# What part of the mink do they get mink oil from?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-the-mink-do-they-get-mink-oil-from/152854
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 5, 2003, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-the-mink-do-they-get-mink-oil-from/152854 "2003-02-05T02:54:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Hermann\_Cheruscan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermann_Cheruscan)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2003, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-the-mink-do-they-get-mink-oil-from/152854/1 "2003-02-05T02:54:10Z")
Do they harvest mink oil from the minks fur, or do they get the oil from when they kill the mink for its fur and rend the fat?
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### Author:  [@Scruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruff)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-the-mink-do-they-get-mink-oil-from/152854/2 "2003-02-05T02:58:43Z")
Very small milkmaids???
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-the-mink-do-they-get-mink-oil-from/152854/3 "2003-02-05T03:35:34Z")
The mink oil is the fat under the skin.
The girls who skinned the mink for their pelts had the softest hands around, and were quite popular!
QtM
whose cousin runs a mink ranch a half mile south of my home! When the wind is right, it is memorable!!
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### Author:  [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-the-mink-do-they-get-mink-oil-from/152854/4 "2003-02-05T03:39:34Z")
The mink has a gland that produces the oil. Therefore the oil comes from that gland. Much like if you want to collect the stink from skunks, you’d collect it from the gland in their tail.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_Pebs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Pebs)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2003, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-the-mink-do-they-get-mink-oil-from/152854/5 "2003-02-05T03:56:40Z")
I always thought they just put them in a big press, like olives. 😃
Pebs
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-the-mink-do-they-get-mink-oil-from/152854/6 "2003-02-05T04:14:41Z")
Here’s how it happens!
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### Author:  [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2003, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-the-mink-do-they-get-mink-oil-from/152854/7 "2003-02-05T04:15:47Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \*
> The mink oil is the fat under the skin.
>
> The girls who skinned the mink for their pelts had the softest hands around, and were quite popular!
>
> QtM
> whose cousin runs a mink ranch a half mile south of my home! When the wind is right, it is memorable!!
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by kniz \*
> The mink has a gland that produces the oil. Therefore the oil comes from that gland. Much like if you want to collect the stink from skunks, you’d collect it from the gland in their tail.
Since subcutaneous fat doesn’t come from a gland, could one of you provide a cite to back up your answer?
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2003, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-the-mink-do-they-get-mink-oil-from/152854/8 "2003-02-05T04:28:08Z")
QtM is correct.
[Mink Oil](http://www.americanlegend.com/alcfacts.html)
> [@](#):
>
> Beautiful, warm, durable fur is just one of the byproducts of fur farming. After fur pelts are harvested, carcasses are processed to become protein meal, a basic ingredient in pet and animal feeds. In mink, the layer of fat between the pelt and the carcass produces mink oil, an important ingredient in hypoallergenic soaps, cosmetics and hair care products. Mink oil is also used as a lubricant for fine leathers to keep them soft and supple. Nutrient rich manure from fur farms, an environmentally preferable alternative to chemicals, is in heavy demand as a natural fertilizer for crop fields.
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### Author:  [@Stan\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Doubt)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2003, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-the-mink-do-they-get-mink-oil-from/152854/9 "2003-02-05T04:35:59Z")
a mink is a Mustelid, like weasels, ferrets, and otters. It has large scent glands located near it’s anus. These don’t produce “mink oil”, to my knowledge.
I’d imagine that just about any lipid you could extract or purify from a mink could be sold as “mink oil”.
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### Author:  [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2003, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-the-mink-do-they-get-mink-oil-from/152854/10 "2003-02-05T04:38:36Z")
**Qadgop the Mercotan** didn’t say it came from a gland.
😃 [sup]And I’ll get back with you.[/sup]
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### Author:  [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-the-mink-do-they-get-mink-oil-from/152854/11 "2003-02-05T04:43:29Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by kniz \*
> \*\ ***Qadgop the Mercotan** didn’t say it came from a gland. \*\*
Did anyone claim he did?