Fiber Classification
Undercoat fiber harvested from cashmere goats represents the valuable yield left after the removal of coarse outer guard hair. Cashmere down consists of extremely fine, soft, and crimped fibers with a mean diameter typically under nineteen micrometers. It represents the primary insulating layer of the animal and forms the basis of luxury knitwear production.
The material is purchased by weight after rigorous commercial yield tests.
Insulation Capacity
Thermal retention in knitwear relies heavily on the physical structure of the undercoat. The microscopic crimp of cashmere down traps dead air, creating a barrier that resists the transfer of heat. Low fiber diameter increases the surface area per unit mass, which optimizes this trapping mechanism.
Extraction Process
Separation of the soft undercoat from the coarse guard hair occurs through mechanical dehairing. This industrial process utilizes carding cylinders to separate the fibers by density and diameter. Raw fleece must undergo several passes to ensure the cashmere down is free from coarse contamination.
Over-processing can break the fibers, reducing the spin limit. Processing efficiency is measured by the yield percentage of clean down against the initial raw fleece weight. High-quality lots yield a greater proportion of spinnable fiber.
Quality Benchmark
Buying contracts specify the maximum percentage of remaining guard hair allowed in the finished lot. Highly refined batches of cashmere down demand a premium price in international yarn spinning. Industrial standard test methods, including projection microscopy, verify the cleanliness and mean diameter of the consignment.
