Any way to thin out faux fur?

Rayne MasonRayne Mason ✭
in Costumes & Cosplay
Hello all!
I'm wondering if there's some way to thin faux fur so that it doesn't stand up/fluff out so much, either by shaving in some way or when removing the backing. The hair is a fairly good length in general for what I'm doing, so I'd rather not shorten the ends/guard hairs too much, but I believe that the fur has a sort of undercoat that is making it look too fluffy for what I have intended. That's the only issue with the fur though. The colour and basic style of the fur is perfect, and I'd rather not give up on it, nothing else I've found is even close to what I'm looking for! Is there any way to just remove the fluffy undercoat?
I'll also be experimenting with simply styling the hair with water and flattening it out/crushing it to get the look I need, so it's not so fluffy and standing up the way it does. But that will be only if I can't find a way to thin it out.
If I do find a solution, I'll be sure to post it here in case anyone else has the same issue!
Thanks in advance!

-Rayne "McKinley" Mason

PS: If needed, I can post pictures of the fur in question and the look of the creature I'm trying to achieve, though I assume the question is fairly straight forward. But if it's necessary, it's necessary!

Best Answers

  • Rayne MasonRayne Mason ✭
    Answer ✓
    @Chris Ellerby
    Thanks for the input, right after I posted this I did some experiments.

    I needed a new razor anyway, so I purchased a kit off Amazon that came with a "thinning" guard, which I've never actually seen for a razor (maybe I'm just oblivious, I'm not sure!), along with 3 different built-in length settings and a number of other guards. I posted some of my results (the cardboard head is just a prototype, I promise I don't really make costumes out of cardboard!).

    This is what the fur looks like without any work done:


    Now this is what it looks like razored down on the shortest setting, with no guard on the razor:


    And this third picture shows a mix of cutting with the thinning guard and two different length settings on the razor itself. The left side of the piece is the thinning guard with the shortest cutting setting on the razor. The right side is the thinning guard with the LONGEST cutting setting, which cut away a lot of excess fur, but left a lot of the general length and guard hairs, just what I needed!

    The pictures don't really do the work justice, I know. Looking back on them, you can't really see the difference between the first and last examples. But in person, I can assure that it worked like a charm! When the fur is moved, it is much less poofy/doesn't stand up as much when the thinning guard/cut setting combo is used. So all in all, problem solved, and I hope this helps anyone else with the same issue!

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