The Combing Process
Discover the journey of raw materials from greasy to refined fibers ready for spinning into the highest-quality yarns.
The Journey of Animal Fibers
The journey from greasy wool to garment is a labor-intensive, multi-step process that requires skills, patience, and care.
Each step, from shearing to manufacturing, plays a crucial role in shaping the final product, ensuring that wool and other animal fibers retain their natural qualities while being transformed into luxurious textiles.
Whether you’re wearing a fine merino wool sweater or enjoying the comfort of a cashmere blanket, you are experiencing the result of an intricate, timeless process that has been perfected over centuries.
Shearing
The story of wool begins long before it becomes the soft, luxurious fabric we see in high-end textiles.
It all starts on the sheep, goat, alpaca, or vicuña, where the fibers are naturally grown to protect the animals from the harsh elements.
These fibers are often greasy, coated in lanolin, which helps waterproof the animal’s coat and provides insulation.
The first step of the journey is the shearing.
Typically once a year, the wool is carefully shorn and then classed by professionals, typically in the spring when the animals are ready to shed their winter coats.
The wool at this point is raw and carrying its natural oil, dirt, and other debris from the animal’s environment.
This is known as greasy wool
testing
The next critical step is to rigorously test the greasy wool to certify its quality. Specialized testing authorities in each producing country provide reliable, objective data about each bale of wool.
Samples are extracted from the bales by such authorities and sent to accredited laboratories, where they undergo an array of tests (micron, strength, length) as well as yield measuring how much wool remains after grease and vegetable matter are removed through scouring.
Results are compiled into detailed reports or certificates, which accompany the wool to auction houses or private sales. The resulting certificates act as passports for wool, offering transparency and confidence to buyers worldwide.
Authorities and their accredited tests help preserve wool’s reputation as one of the world’s most versatile and sustainable fiber.
This blend of tradition and technology ensures that whether destined for fine suiting or cozy knitwear, wool delivers exceptional quality every step of the way.
Exporting
The sale of wool is deeply rooted in a tradition of auctions, which have evolved into highly organized and efficient systems.
Wool auctions bring together growers, brokers, and buyers in a transparent marketplace where quality is assessed, and competitive bidding sets the price.
Each lot of wool is meticulously graded and classified to match industry standards, providing buyers with a clear understanding of the product they are acquiring.
Major wool-producing countries like Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa have well-established auction systems that cater to the global market.
The export process is facilitated by a combination of advanced logistics and rigorous quality assurance. This ensures that wool retains its natural properties during transit and reaches its destination in optimal condition.
Scouring
After shearing, the wool is taken to a scouring facility, where it undergoes a thorough cleaning process.
Scouring involves washing the greasy wool in hot water with mild detergents and soap.
The aim is to remove the wool grease, dirt, and any other impurities.
Lanolin, which is obtained by refining the wool grease, is a natural, waxy substance that mimics the skin’s own oil and used for a variety of applications (mainly in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and aquaculture feeds), primarily due to its excellent moisturizing, nutritive and emollient properties.
Once washed, the wool is dried, revealing its clean, raw fiber ready for further processing.
Carding & Combing
Now that the wool is clean, it’s time to prepare it for topmaking.
The wool undergoes carding, a process that disentangles the fibers, removes most of the vegetable matter, then aligns the fibers. During carding, the wool is passed through machines that separate the fibers, turning them into a fluffy, web-like form called carded sliver (the resulting by-product are the burrs)
Combing is a more precise process that aligns the longer fibers in a parallel direction, removing any short fibers and the residual vegetable matter (the resulting by-product are the noils).
This creates a smooth, uniform sliver known as wool top.
Wool tops are crucial in the production of worsted yarns, which are stronger and smoother, ideal for fine fabrics destined for suits and tailored garments.