Judging Wool Quality

By Randy Kidd and D.V.M.
Published on March 1, 1983
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Illustration by Fotolia/puckillustrations
Wool quality is a function of fiber length, diameter, and density, which vary with the breed, size, and health of the sheep it comes from.

In the wild, members of the sheep family have two distinctly different coats: an outer one consisting of long, coarse hair (known as kemp) that protects the animal from the elements, and an undercoat (called wool) which is soft and curly and keeps the creature warm. Domestication and selective breeding have eliminated most of the long hairs (although a few breeds, such as the Scottish Blackface, still sport abundant kemp), and today’s sheep are covered almost exclusively with true wool. This remarkable natural fiber is distinguished by its fineness and scaly surface (which helps the strands hold together when spun or felted), its crimped or wavy appearance, its elasticity, its strength and durability, its effectiveness as an insulator, and its ability to absorb water and accept dyes.

In general, there are two wool classes: “apparel” and “carpet.” Fleece of the former type is finer and can be spun into a yarn suitable for clothing fabrics, while the latter is coarser and lends itself best to use in floor coverings or wall hangings.

Factors to Check Out

When you evaluate wool quality, there are several things to look for. The first and perhaps most important consideration is its weight.

This will depend upon the length, diameter, and density of the wool fibers, and these in turn vary with the breed, size, and health of the sheep. At the same time, the amount of extraneous material in the untreated fleece (which may account for half to three-quarters of its initial weight) must be determined.

Wool length can be anywhere from 1 to 20 inches. To check a fleece for length, gently part the fibers, hold them down smoothly with the flat of your hand, and measure from the skin out. Examine several areas, as the length varies on different parts of the animal’s body. The longest fibers are found in the britch (the area down the outside of the hind leg) … the next longest on the sheep’s side … and the shortest on the head.

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