GB/T 14789-2017Raw mink skins (English PDF)

2.1 The skin in season

A skin taken from an animal slaughtered during the maturity period.

Note: generally produced from the second half of November to mid-December.

2.2 Form whole of skin

A cased skin mounted on a standard drying board according to the uniformly specified skin form, with head, ears, nose, tail and claws all complete.

2.3 Form unusual of skin

A skin not mounted on a standard drying board or not mounted according to the uniformly specified skin form, or whose head, ears, nose, tail or claws are not complete.

2.4 Cut open

A skin that has not been peeled as a cased skin according to the standard, but has been peeled open flat and dried.

2.5 Irregular crotching

A skin whose rear crotch has not been cut open along the crotch line (the boundary between long and short hair on the inner side of the thighs).

2.6 Bald crotch

No guard hairs at the crotch.

2.7 Nice hide

A leather side that is soft and tough, highly elastic, lustrous and well oiled.

2.8 Stretched

The skin forcibly enlarged when mounted on the drying board, so that the fur becomes sparse.

2.9 Color type

The category into which a skin is classified according to the basic colour of its fur.

Note: the colour types of domestically produced mink skins mainly include standard, yellow, blue, grey, white and mixed colours.

2.10 Clear color

Fur colour conforming to the characteristics of the colour type.

2.11 Mixed color

A skin in which two colour types are mixed, except for special types (such as cross mink).

2.12 White spot hair

Small areas of white guard hairs and underfur in the fur.

2.13 Cotton

Greyish white or white underfur in a standard-colour mink skin.

2.14 Matted hair

Guard hairs and underfur tangled together into tufts or felt.

2.15 Hair top crooked

Guard hair tips that are bent.

2.16 Hair slip

Guard hairs shed from the fur, with the underfur lifting.

2.17 Thin hair

Fur that is markedly sparse.

3.1 Length sizes

The length sizes shall comply with Table 1.

Table 1 - Length sizes (size number: length L, in centimetres):

Size 40: L > 95.

Size 30: 89 < L <= 95.

Size 20: 83 < L <= 89.

Size 0: 77 < L <= 83.

Size 1: 71 < L <= 77.

Size 2: 65 < L <= 71.

Size 3: 59 < L <= 65.

Size 4: 53 < L <= 59.

Size 5: 47 < L <= 53.

Size 6: L <= 47.

3.2 Grading

The grading shall comply with Table 2.

Table 2 - Grading:

Special grade: skin in season, form whole of skin, clean, nice hide; guard hairs and underfur basically even and lively; clear, bright colour, basically uniform between back and belly; complete guard hairs, basically even density, suitable length ratio of guard hairs to underfur; no defects.

Grade 1: skin in season, form of skin basically whole, clean; quality and structure of the guard hairs and underfur and quality of the leather side slightly inferior to the requirements for a grade 1 skin (as printed).

Grade 2: having special grade or grade 1 skin quality together with one of the following:

- form unusual of skin;

- over-stretched in processing;

- bites, rubbing, small scars, holes or white spot hair concentrated in one place, with an area not exceeding 2 cm2;

- tears in the body of the skin with a total length not exceeding 2 cm;

- well-preserved old (stale) skin.

Grade 3: not meeting the requirements of grade 1 or grade 2, or having one of the following:

- slightly crooked hair tops;

- thin hair;

- coloured mink skins without the characteristics of a colour type, and mixed-colour skins.

Note: the following are not regarded as defects for grades 1, 2 and 3:

a) missing tail not exceeding 50% of the whole tail;

b) a vertical white line along the middle of the belly, not exceeding 0.5 cm in width;

c) bald crotch on male skins, with an area not exceeding 5 cm2;

d) a small number of scattered white guard hairs on the body of the skin;

e) slight grey pigmentation of the leather side at the tail and claws;

f) a white patch on the lower jaw with an area not exceeding 5 cm2;

g) slight summer hair at the edges of the ears, eyes and nose.

