This is a technique I utilize a lot when I know I need many pattern pieces to be the same length of fur, but I only can get long fur from a manufacturer! Its really quite common to pre-shave fur for use on a fursuit or a plush project if you know it will need to be short.
Note: Even if you pre-shave, It is also typical to perform a final touch-up shave, it can be done once the piece is assembled as a finishing touch, so if you are new to this technique, don’t go too short with your pre-shave so you can still do this step!
Frequent Questions about Shaving Fur
Before I show the techniques, I will answer a few frequent questions that come up quite often:
I use and prefer Andis brand, corded, pet clippers.
I use pet clippers over ones designed for human hair because pet clippers are designed to better handle the difference in several types & thicknesses of hair/fur better than human clippers that only have to deal with one type of hair that never has an undercoat. Faux fur has as much variety in thickness as pet fur does.
If you are making just 1 project, this distinction is less important, and you can use what you have on hand or what is inexpensive for you to acquire. BUT if you plan to make many faux fur projects that require shaving this becomes important in the long run and can be worth the investment.
I primarily use 2 blade sizes: 10 and 7FC and I keep guards that snap onto the #10 blade to blend lengths. Some pet clippers have a convenient lever to switch between trim length, so guards aren’t as important if you have that feature.
Guards can leave “rows” behind, which is fine for pre-shaving, but practicing the touch-up shave so you are not using a guard for that step will look the best.
The words “shaver” or “clippers” are used interchangeably quite often when describing the tool used to perform this task. Sometimes you will also see the word “trimmers” used.
Keep a vacuum handy, you’ll need it!
Personal protection and awareness help a lot when shaving faux fur. It is smart to remove pets from the room while shaving, and don’t let them in until after you vacuum.
Wear a particle mask or a bandanna over your face so you do not breathe in particles. This process generates a lot of tiny plastic pieces that can make mucous form if breathed in.
When shaking out fur or shaved WIPs (often a part of the process), do so in a controlled way with your vacuum hose nearby to avoid getting it everywhere and breathing it in.
Start by tracing the pattern pieces onto your piece of fur and broadly cutting it out.
Make sure there is a bit of a margin all the way around the outlying edges. Avoid cutting your pieces out exactly at this stage. Keep it a simple shape so your clippers don’t snag thin pieces. The margin helps ensure your shaving itself is even all over what will be your pattern pieces, since at the very edges of the cut out shape it is difficult to keep that part evenly trimmed.
Before you begin shaving, test your clippers on a scrap to make sure you have the right blade length snapped in, or the right guard length installed for the fur length you desire.
If your clippers are struggling to trim the fur and it is looking ragged or frizzy during any step, your clipper blades are dull and you need to replace them or get them sharpened by a professional.
The blade length I use to demonstrate in this guide is a 10 blade with a 3/8 guard. I will later touch up my shaving in a separate finishing step, using a 7FC blade with no guard, once the pattern pieces are sewn and installed on my project. It will become clear once your project is all together so planning for that touch-up step will let you have a little more leeway on what might need touched up!
My goal was to match the length of this piece of blue fur, so I checked that by using the blue fur as the scrap to test on. If the clippers are able to run over the top of it by only trimming the very tips of it, you have the correct length for the pattern pieces you will be trimming.
My first attempt on the scrap was too short, so there is a small chunk taken out of it. My next test was the correct length.
Pre-shaving your Faux Fur
With the fur direction going away from you, trim the fur in vertical rows pushing the clippers away from your body to mow the fur. Hold the clippers stable with the flat bottom of the clippers flat with the fur’s backing. Avoid tilting the blades too extremely during this process.
Depending on the size of the piece you are trimming, clean your blade between each step with a paintbrush or similar stiff bristled brush to keep loose fur clear of the cutting mechanism. If you need to oil your blades in the middle of these steps, be sure to wipe any excess oil off with a soft cloth. Be cautious if your blades are heating up as well, it can reduce cutting performance.
Next trim the fur in rows going in a diagonal direction.
Trim it again in vertical rows. You should start seeing the clippers trim less fur with each pass, and see your results at this point: shorter fur pile! If not, fluff up your piece of fabric and repeat the process again, vertical, diagonal, opposite diagonal, vertical. Some very thick fur fabrics need several passes, others do just fine on the first pass.
I do not tend to go against the fur grain when pre-shaving. Unless your goal is extremely short fur to start with. If you are not able to manage short enough fur by this process going against the grain can push the fibers even shorter, and can be worth a shot. I do not often need such short fur for a pre-shave, and prefer to leave the fur a little longer than what will be my finished length since it is desirable to blend the fur via a final shave, as a step done on the finished product after assembly.
The finished pre-shaved result! Now you can cut out your pattern pieces and sew them together like normal, as if you had short fur all along!
I hope this helps make your projects easier to sew together, sometimes planning short fur areas on paws and faces and toes can make assembly much more efficient and less of a time investment in the end.
Happy crafting! Don’t forget to vacuum!
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