What is the difference between cashmere and wool?

Different sources, different collection methods, different yields, different skin friendliness, different hygroscopicity, different warmth retention, different anti-wrinkle ability, different anti-washing and anti-shrinkage effects, etc.

"Cashmere" and "wool" look similar literally, but in fact they are very different. "Cashmere" and "wool" mainly have the following differences:

Different sources: Although both cashmere and wool come from sheep, they actually come from different kinds of sheep. Wool comes from sheep, while cashmere comes from goats.

Different collection methods: cashmere and wool are also very different-wool collection is like a haircut, scraped clean with scissors and then completely taken off, commonly known as shearing wool. Cashmere grows in the roots of goat coarse hair and naturally falls off. Therefore, every spring, when the hair is removed, herders will use a special iron comb to scratch it bit by bit like combing their hair. This is the so-called raw hair.

The yield is different: each sheep can produce several kilograms of wool every year, while each goat can only harvest dozens of grams of cashmere every year. In 20 17, the global wool output was about 165438+ 10,000 tons, while cashmere was only 20,000 tons. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to describe cashmere as a "luxury".

Different skin-friendliness: cashmere and wool are completely different under the microscope! There is a great inclination between the scales of fine wool and the hair shaft. Including the side, there are many serrated protrusions. This proves that even if your wool is fine, the surface of wool scales is rough and smooth, and of course it is not skin-friendly. Clothes made of cashmere are much more skin-friendly than wool. So those so-called "cashmere sweaters", which feel tied up, can go straight through, and they are definitely not pure cashmere.

Different hygroscopicity: cashmere has the strongest water absorption among all textile fibers, and its moisture regain is above 15%. If you soak cashmere sweaters in water, they will be completely wet in a few seconds, while most sweaters will take more than half a minute to get completely wet. Therefore, cashmere is obviously superior to wool in hygroscopicity. So cashmere will not fade after dyeing, and its color is full. It is also more breathable and more comfortable to wear.

Different warmth retention: the warmth retention of cashmere is 8 times that of wool, because under the same coverage area, fine cashmere can retain more still air than wool, so it has better warmth retention.

Different glossiness: wool scales are pointed, while cashmere scales are round, and cashmere fibers are hollow without pith. Therefore, the clothes made of cashmere will be softer in luster and look more textured.

Anti-wrinkle ability is different: because wool is a solid fiber with medulla, while cashmere is a hollow fiber without medulla, it will feel quite elastic to grasp the double-sided cashmere coat by hand. Even after squeezing hard, the clothes will immediately return to flatness and will not wrinkle once they are released.

Anti-washing and anti-shrinkage effects are different: cashmere sweaters basically do not shrink after washing, while sweaters shrink.