Meșteșugarul Brăilean fur and leather workshop in Brăila

The matter, up close

The matter

What a cușmă is made from

The fur

White lambskin, with the longer hair

The maistru's hands laying a long haired white lambskin over another hide on the cutting table

Before cutting

A hide is read before it is cut

A lambskin spread on the cutting table with a metal weight laid over the template

What is looked for

Three things, in the same pass

Chelitura

The crack

The direction of the hair

The cutting

Fur is cut with a knife, never with scissors

The machines

Two kinds of machine, for two kinds of material

The maistru at the green furrier's machine, with a second sewing machine behind him

On the inside

The stiffening canvas and the lining

Close up of hands guiding a piece of leather through the head of the furrier's machine

The shape

The wooden block

The result

What comes out of these materials

Three cușme in curly lambskin, set on display blocks — Cușme in curly lambskin

A cream long haired lambskin cojoc with a hood, photographed closed — Hooded cojoc in lambskin

A man's brown nubuck waistcoat, fleece lined, with ivory folk embroidery along the edges — Nubuck pieptar, fleece lined

A black leather belt turned over, with the natural leather stamp on the back — Belt in natural leather

In short

The materials, and how each one wears

Long-curl lambskin	The skin the cușme and the fur-side-out cojoace are made from. The curl is dense and irregular, with pale and dark patches that come off the animal, not out of a dye bath.	Shake off snow and let the piece dry on its own, at room temperature. Untangle the curl gently with your fingers, never with a comb. Then brush with a soft brush, in the direction of the hair. Cleaning and glazing are done once a season, at the workshop, before the piece is put away.
Astrakhan-type curl	The tight, glossy curl used for a cap's band and for contrast panels. Compact and elegant, but the curl loses its shape if the hide dries out.	Keep away from damp and direct heat; dry by air only, never with a hairdryer. Wipe off dust with a soft cloth, dry, along the curl. Do not put creams or oils on the skin side: the hide of a fur is fed only at the workshop, with furrier's products.
Cojoc (lambskin with the wool on one side)	Sheep or lamb skin with the wool kept on one face and the leather finished on the other. Warm, rugged and natural, but it soaks up water and stains if left unprotected.	Brush the leather face, dry, with a soft brush to lift the nap. For grease spots, sprinkle starch, let it draw, then brush it off. Keep away from water and rain. Don't wash the piece or send it to an ordinary dry cleaner.
Thin-hide furs (vânat)	Fox, hare and mink fall, in workshop speech, under vânat, game: the hide is thin and the hair long, so they are sewn on a different machine from thick materials. Long hair flattens and tangles if the piece is crammed in.	It needs room, so don't cram it between clothes. Wide hanger, cloth garment bag, cool dry spot. Shake it gently to bring the volume back and detangle softly with your fingers. Workshop glazing restores the sheen; at home, don't brush hard.
Smooth natural leather	The ground of the bundițe, the bags and the belts. A surface with the grain left visible, good to the touch, but sensitive to scratches and water marks.	Wipe off dust with a soft, dry cloth. With liquids, blot at once, don't rub. Feed it rarely, with a neutral balm, in a thin layer. Keep belts rolled rather than folded in half. Recolouring and difficult stains are handled at the workshop.
Nubuck & suede	A velvety surface with a short nap. Warm and matte in look, but very sensitive to water, stains and rubbing; it soils easily.	Brush regularly, dry, with a suede brush to lift the nap and remove dust. Grease spots are treated with starch, then brushing. Keep away from water and rain. Don't wet it or rub it damp: the nap flattens and the surface takes on a shine that never comes out.
Velvet & wool cloth	The crown of a cap and the caps made in felted cloth. They are not fur and are not cared for like fur, but a moth eats wool just as happily.	Shake and brush lightly, dry, with a soft brush. Don't rub velvet with water and don't iron it directly. Store the piece clean, in a cloth bag, on a block or loosely stuffed. Stains go to the workshop, not into household detergent at home.

Further on

Care guide Unsure about terms? See the glossary

White lambskin, with the longer hair

A hide is read before it is cut

Two kinds of machine, for two kinds of material

The stiffening canvas and the lining

The wooden block

Long-curl lambskin

The skin the cușme and the fur-side-out cojoace are made from. The curl is dense and irregular, with pale and dark patches that come off the animal, not out of a dye bath.

Shake off snow and let the piece dry on its own, at room temperature. Untangle the curl gently with your fingers, never with a comb. Then brush with a soft brush, in the direction of the hair. Cleaning and glazing are done once a season, at the workshop, before the piece is put away.

Astrakhan-type curl

The tight, glossy curl used for a cap's band and for contrast panels. Compact and elegant, but the curl loses its shape if the hide dries out.

Keep away from damp and direct heat; dry by air only, never with a hairdryer. Wipe off dust with a soft cloth, dry, along the curl. Do not put creams or oils on the skin side: the hide of a fur is fed only at the workshop, with furrier's products.

Cojoc (lambskin with the wool on one side)

Sheep or lamb skin with the wool kept on one face and the leather finished on the other. Warm, rugged and natural, but it soaks up water and stains if left unprotected.

Brush the leather face, dry, with a soft brush to lift the nap. For grease spots, sprinkle starch, let it draw, then brush it off. Keep away from water and rain. Don't wash the piece or send it to an ordinary dry cleaner.

Thin-hide furs (vânat)

Fox, hare and mink fall, in workshop speech, under vânat, game: the hide is thin and the hair long, so they are sewn on a different machine from thick materials. Long hair flattens and tangles if the piece is crammed in.

It needs room, so don't cram it between clothes. Wide hanger, cloth garment bag, cool dry spot. Shake it gently to bring the volume back and detangle softly with your fingers. Workshop glazing restores the sheen; at home, don't brush hard.

Smooth natural leather

The ground of the bundițe, the bags and the belts. A surface with the grain left visible, good to the touch, but sensitive to scratches and water marks.

Wipe off dust with a soft, dry cloth. With liquids, blot at once, don't rub. Feed it rarely, with a neutral balm, in a thin layer. Keep belts rolled rather than folded in half. Recolouring and difficult stains are handled at the workshop.

Nubuck & suede

A velvety surface with a short nap. Warm and matte in look, but very sensitive to water, stains and rubbing; it soils easily.

Brush regularly, dry, with a suede brush to lift the nap and remove dust. Grease spots are treated with starch, then brushing. Keep away from water and rain. Don't wet it or rub it damp: the nap flattens and the surface takes on a shine that never comes out.

Velvet & wool cloth

The crown of a cap and the caps made in felted cloth. They are not fur and are not cared for like fur, but a moth eats wool just as happily.

Shake and brush lightly, dry, with a soft brush. Don't rub velvet with water and don't iron it directly. Store the piece clean, in a cloth bag, on a block or loosely stuffed. Stains go to the workshop, not into household detergent at home.