3.3 Quality price ratios

3.3.1 Grade price ratio: special grade 100%, grade 1 85%, grade 2 75%, grade 3 60% and below.

3.3.2 Male/female price ratio: male skins 100%, female skins 70%.

3.3.3 Fur colour price ratio:

- fur colour price ratio of standard mink skins: below brown 95%, brown 100%, above brown 105%;

- coloured mink skins: in accordance with Table 3.

Table 3 - Fur colour price ratio of coloured mink skins (yellow group; blue group; grey group; white group; price ratio):

Cream yellow; sky blue; true grey; snow white; 105%.

Earth yellow; light blue; grey; silver white; 100%.

Greyish yellow; silver blue; light grey; yellowish white; 95%.

Note 1: Cross mink skins belong to the white group.

Note 2: Coloured mink skins without the characteristics of a colour type and mixed-colour mink skins are rated at 95%.

4.1 Equipment

4.1.1 Inspection room: a clean room not affected by direct natural light.

4.1.2 Inspection table: of suitable length, width and height, with a flat, light-coloured top.

4.1.3 Tools: tape measure or straight rule, with a minimum graduation of 1 mm.

4.1.4 Lighting: a set of four 40 W daylight fluorescent tubes, or two 80 W daylight fluorescent tubes, mounted parallel to the table top, with a distance of 70 cm between the light source and the surface of the inspection table.

4.2 Identification of male and female skins

Hold the nose with one hand and the buttocks with the other, visually assess the skin form and fur characteristics, and at the same time feel the traces of the genitals on the lower belly between the two legs, to distinguish male from female skins.

4.3 Fur colour identification of standard mink skins

4.3.1 Select a brown standard colour sample.

4.3.2 For each skin in turn, open the fur by the shaking method described in 4.5 b), compare it with the colour sample, and sort the skins into three classes: brown, above brown and below brown.

4.4 Sorting

Sorting is carried out as follows:

a) separate standard-colour mink skins from coloured mink skins;

b) separate coloured mink skins by colour type;

c) separate the mink skins of each colour type by sex;

d) on the basis of the above colour sorting, separate by length size (size number) and grade;

e) separate standard-colour mink skins according to the price-ratio colour samples.

4.5 Grading

The method of "first feel, second shake, third look" is used, with a comprehensive assessment based on the quality of the fur, the colour of the leather side and the extent of defects:

a) hold the head of the mink skin with one hand and stroke the other hand from the neck to the base of the tail, to feel the fur density, the elasticity of the guard hairs and the condition of the leather side;

b) hold the mink skin in the hand, or press it on the inspection table, and shake it naturally with the other hand so that the fur returns to its natural state; visually assess the maturity of the fur over the whole body, including fur density, ratio of guard hairs to underfur, covering power of the guard hairs over the underfur, lustre, crossed hair, and whether the guard hairs and underfur are even and lively;

c) examine the edges of the mouth, eyes and ears, the extent of the moult of summer hair and the colour of the leather side of the head, to determine the season in which the skin was taken;

d) turn the skin over, visually assess the development of the fur on the belly, compare the back and belly fur for differences, and note the number and location of defects;

e) stroke by hand or part local areas of fur with the fingers (blowing on it if necessary) to check the extent of defects such as damaged guard hairs, cotton, matted hair, small holes and small areas of hair loss;

f) pull the two hind legs outwards with both hands and visually assess, on the exposed leather side, the depth of pigmentation, the processing of the leather side, and the presence of mould or insect damage.

4.6 Length measurement

Length is measured as follows:

a) lay the skin flat on the inspection table, measure the length from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail, and determine the size class;

b) for mink skins with irregular crotching, measure the length as the perpendicular distance from the tip of the nose to the nearest point of the buttocks.

6.1 Packaging

The inner and outer packaging of products shall use suitable packaging materials to prevent damage to the products.

6.2 Transport and storage

Transport and storage shall:

- use a dedicated warehouse, with the temperature controlled at 5 °C to 10 °C and relative humidity below 65%;

- protect from sun exposure, rain and snow;

- keep ventilated and dry, protect against moths, damp and mould, and avoid high-temperature environments;

- avoid erosion by chemicals.