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1. What is the Company's structure?
Auskin is headquartered in Australia, has manufacturing facilities in China and sales/warehouses in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, USA, Japan and China. Three college friends from Northern China established the Company in the 1990's after establishing strong relationships with the New Zealand tanning industry and continue to own and run the Company to this day.
2. How many employees does the company employ?
Auskin currently employ between 400 and 500 people, most of who work at our tannery in Xuanhua.
3. Where do our sheepskins come from?
Most of our sheepskins are sourced from New Zealand and Australia. They are bi products of the production of meat and no animals are killed specifically for the skins. In tanning these skins, we make use of a natural resource that, if properly cared for, will last for a lifetime.
4. Which breeds are mainly sourced?
We source most of our skins from Australia and New Zealand. The base genetics of the Australian sheep flock is Merinos which have been raised in large numbers in Australia for the production of fine wool. Most of the skins we purchase are merino 1st or 2nd cross sheep. These have a mix of Merino and other breeds that have been introduced to produce meat. The Zealand sheep flock is made up of quite a mixture of breeds designed to produce both wool and meat, with Romney being the pre dominant strain. Sheepskin tanners source skins by specifying the fineness and style of wool that are needed for the specific varieties of sheepskin products that they produce, rather than specifying particular breeds.
5. How are sheepskins tanned?
Tanning has been practiced for thousands of years. It is a process whereby a skin or hide is immersed in a variety of substances which bond to the collagen proteins of which the skin is made up. This 'tanned' skin will no longer be subject to decay and is described as leather. With sheepskins, the natural wool fleece is retained and is permanently fixed to the leather during the tanning process.
6. Do Auskin sheepskins contain harmful chemicals?
Our sheepskins are regularly tested to ensure that they do not contain harmful chemicals. Chemical standards do vary in different regions of the world and so we suggest that you contact your nearest Auskin sales office to obtain copies of our latest test results. Results cover such issues as pesticides, heavy metals and formaldehyde.
7. What dyes are used to colour the sheepskins?
We use a variety of dyeing systems depending on the end use of the sheepskin. None of our dyeing methods use AZO dyes and we are compliant with EU Reach regulations. Please contact your nearest Auskin sales office for our latest test results.
8. How durable is my sheepskin?
Our sheepskins will last a lifetime if they are cared for properly and used according to the purpose for which they are produced. Sheepskin rugs are designed to be used on the floor or the couch, but shorter wool clipped rugs and those made from stronger wool types will withstand more wear than longer wool unclipped rugs or finer wools. Regular vacuuming or shaking will keep your rug free of dust. Unclipped long wool rugs benefit from brushing with a wire pet brush. Small spills can be sponged off with water. Refer to our Care & Storage section for more specific care information.
9. Will my sheepskin rug fade in sunlight?
Like all natural materials, sheepskin rugs will change colour if placed in direct sunlight. Sheepskins are difficult to dye and, as with other natural fibres, do not have the degree of colour fastness of some synthetic products.
10. How do I care for my sheepskin?
See the Care & Storage section.
11. What is the difference between a woven wool rug and a sheepskin rug?
Wool rugs are made from stronger carpet wool fibres which are woven or injected into a backing material. They use wool types that are strong and suitable for walking on and intricate patterns can be achieved in the weaving process. Sheepskin rugs are the tanned skins of sheep. The wool fibres are left embedded into the skin in their natural state and these are permanently fixed during the tanning process. Generally sheepskin rugs are made from skins with finer and softer wools than those used in woven rugs. They are softer to the touch and have wool fibres that are more akin to those used in a woollen throw or garment, than the stronger and harsher wools used in woven floor rugs. Patterns in sheepskin rugs are achieved by piecing together portions of different sheepskin rugs that have been dyed different colours.
12. Why are the white coloured sheepskin rugs more yellow?
We do not produce pure white sheepskins. We try to retain the naturalness of our rugs and work to achieve a more natural ivory shade with a creamy yellow hue. This creamy hue is the natural colour of a sheepskin rug. This yellow is covered when sheepskins are dyed darker shades.
13. Are sheepskins bleached?
Natural Ivory coloured long wool rugs are not bleached in the way that fabrics are bleached to achieve a white colour, although our tanning process does have a whitening effect on the wool fibres.
14. Will I have problems with animal rights activists when I am buying your sheepskin products?
It really depends on the position being taken by particular activists. Our sheepskins are produced as a bi product of meat production and no sheep are killed for the skins. This is quite different to the situation with furs, where animals are farmed for the purpose of producing fur garments. However some people object to the use of any animal product, be it for meat, fibres, skins or milk. A sheepskin will not be acceptable to those who hold such views.
15. Can I use long wool sheepskin rugs for my baby?
We recommend that only our Infant Care rugs are used for babies. These are selected to ensure that there is no loose wool or material that could be dangerous if swallowed by a baby and are tanned so that they can be washed more frequently. Many long wool rugs have wool fibres that are too long for use with babies. It is important that consumers follow the advice of their local child care professionals when choosing bedding or comforters for their babies. This advice will vary from country to country.
16. What is the difference between a sheepskin rug and a lambskin rug?
A lambskin rug is from a sheep that is less than 12 months old and has not developed incisor teeth. The wool has generally not been shorn by the farmer and still has the original soft wool tip (this is often referred to as baby wool). Sheepskins are from sheep that are older than 12 months and have developed incisor teeth. The two terms are used interchangeably in common use.
17. Why are there bare patches without wool on the edge of my sheepskin rug?
These are areas on the skin that naturally do not have wool on them. We reduce these areas when we finally trim our skins but do not entirely remove them as they are part of what makes each sheepskin a unique natural product. |
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