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Yak fiber is the term commonly used to refer yak fiber wool produced from the coat hair of yaks, a long-haired bovine mainly found in the Khangai Mountain Range, West Mongolia and some areas of North Mongolia. In 2019, 4.75 million head of cattle were counted nationwide. Yak is also found in 132 soums in 12 aimags. There are about 600,000 yaks in aimags and soums. The hair helps them survive extreme conditions in these regions where temperatures can be as low as -40ºC.
Yak fiber wool has been used by nomads in the Central Asian region for over a thousand years to make clothing, tents, ropes and blankets. More recently the fiber has started to be used in the garment industry to produce premium-priced clothing and accessories.
Types
The quantity of fiber produced by one yak is dependent on factors such as sex, age and breed of the yak, and the proportions of the different layers vary throughout the different seasons.
Their thick warm coat typically has two layers of hair. The yak is protected from snow, wind, and rain by outer hair. The inner hair, the so-called down hair is produced during the winter and is dense, fine, matted, and soft, hence providing great insulation. In the spring, the inner hair is shed spontaneously and is quickly extracted using a comb. It is making the fiber collection process more environmentally conscious and sustainable.
Yak wool is as delicate and soft as cashmere; it keeps you warmer than sheep’s wool; it regulates moisture, is breathable, and in addition, it is allergy friendly.
The down fiber is the finest fiber (16–20 microns) and is generally shed by the animal during late spring/early summer period. Therefore, this fine layer needs to be harvested before it is shed in the summer season. Grade C cashmere, the lowest quality, can measure up to 30 microns, the standard unit used to grade wool. Grade B measures between 16 to 19 microns and Grade A, the finest, can measure as low as 13 microns.
Properties
Yak wool has similar properties to other animal fibers, including breathability and static-resistance, but has been proven to outperform sheep wool in a number of areas.
Warmth: In woolen garments, air pockets are created between the fibers that reduce the rate of heat transfer. Nonetheless, claims vary on how much warmer it is with values ranging between 10 and 40 per cent.
Softness: Cashmere, the luxury wool made from fine goat hair, is popular and expensive thanks to the fact that it is extremely soft while being both warm and lightweight. Cashmere is known in the textile industry as one of the softest wools with a fiber diameter of less than 18.5. The diameter of the down fiber of the yak also ranges 16–20 microns making its softness comparable to that of cashmere.
Breathability: Wool’s comfort is largely due to its thermo-balancing features. The breathability factor of a material depends on its ability to absorb moisture relative to its weight and then release it into the air.
Uses
Nomads have historically used the coarse outer fibers to make ropes and tents. To make the weaving denser, coarse hair was combined with down hair in the past. In Bhutan, the long hair is used for weaving tents, bags, rugs and slings, whereas in Mongolia it is used for clothing tents and bags. Nomads comb yak hair and then spin it into yarn to achieve the optimal length. Since the mid-20th century, experiments on the material have been carried out encouraging the interest of the garment industry in yak wool, where its exotic nature and favorable performance characteristics make it an attractive alternative to cashmere. In 2012, the famous French luxury brand Louis Vuitton introduced yak wool to their home and décor collection, presenting a cape-cum-neck cushion made out of that fiber.
When yak wool was sheared, the profit was MNT 1,500 per kg. Now combed wool is sold for between 15,000 and 20,000 MNT.
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