Article
Article
Cashmere
Article By:
Potter, M. David School of Business, San Francisco State College, San Francisco, California.
Last reviewed:October 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.112100
The natural fiber obtained from the cashmere goat, native to the Himalayan regions of China and India. The fleece of the cashmere goat (see illustration) has long, straight, coarse outer hair of little value. However, the small quantity of underhair, or down, is made into luxuriously soft woollike yarns with a characteristic highly napped finish. This fine cashmere fiber is obtained by frequent combings during the shedding season. A microscopic examination reveals that cashmere is a much finer fiber than mohair (obtained from Angora goats) or wool fiber (obtained from sheep). Because the scales are less distinct and farther apart, the fiber appears to be made of telescoped sections.
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