Don't get me wrong, I have absolutely nothing against IKEA or Kwantum. In fact, I can be found there regularly. The design of the home accessories is always according to the latest trends and above all, it is affordable. So you can also go to IKEA or Kwantum to buy a cheap sheepskin.
But what is the difference between a Skéépe sheepskin and a Kwantum or IKEA sheepskin?
To clear up the first misunderstanding;
most IKEA and Kwantum sheepskins are not imitation sheepskins. If it says that they are made of 100% wool and 100% leather, then they are simply sheepskins that really come from a sheep. The difference is mainly in the price, origin, treatment, production and size.
Price, Where to buy a cheap sheepskin
The sheepskins from IKEA and Kwantum are cheaper than at our place. At first glance, it seems like a big difference but when you consider that the biggest sheepskin from IKEA or Kwantum is as big as our lambskin, it's actually not so bad. But fair is fair, they are cheaper.
Origin; our sheepskins really come from Texel. Where does a sheepskin from IKEA or Kwantum actually come from?
Well I would like to know that too! There is no way to find out. If I had to make a guess, then these sheepskins come from China, because they are offered there in larger numbers. There is no mention of what breed of sheep it is or where and especially HOW the sheep lived. Pretty important right!
Treatment; How are sheepskins tanned and how do they get so white?
Sheepskins need to be tanned to make them beautiful and usable again. Our furs are tanned ecologically at different tanneries within the EU. We do this, to keep that process as sustainable as possible. By natural tanning, the wool also retains its own, sometimes slightly yellowish color. This is the color the sheep has had and is therefore unique to each sheepskin.
Unfortunately, the sheepskins from IKEA or Kwantum do not state where this is done and therefore it is not possible to find out how this is done. What is noticeable is that the white sheepskins are very white and all have the same color. To achieve this, sheepskins are sometimes bleached, which is a chemical process and can cause skin irritation. Now I think it is a bit unfair to say that this is what happened with the sheepskins from IKEA and Kwantum, but because it is not clear how the skins were treated, it could just be.
Production; At Skéépe every sheepskin is unique.
What I personally love about our sheepskins when they come back from the tannery is that no two are alike. They come in all sorts of colors and the natural sheepskins sometimes have a cheerful dot here and there. The sheepskins from Kwantum and IKEA are all the same. They have the same color, are exactly the same size and all have exactly the same shape. This is of course because these companies have to deliver the same quality but as far as I'm concerned there is little natural about it....
We ourselves try to be as frugal as possible with our sheepskins. The skins are cut as sparingly as possible. The sheepskins that no longer have the color of the cover block are dyed in a trendy color so they can still be used in a colored interior. From the sheepskins that are too small or not flawless, we make beautiful sheepskin products and care aids products.
The size; a small or big sheepskin, it doesn't matter to us!
Skéépe's sheepskins start with the lambskins, these are about 100cm. long and 60cm. wide. If you want to buy a large sheepskin, you'll end up with the supersize and this is larger than 125cm.
The sheepskins from IKEA and Kwantum are all cut in the same shape and size and are all smaller than 90cm. So if you're looking for a large sheepskin, unfortunately you won't be able to find one there.
So all in all, a personal consideration. If you are looking for a smaller, cheap sheepskin with a standard size, shape and color, IKEA or Kwantum will be just fine. If you are looking for a natural product where you know where and how the sheep has lived and you are looking for something unique in many different colors, sizes and shapes, we hope to see you back in our webshop!
See you soon!
Sanne
