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Why Merino?

Technical Characteristics of 100% Natural Merino

Few people, having once tried genuine superfine merino baselayers, would wear anything else. It is the performance fabric par excellence, with the added advantages of being sustainable, recyclable, biodegradable. As we say elsewhere, Merino is one of the world’s most technically advanced fibres, with unique moisture and temperature control properties.

Breathability, moisture management & insulation

All Merino fibres breathe. When the thousands of fibres are made into yarn they start to "Cross Bond" creating a highly breathable environment and "moisture management" system. Twisting the fibres together into a yarn also enhances the strength of the individual fibres. Once the yarn is knitted into fabric you have the advantage of he fibre, yarn and fabric working together and breathing".

"Breathing" means that moisture and heat can be easily passed through the fabric by the nature and characteristics of the Merino fibre combined with the construction of the fabric. Moisture is drawn from the body and passed to the outside of the garment where it evaporates into the air. Synthetic fibres cannot absorb moisture.

Synthetic fabrics only allow moisture to move by means of the fabric construction. If moisture is moved away from the body too quickly during periods of sustained activity, lactic acid may build up in the muscles. Merino, because it absorbs and holds the moisture before it is gradually evaporated away, maintains an optimum body climate which it is believed may reduce the build up of lactic acid in the muscles.

Insulation: Merino fibres and fabric allow heat to be kept close to the body when it is cold, but moved away from the body when it is hot. Synthetic fibres only heat the air trapped within the construction of the fabric and get cold when activity stops. Merino retains heat within the fibre thus keeping you warm even when you have stopped activity.

Another amazing fact about Merino is that even if you get wet, you won't be cold, as through the molecular process called "heat sorption" Merino fibres release heat to warm the surrounding moisture and keep you warm.

Odour-resistance

Merino fibres are naturally resistant to the build up of fungi and bacteria that cause the stink associated with synthetics. The molecules in merino are also resistant to the build up of external odours such as tobacco. As a result, 100% merino garments can be worn for considerably longer periods than synthetics without needing to be washed.

Flame resistance

Merino is naturally flame resistant. The fibre is made from keratin just like fingernails and hair. Merino fabrics are used around the world in fire-retardant and "radiant" heat protective clothing.

UV protection

Merino is generally recognised as having a natural UV rating in excess of 40+

Softness (Handle)

The "micron" is the measurement of the cross-section of an individual Merino fibre. Merino fibres ranging from 18-19.9 Micron are considered the best for next-to-skin all-round performance, durability and comfort. As long as the fleece used is of the right quality, has been sorted properly and the kemp and any coarse fibres removed, and then spun correctly, Merino fibre below 19.9 microns eliminates the "itch" factor against the skin and ensures your Merino garment is soft to wear. The expertise required for spinning this grade and quality of yarn is highly specialised. As a result, there is a lot of "merino" out there that is definitely sub-standard.

Injury Prevention

Surprisingly enough, wearing merino may even help prevent injury due to the build up of lactic acid in the muscles. Research carried out by the University of Graz found evidence that merino's ability to absorb and hold moisture before gradually releasing it through evaporation could contribute keeping the skin hydrated. This in turn affects the muscles. Synthetic fabrics through which moisture quickly penetrates can draw this moisture away from the skin too quickly causing dehydration, which in turn concentrates the lactic acid in the muscles which causes cramp.

Other Benefits

Click here to read the latest scientific report on the properties of MAPP Superfine Merino (including some very surprising ones!) click here

Why can't we breed Merino in the UK?

We can - but only a merino bred for meat, not one bred for it's wool. Sadly the UK climate doesn't suit the Merino sheep. They're a mountain breed and like dry feet and dry coats. The British Isles are simply too wet for them to thrive. Attempts have been, and are still made from time to time to keep them in barns to protect the fleece. We think this is downright cruel to the animals. These mountain sheep are designed by nature to roam freely over the hills and mountains in search of their food. Keeping them in close confinement will not only stress the animals, it will in the end damage the quality of the fleece. Why do you think they grow these magnificent coats? It's to protect them from the heat and cold. If they no longer need this protection, evolution will eventually step in. So it's a daft idea thought up by people who know nothing about sheep and certainly don't give a damn about their welfare.

Aren't there other UK breeds that produce a good fleece?

For our purpose - in a word - NO.  It's not just a matter of micron count. Even if you could get a sheep that produced a fine micron count wool, it also has to have the right staple (length), crimp (curliness), and right tensile strength. In addition, the merino wool fibre has fewer scales (see image at top)* than the average wool fibre, and it's the scales that  contribute to problems of felting and shrinkage.  It's only when all five of these attributes are right that you have a fibre that can be made into a performance merino-like fabric. So far no-one has done this.

There are a few rare breeds around like the Bowmont that it is claimed can potentially produce fleece with a low micron count. However we have seen no independent evidence of this, and these appear to be so few in number as to be meaningless. In addition, no research has been carried out as to whether their fleece would be good enough in terms of crimp, scale, tensile strength and staple. So far, all breeders have managed to produce seems to be a few kilos of knitting wool, and just because a fleece is good enough for knitting wool doesn't mean it's good enough for the worsted spinning needed for a merino-type fabric.

It is a huge shame but the result of the Common Agricultural Policy and actions of successive governments have lead to farmers being given no incentive whatsoever to produce sheep for fleece as well as meat. We once had the best textile industry in the world. Now we have none bar a few suiting producers in Yorkshire and one or two knitting wool producers. This is appalling, especially when you consider breed like the Herdwick whose fleece used to make one of the best tweed fabrics in the world.

Technical characteristics of merino continued....

Source from ZQUE on Vimeo.

Layering Design - style or function? Multi-climate merino

Technical Characteristics of Merino

Judging quality magnification images of merino fabric Electron Microscope images of merino fibre

Processing Wool

The "Itch" Factor Textile Tests

Mallory's Gear