Prized for their warmth, luxurious  texture, and  the  longevity of fur as a material, furs have played a large role  in clothing people since the beginning of  human  history.  For everyday use or costume and decoration, furs  have been used for the  production of outterware such as  coats and cape, garment and shoe lining, a variety of head  coverings, and ornamental trim and trappings.  

European and Asian trade in felts and fur stretched back  centuries, if not millennium.  Depending on the supply of  animals, Russian, Northern Scandinavia, and Central Asia  were the major supplies of this trade through the 15^th century. Furs were supplied to the Mediterranean and Middle East through Constantinople.  This trade can be traced back to the Classical Greek and Roman periods, and through to the modern era.  In the ninth and tenth centuries, Scandinavian and Viking Rus traders traded to Northern and central Europe a variety of furs including: marten, reindeer, bear, otter, sable, ermine, black and white fox, and beaver.^[1]  There was a substantial population of the European Beaver throughout northern Europe and Siberia, until they became severely depleted in the 17^th century due to over-hunting.  (photo courtesy of http://abob.libs.uga.edu/book/beavlink.html)

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This beaver that thinks you need to get your mind out of the gutter. PERVERT!

From fur pelts three primary materials used in clothing production can be derived:  the full pelt (fur and skin), leather or suede (the skin with all fur removed, and felts (removing the fur  from the pelt, and processing it with heat and pressure to  form a piece of pliable material). 

Due to the strength and  malleable quality of felts, they were used extensively in hat making.  The physical structure of beaver fur predisposes it to the felting process, making it a highly desirable fur for felt production.  (photo of beaver fur hat courtesy of www.chichensterinc.com/FurHats.htm)