Saturday, November 3, 2018

What Mohair Locks Are Used For

By George Jones


Mohair is a type of fiber that is produced by a special breed of goat referred to as the Angora goat. It is important not to confuse Angora goats with Angora rabbits, which produce Angora wool. Mohair locks are at times referred to by the name The Diamond Fiber. This name comes from the luxury category that it belongs. Many people hold it in high esteem and it is highly sought by many.

Mohair fiber is grouped under a special category of animal fibers and it is categorized among the oldest fibers man knows. The origin of the term mohair is from the Arabic word of Mukhayar, Mukhaya, or Makhayar. Usually, the Angora goat has a single coat and its name originates from the province of Ankara which is also called Angora, Turkey.

The Angora goat originated from the Tibet Highlands or the Asian Himalayas. From the mountains, it spread to the Turkey plains and most areas in the Middle East. The industry of mohair was born in Turkey and it became the first nation to supply mohair as a raw material. Later, South Africa became the first country to receive Angora goats that were shipped from Turkey.

A lot of uniqueness from other goat breeds is exhibited by the Angora goats. It has one coat although the fibers from the secondary and primary follicles appear to be similar. The Angora goat does not shed its fibers yearly as most breeds do. Instead, its fibers grow continuously all the year. Generally, the fiber is straight and long.

The natural color of the fiber is usually white. Some of the characteristics of the fiber include durability, resistance to soiling, resilience, soil shedding, smoothness, outstanding lustre, strength, abrasion resistance, comfort, setting, and moisture management. Pilling and felting do not occur commonly to this fiber and it has relatively low flammability as well. Although it is durable, it always undergo biodegradation when it is placed in the soil.

Applications for this material are very many. These include being utilized in production of upholstery, blankets, curtains, knitwear, furnishings and carpets. The fiber is ideal for making domestic textile due to the longevity and resilience it exhibits. Nevertheless, owing to its comparative coarseness, its utilization in apparel manufacture is limited. Being coarse renders the material not suitable for close-to-the-skin clothing.

At the moment, the largest producer of mohair fiber is South Africa. South Africa accounts for more than 50 percent of the global production of this product. Fiber produced in this country is the finest and is regarded as the best quality all over the world. The second largest producer is the United States. In the US, the state of Texas is the largest producer. Other producers include Turkey, Lesotho, Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina.

Usually, this fiber is grouped according to the age of the goat it was harvested from. The fiber is called kids fiber if harvested from an animal whose age is between 6 to 12 months. The name you goat fiber is used if the animal is between the age of 12 and 24 months. Finally, the fiber is called adult fiber if the animal is over 24 months of age.




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