Mohair

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Mohair (pronounced /ˈmoʊhɛər/) is a

fabric or yarn made from the hair of the
Angora goat (not to be confused with the
Angora rabbit, which produces Angora
wool). Both durable and resilient, mohair is
notable for its high luster and sheen,[1] and
is often used in fiber blends to add these
qualities to a textile. Mohair takes dye
exceptionally well. It feels warm in winter
as it has excellent insulating properties,
while its moisture-wicking properties allow
it to remain cool in summer. It is durable,
naturally elastic, flame-resistant and
crease-resistant. It is considered a luxury
fiber, like cashmere, angora, and silk, and
can be more expensive than most sheep's
wool.

Mohair wool
An Angora goat

Mohair is composed mostly of keratin, a

protein found in the hair, wool, horns and
skin of all mammals, but mohair's special
properties are unique to the Angora goat.
While it has scales like wool, the scales
are not fully developed, merely indicated.[1]
Thus, mohair does not feel the same way
common or standard wool does.
Mohair fiber is approximately 25–45
microns in diameter.[2] It increases in
diameter with the age of the goat, growing
along with the animal. Finer, softer hair
from younger animals is used (for
example) in scarves and shawls; the
thicker, coarser hair from older animals is
more often used for carpets and in heavy
fabrics intended for outerwear.

The term mohair is sometimes used to

describe a type of material used for the
folding roof on convertible cars. In this
instance, mohair refers to a form of denim-
like canvas.
Production

Mohair is vital to the economy of the Texas Hill

Country, including the Real County community of
Camp Wood.

Shearing is done twice a year, in the spring

and in the fall. One goat will produce 11 to
17 pounds (5–8 kg) of mohair a year.
Shearing is done on a cleanly-swept floor
and extra care is taken to keep the hair
clean and free of debris. The hair is then
processed to remove natural grease, dirt
and vegetable matter. Mohair grows in
uniform locks. The Angora goat is a single-
coat breed, and unlike pygora or cashmere,
there is no need to dehair a mohair fleece
to separate the coarse hair from the down
hair.

South Africa is the world's largest mohair

producer as of 2013, supplying around
50% of the total world production.[3] Due to
animal cruelty in the South African farms,
Zara, H&M, Gap, Topshop, Lacoste, and
many more[4] will no longer sell mohair
clothing.[5]

History
Lynval Golding of The Specials wearing a two-tone
suit, so called because the mohair fabric changes
color from grey to purple

Mohair is one of the oldest textile fibers in

use. The Angora goat is thought to
originate from the mountains of Tibet,
reaching Turkey in the 16th century.
However, fabric made of mohair was
known in England as early as the 8th
century.[1] The word "mohair" was adopted
into English sometime before 1570 from
the Arabic: mukhayyar,[6] a type of
haircloth, literally "choice", from khayyara,
"he chose".[1]

In about 1820, raw mohair was first

exported from Turkey to England, which
then became the leading manufacturer of
mohair products. The Yorkshire mills spun
yarn that was exported to Russia,
Germany, Austria, etc., as well as woven
directly in Yorkshire.[1]
Until 1849, the Turkish province of Ankara
was the sole producer of Angora goats.
Charles V is believed to be the first to bring
Angora goats to Europe. Due to the great
demand for mohair fiber, throughout the
1800s there was a great deal of
crossbreeding between Angora goats and
common goats. The growing demand for
mohair further resulted in attempts on a
commercial scale to introduce the goat
into South Africa (where it was crossed
with the native goat) in 1838, the United
States in 1849, Australia from 1856 to
1875, and later still New Zealand.[1] In
1849, Angora goats made their way to
America as a gift from Turkey.
During the 1960s, a blend of mohair and
wool suiting fabric known as Tonik or
Tonic was developed in England. This had
a shiny, color changing appearance and
was popular among rude boys and the
mod subculture.[7] Similar suits were worn
by mod revivalists, skinheads, and fans of
ska punk and two tone music during the
early to mid-1980s.[8][9]

Today, South Africa is the largest mohair

producer in the world, with the majority of
South African mohair being produced in
the Eastern Cape. The United States is the
second-largest producer, with the majority
of American mohair being produced in
Texas. Turkey also produces good-quality
mohair. Because the goats are sheared
once a year (different than South Africa),
Turkey produces the longest mohair of the
world.

In December 2006, the General Assembly

of the United Nations proclaimed 2009 to
be the International Year of Natural Fibres,
so as to raise the profile of mohair and
other natural fibers.

Uses
A Merrythought teddy bear made using mohair

Mohair lace scarf, knitted with crochet trim on the

ends
Mohair is used in scarves, winter hats,
suits, sweaters, coats, socks and home
furnishing. Mohair fiber is also found in
carpets, wall fabrics, craft yarns, and many
other fabrics, and may be used as a
substitute for fur. Because its texture
resembles fine human hair, mohair is often
used in making high grade doll wigs or in
rooting customized dolls.

