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Home / Blog / Organic Bedding / What Are Kemp Fibers & Guard Hairs (And Should You Be Worried)?

June 3, 2019

What Are Kemp Fibers & Guard Hairs (And Should You Be Worried)?

guard hairs and kemp fibers

Every once in a while we get a call from a customer who, having recently purchased one of our wool comforters or mattress protectors, needs clarification about the black hairs sometimes found amongst the wool.  

These fibers are known as guard hairs. They offer protection for the sheep against the elements and serve as a kind of barrier for the softer wool underneath that provides insulation from the heat and cold.

Kemp fibers may be interspersed between both the guard hairs and the soft down wool underneath.  These fibers are short, coarse, and brittle.

Because of their undesirability in the wool textile industry, both kemp fibers and guard hairs are mostly removed during the cleaning and scouring process.  

The clean wool is then sent to a mill to be carded.

But not every single kemp fiber gets removed during the scouring process. To a discerning customer, these hairs can sometimes be mistaken for dog or cat hair.  These fibers may look out of place on an otherwise white-ish blanket, but they are in fact a natural part of the sheep’s fleece.

Here at Shepherd’s Dream, we don’t dye our all-natural wool products, so if there happens to be a rogue kemp fiber or guard hair in the batch, it will be carded into batting with the rest.

These “strays” are harmless and quite invisible though, so the likelihood of ever seeing one is like finding a needle in a haystack!

Filed Under: Organic Bedding Tagged With: guard fiber, guard fibers, guard hair, kemp fiber, kemp fibers, kemp hair, organic wool, organic wool fiber, wool, wool fiber, wool textile

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Counting Sheep: A Blog About Natural Sleeping

Welcome to the Shepherd’s Dream blog! Since 1997, we have sought to connect with a growing audience that desires a healthier home and living environment. Through our blog, we hope to educate people about the dangers of sleeping on mattresses with petroleum-based foams and toxic flame retardant chemicals, and deliver useful information about healthier alternatives like natural wool bedding.To become a well informed buyer, start by browsing these informative and insightful posts about the benefits of wool, tips on healthy sleeping and living, Shepherd’s Dream products and specials, and much more. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about who we are, our products or would like to suggest a blog topic.



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