthy cocker spaniel.
I don't know what to make of this "hippie" characterization. If by that you mean long-haired males in well-worn blue jeans and such, I can only offer that I know several people who fit the description, and about all that says about them for certain is that they have long hair and wear old blue jeans. (That description fits certain country music luminaries as well--Willie Nelson, for instance, a cultural icon of the first rank, in my book.) I don't know a one who would hurl abuse at you for wearing a leather jacket or a fur-felt hat. Indeed, they may invite you over for a barbeque and ask you where you got that nice hat.

I'm just using the term hippie for lack of a better word. I think you hit the nail on the head when you described the type of people i am thinking of. Looking at the replies, I suspect it might be more of a matter of where you live. I happen to be in Boston where there are a ton of college students who can act irrational and are easily swayed.

Think of a city full of the PETA type that Aaron described above. I've seen people yelled at on the subway because they happened to have a button on that endorsed a party differing from that of the heckler. It is actually kind of amusing seeing a Nader supporter call a green party supporter a "fascist" .

I've never actually seen anyone get red paint thrown on them and for that matter, who carries red paint handy? But we have all heard about it, so is this an urban legend, or does it really happen?

 

[besdor]

We have had a few problems with people that won't buy a hat from fur felt , only wool . One person returned a hat because she heard that the hat was made from beaver fur. When we told her it was rabbit fur ,she started to cry !
Go figure. :cool2:

 

[shamus]

I've never heard of those "PETA Hippies" doing that.

Nor are all Hippies are vegans.

But I thought Hippies were from the late 60's? Are there really a bunch of 50 year old guys in tie-dyed shirts sitting around with red paint cans?

 

[Raindog]

Hippiedom never dies out Shamus. It's just reborn into a new set of flairs.
I doubt if they'd bother chucking paint at you, as they're unlikely to know if it's fur or wool (or even that fur felt is real fur).
Their targets are more blatent I think


Jeff.

 

[tonyb]

We have had a few problems with people that won't buy a hat from fur felt , only wool . One person returned a hat because she heard that the hat was made from beaver fur. When we told her it was rabbit fur ,she started to cry !
Go figure. :cool2:

You bunny snuffer, you! How could you do that to poor Thumper?

 

[Rigby Reardon]

I've only had one comment and I had it coming. A guy I know at work wears a head turbin because of his religious convictions. He was walking in to work the other morning and of course it was raining, I jokingly said "you need to get a turbin with a brim on it and then the rain won't get in your face." He said "well I don't think so, but then it's better than killing an animal to make a hat." So I guess I had that one coming, one good chide deserves another.

fedoralover

hahaha...thanks for sharing that one. A good reminder to keep our sense of perspective.

minus_273, I think Hemingway_Jones is in your area - I'll PM him see if he's caught this thread yet.

J

 

[Hemingway Jones]

hahaha...thanks for sharing that one. A good reminder to keep our sense of perspective.

minus_273, I think Hemingway_Jones is in your area - I'll PM him see if he's caught this thread yet.

J

Who me? I was out on Boston Common stomping on bunnies. What were you fellows talking about???

Come on now, half of the granola eaters who are vegans, vegetarians, or Vegemites, or whatever they're calling themselves, are wearing leather shoes or belts, or sitting on leather seats in their cars.

And let me tell you something about pigs and cows; they aren't animals, they are genetically engineered food! You just don't see wild cows wandering around.

In all seriousness, I respect folks who have strong convictions, even if I think their convictions are exceedingly silly; but my respect ends at the point they start pushing their ideas on me.

 

[The Wingnut]

True. They're not all vegans, and they're not all completely irrational or obnoxious, either. The PETA hippies in my home town wear tie-dye and Uggs, but instead of throwing paint, they threaten to sue, make death threats over the phone, and attempt to slander and defame those they see as 'cruel'...for simply selling merchandise they don't approve of.

I've never heard of those "PETA Hippies" doing that.

Nor are all Hippies are vegans.

But I thought Hippies were from the late 60's? Are there really a bunch of 50 year old guys in tie-dyed shirts sitting around with red paint cans?

 

[magneto]

Here in San Francisco, PETA regularly holds "demonstrations" (i.e. blocks sidewalk and harangues passers-by) in front of Neiman-Marcus (ritzy store that sells furs, for those not in US). What annoys me is that they drape a nearby tree with vintage fur pieces (fox neck-wraps, etc) covered in red paint. I do avoid that intersection when wearing my (secondhand, vintage, was dead decades ago, thankyou) fur coat. As many people have pointed out, PETA'll attack little fur-wearing ladies, but not burly leather-wearing bikers. Hmmmm.....

 

[shamus]

Seems all groups with an agenda are doing that these days. The threaten to sue, death threats, (sometimes actual murder is carried out) simply because of something someones doing that they dont' "approve of.

As to PETA hippies wearing Uggs, I'd say no, since Uggs are sheepskin.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

If someone assaults you...

...kick their ass, regardless of their politics. Touch me or mine and I will kick your ass, but good. Believe me, I know how to kick ass. I learned the hard way...by getting my ass kicked. You can say what you want to me, to a certain extent, and you're OK. Threaten me and you might be OK. But touch me, and it's on like Donkey Kong, friend. Throw some fake blood on me, say your freaking prayers, cuz you gonna die.

So, you might be a hippy pinko fag or a conservative republican hetrosexual, I don't care. You're taking a real real risk with your future when you lay hands on me.

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Don't hold back Bob!! Tell us how you really feel.

 

[Biltmore Bob]