Mohair is a very soft yarn when compared

with other natural and synthetic fibers. Due
to mohair's lacking prominent, protruding
scales along the hair's surface, it is often
blended with wool or alpaca. Blending the
heavily scaled wool helps the smooth
mohair fibers hold their shape and stick
together when spun into yarn. Mohair is
also valued for certain other unique
characteristics: it is warmer than other
fibers, even when used to make a light-
weight garment, and is often blended with
wool for this reason; and mohair fibers
have a distinctive luster created by the way
they reflect light. Combined with mohair's
ability to absorb dyes exceptionally well,
pure mohair yarns are usually recognizable
for their vivid saturated colours.

Fibers from young goats are softest and

are used to manufacture yarn for clothing.
Fibers from mature goats are used to
produce such things as rugs and
carpets.[10] Mohair is also used in 'climbing
skins' for randonnée skiing and ski touring.
The mohair is used in a carpet allowing the
skier an appropriate ascension method
without sliding downhill.

Mohair industry worldwide

As of 2009, world output of mohair was
estimated at around 5,000 tonnes a year,
down from a high of 25,000 tonnes in the
1990s. South Africa accounts for 60% of
total production. South African mohair is
generally exported raw or semi-processed
to textile makers in Europe, the UK and the
Far East.[10] Prices for adult mohair
declined in 2010 while prices for kid
mohair remained the same. An emerging
market for mohair producers has been
China.[11]

US subsidies for mohair

production
During World War II, U.S. soldiers wore
uniforms made of wool. Worried that
domestic producers could not supply
enough for future wars, Congress enacted
loan and price support programs for wool
and mohair in the National Wool Act of
1954 as part of the 1954 Farm Bill.[12]
Despite these subsidies, wool and mohair
production declined. The strategic
importance declined as well; the US
military adopted uniforms made of
synthetic fibers, such as dacron, and
officially removed wool from the list of
strategic materials in 1960.[13]
Nevertheless, the U.S. government
continued to provide subsidies to mohair
producers until 1995, when the subsidies
were "eliminated effective with the
marketing year ending December 31,
1995".[12] In The Future of Freedom: Illiberal
Democracy at Home and Abroad,[14] Fareed
Zakaria points out that the subsidies were
reinstated a few years later, due in large
part to the lobbying on behalf of the
special interests of the subsidy recipients.
By 2000, Congress had appropriated
US$20 million for goat and sheep
producers.[15] As of 2002, mohair
producers were still able to receive special
assistance loans from the U.S.
government, after an amendment to
eliminate the subsidy was defeated.[16]
The U.S. currently subsidizes mohair
production under the Marketing
Assistance Loan Program of the 2014
Farm Act.[17]

See also
 International Year of Natural Fibres
Angora goat

References
1. "Mohair". The Encyclopædia
Britannica. 11th ed. 1911.
2. Beula Williams (2007-04-17). "Llama
Fiber" . International Llama
Association.
3. "Mohair South Africa" . Mohair South
Africa. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
4. PETA. "Lacoste Joins 340+ Brands in
Banning Mohair After Shocking PETA
Exposé" . www.peta.org. Retrieved
5 December 2018.
 5. Bhattarai, Abha (1 May 2018). "H&M,
Zara and others ban mohair products
after animal cruelty investigation" .
The Washington Post. Retrieved 4 May
2018.
. "Mohaire". The Oxford English
Dictionary.
7. Gentlemans Gazette
. Chanting down Babylon
9. American counterculture
10. "Mohair" . United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization. Archived
from the original on June 14, 2014.
Retrieved August 18, 2011.
11. "Strong demand for adult mohair in
2011" . Wool News. Archived from the
original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved
August 18, 2011.
12. "USDA Mohair Council of America
Agreement" . Ams.usda.gov. Retrieved
2012-09-09.
13. "Department of Agriculture" .
Govinfo.library.unt.edu. Retrieved
2012-09-09.
14. Zakaria, Fareed (2003). Illiberal
Democracy on google.books .
ISBN 9780393047646. Retrieved
2012-09-09.
15. GAIL COLLINSPublished: March 13,
2001 (2001-03-13). "NY Times: Public
Interests; The Comeback Goats" . New
York Times. Retrieved 2012-09-09.
1 . Rep. Henry Bonilla [R-TX23]. "H.R.
2330 [107th] - Amendments:
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food
and Drug Administration, and Related
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2002" .
GovTrack.us. Retrieved 2012-09-09.
17. United States Department of
Agriculture. "Title I—Crop Commodity
Programs" . Retrieved 20 May 2017.

Further reading
 Black, William L (1900). A new industry,
or Raising the Angora goat, and mohair,
for profit. Embracing the historical,
commercial, and practical features of the
industry . Fort Worth, Texas: Keystone
Printing Co.
C. P. Bailey and Sons Company Bailey, C.
P (1905). Practical Angora goat raising .
San Jose, California: C.P. Bailey & Sons
Co.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media

related to Mohair.
 Oklahoma State University, Breeds of
Livestock - Angora goats
"Mohair"  . New International
Encyclopedia. 1905.

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