Hello,
in 2003 i bought the TechTop Zip Shirt from Icebreaker, made from Merino Wool. I was so happy with that top, that i bought 2 additional (different) shirts this year.
After wearing them a few days, i recognized that both shirts are pilling much more than the 2003 model. I heard (and read on the label) that they are now produced in China.
My question: Is it at the moment hard to get good quality of Merino Wool?
Any feedback is appreciated very much. Thank you!
John
I've seen *lots* more merino wool recently (in the past few years) -- I doubt good quality flocks have been built as rapidly as the demand. Australia, one of the largest producers of merino sheep, has also been in a drought, which limits the growth of flocks.
You see the same thing when other natural fibers suddenly become popular. Linen went nuts in the 80's, and suddenly most of the linen shirts you found had prickly ol' tow in them. Silk? A whole lot of duppioni and noil being woven.
This is probably especially true when manufacturers are shooting for a price point instead of a quality level.
Or at least, that's my view from the sidelines.
Kay
Kay Lancaster wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@hub.fern.com:
not only that, but the drought can also affect the wool fiber, making it more prone to breakage. wool gets 'thin' in areas when the sheep are stressed (poor nutrition, prgnancy stress, heat stress, etc). the thin areas are prone to break, which causes short bits of fiber, which pill easily.
i think this is more the issue here than the drought or popularity of merino (since i just received 200 oz. of Aussie merino to spin & it is wonderfully fine & strong). just because the wool came off a merino sheep doesn't mean it's not off cuts (cut twice, causing short fibers) or from less desirable parts of the fleece, like leg or belly cuts. even the crap fleece tags can be called merino if they come from a merino sheep. it doesn't make them any better or nicer to use. lee
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