Sheepskin is used to produce sheepskin leather products and soft wool-lined clothing or coverings, including diplomas, gloves, hats, footstools, automotive seat covers, baby and invalid rugs and pelts.
There is a wide range of products to be found made out of sheepskin Such products include car seat covers, accessories, bike seat covers, medical products such as specialist rugs, wheelchair accessories and jackets. Sheepskin is popular for footwear products. The fleece of sheepskin has excellent insulating properties and it is also resistant to flame and static electricity. Wool is considered by the medical profession to be hypoallergenic.
The quality of the skin used in each application depends on several factors, mostly whether the pelt, which is the back of the hide, will be visible or not. Where the pelt is visible, better quality hide with minimal seed will be used.
Skins are classed, packed and sold in standardized wool lengths:
- Bares (newly shorn)
- 1/8″–1/4″ (3 mm–7 mm)
- 1/4″–1/2″ (7 mm–13 mm)
- 1/2″–1″ (13 mm–26 mm)
- 1″–2″ (26 mm 55 mm)
- 2″–4″ (55 mm–110 mm) (Full wools)
