Puppet Skin History

All the information that follows has been passed down from world of mouth... Puppet mouthes.  To to best of our knowledge it is correct, but if you have anecdotes or different experiences with puppet skin that doesn't align to the following, please let us know. We are just going off of our own experiences and what has been told to us. 

 

 

Antron Fleece
1970s – 2006

 

"Antron Fleece" is a term that has clung to "puppet skin" for decades, but it actually has been out of production since about 2006. When the Antron company was sold, they stopped production of the fleece and the fibers were discontinued. You can still see it on old puppets, but it is not available for sale currently.

+ It was super durable because it was made from carpet fibers

+ Thick and dense pile that was able to be trimmed with clippers

+ Sparkly fibers which made it perfect for television puppets

+ Knit backing had a slight two-way stretch

Malden Mills Fleece
1970s – 1995


Malden Mills fleece was custom manufactured to make the licensed Fisher Price Kermit the Frog puppets and dolls starting in 1978. Jim Henson's Muppet workshop started making the TV and film-used Kermit puppets from this same fabric used for the toys. The mill burnt down in 1995 and production of the fabric stopped. 

+ Originally was a polyester fleece

+ Fleece was knitted with dyed yarn (not dyed after the fact) and select colors were available

+ Pile was short and dense

12oz. Nylon Fleece
2006 – 2018

With the unavailability of Antron Fleece, a 12oz. Nylon Fleece hit the market. It was manufactured by Hampshire Textiles and soon became a great replacement for Antron. Once again, it was discontinued however when the fibers became unavailable.

+ Wonderfully soft

+ Had a slight sparkle in the light

+ Stretchy

14oz. Nylon Fleece
2018 – 2019

When Larry Guild, the owner of Hampshire Textiles retired in 2018, the business was sold to Georgia Stage. With this transfer, and the unavailability of the 12oz Nylon Fleece fiber, a new fleece was manufactured. It was denser in weight and referred to as 14oz Nylon Fleece.

+ Super stretchy

+ Matte finish (not shiny)

+ Even texture 

Nylafleece™
2019 – Current

 In 2019, the 14oz Nylon Fleece finally received a new name and trademark. The new name makes it much easier to distinguish the fleece from its predecessors and still has all the characteristics as the 14oz Nylon Fleece.

+ Super stretchy

+ Matte finish (not shiny)

+ Even texture

+ Made in the USA

Fuzzelle™
2020 – Current

After exhausting options to resurrect the original Antron Fleece, we opted to focus on the Malden Mills fleece. Fuzzelle is as close as we can get to that retro puppet feel with one major upgrade. We made it out of Nylon so it is easily dyed.

+ Somewhat stretchy

+ Wiry, rough texture

+ Durable

+ Made in the USA